On 18-19 June, European Council convened in Brussels

On 18 and 19 June, the European Council meeting was held in Brussels. The delegation of Latvia under the leadership of Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis included also Foreign Minster Maris Riekstins.

The European Council addressed several issues of importance for Latvia – the payment of the next loan tranche to Latvia, the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, the Baltic Region Energy Interconnection Plan and the Eastern Partnership. The EU Heads of State and Government reached an agreement on the necessary legal guarantees to Ireland and institutional issues in relation to the Lisbon Treaty, on a new financial supervisory architecture for the EU and on the situation in the EU's dairy sector.

Prime Minister Dombrovskis informed that the European Council has expressed strong support to the budget amendments adopted by Latvia and to its medium term financial strategy. The EU Heads of State and Government emphasised that the implementation of the approved measures together with the medium term financial strategy is guarantee to a successful fulfillment of the international loan programme in Latvia. The leaders of the EU Member States expressed strong support to the intention of the European Commission to make the payment of the next tranche to Latvia.

As part of the institutional issues, the European Council agreed on the name of Mr. José Manuel Durão Barroso as the person they intend to nominate as President of the European Commission for the period 2009-201.

As agreed by the European Council in December with regard to the Lisbon Treaty, the Member States took a decision on legal guarantees in response to the concerns of the Irish people relating to taxation policy, the right to life, education and the family, and Ireland's traditional policy of military neutrality.

Provided the Treaty of Lisbon enters into force, the European Council agreed that the Commission should continue to include one national of each Member State.    

Concerning the number of members of the European Parliament, the Council agreed that, provided the Treaty of Lisbon enters into force, 18 seats will be added to the 736 seats filled in the EP elections of June 2009, including one more EMP for Latvia.

The European Council took a number of decisions intended to lead to the creation of a new financial supervisory architecture with the aim of protecting the European financial system from future risks and ensuring that the mistakes of the past can never be repeated. The adopted decisions envisage the creation of a European Systemic Risk Board and a European System of Financial Supervisors. The European Systemic Risk Board will assess potential threats to financial stability and issue risk warnings, but the  European System of Financial Supervisors will be aimed at strengthening oversight of cross border financial institutions, as well as establishing a European single rule book applicable to all financial institutions and follow its implementation.

The European Council discussed the current situation on the dairy market and invited the Commission to present an in-depth market analysis, including possible options for stabilising the dairy market.

In preparations for the international Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December this year, Member States expressed their commitment to reduce emissions by 30% provided that other developed countries commit themselves to comparable emission reductions. The European Council emphasised that financial contribution to fight climate change in developing countries should be provided by all countries of the world, except the least developed. The criteria for sharing the costs should be financial capabilities and responsibilities of a country.

With the aim of reducing pressures created by flows and threats of illegal immigration in the Mediterranean region, the European Council agreed upon the need for a coordinated approach on internal reallocation of beneficiaries of international protection present in the Member States. The implementation of the agreement is to be based on the principle of voluntary participation. The European Council also underlined a need for the cooperation with countries of origin and transit, and for strengthening the role of FRONTEX, the EU agency for external border security, in fighting illegal immigration. 

In connection with the Communication on the Baltic Sea region adopted on 10 June this year by the European Commission, the European Council called for work to be taken forward rapidly on this issue with a view to adopting a Strategy on the Baltic Sea Region at its meeting in October 2009.

The European Council welcomed the Action Plan on Baltic Energy Market Interconnection as a major contribution to enhancing the energy security of the Union. The Action Plan on Baltic Energy Market Interconnection was approved on 17 June when the countries of the Baltic Sea region signed a memorandum on the integration of the Baltic state power networks into wider EU energy networks.

While discussing energy security, the European Council noted with concern potential problems concerning gas supply from Russia via Ukraine and invited all the parties to honour their commitments in order to avoid disruption of gas supply to Europe.

The European Council welcomed the launch of the Eastern Partnership and called upon the Commission and incoming Presidencies to continue their work in line with the Joint Declaration of the Prague Summit of 7 May 2009.

In the area of external relations, the EU Heads of State and Government also endorsed the European Council's conclusions on Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as those on the Middle East Peace Process.

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Permanent Representation of the Republic of Latvia to the European Union
Phone +32 (0) 2 2383 100
Fax +32 (0) 2 2383 250
e-mail permrep.eu@mfa.gov.lv