Brussels, 25/08/2010 (Agence Europe) - In July, EU foreign ministers called for the General Affairs Council to have a greater role in the preparation of European Council meetings (see EUROPE 10188). In a memo to ministers, the Belgian Presidency set out the work timetable of the various Council configurations to ensure the follow-up to the main policy guidelines agreed by heads of state and government at their meeting on 17 June (see EUROPE 10162). The European Council work programme over the coming months will be as follows:
EUROPE 2020 Strategy. The Presidency will present a report to the General Affairs Council in December taking stock of progress achieved by the end of the year. Before then, the EPSCO Council will adopt the Employment Guidelines on 21 October 2010, the ECOFIN Council having already adopted the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines at its meeting on 13 July 2010. All seven flagship initiatives are expected to be presented by the end of the year:
-“Digital Agenda for Europe”: following its presentation in May 2010 (see EUROPE 10142), the Commission is expected shortly to submit the first of concrete proposals which will include Broadband Strategy, the Radio Spectrum Policy Programme and the regulation on a modernised Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA);
- “Innovation Union”: the Competitiveness Council on 11/12 October and the ECOFIN Council on 19 October will discuss a Commission communication. The communication will also present the results of the work on the innovation indicator. The European Council will debate research and innovation in December;
- “Youth on the move”: the EPSCO Council on 21 October will discuss a Commission communication which will be presented in the near future;
- “European platform to combat poverty”: a communication will also be presented at the EPSCO Council in 21 October;
- “Industrial policy for a globalised era”: the communication will be presented at the Competitiveness Council on 25/26 November;
- “Agenda for new skills and jobs”: the EPSCO Council on 6 December 2010 will be devoted to this topic;
- “Towards a resource efficient Europe”: this theme will be discussed at the Environment Council on 20 December 2010, which is expected to adopt conclusions.
The Monti report on a new strategy for the single market will also be debated the second half of this year, as will the Commission communication on the “Single Market Act”, which follows up on the Monti report (European Council on 11-12 October). Work on structural reforms and smart fiscal consolidation will continue to be taken forward by the Economic Policy Committee, which will report back to the ECOFIN Council in October and November. The Employment Committee will submit a report to the October EPSCO Council on the general assessment framework and monitoring of the EUROPE 2020 strategy. The Social Protection Committee and the Economic Policy Committee will submit a joint report on pensions to the December EPSCO Council and the November ECOFIN Council.
Economic Governance. The next meeting of the taskforce on economic governance, which is chaired by Herman Van Rompuy, will take place on 6 September. The president of the European Council will report on progress achieved at the 16 September European Council and will present the taskforce's final report at the October European Council. Preparation of the changes that have to be made to the code of conduct on the implementation of the stability and growth pact with a view to implementing the “European semester” are continuing in the Economic and Financial Committee.
Financial Services. “The Presidency will ensure that work is rapidly taken forward on a number of important legal proposals on the regulation of financial markets,” the memo states. This particularly concerns hedge funds and private equity funds, derivative markets, naked short-selling of CDS (credit default swaps), credit rating agencies and deposit guarantee mechanisms.
The ECOFIN Council on 7 September will be given over to a debate on the introduction of systems of levies and taxes on financial institutions. At their next meeting, on 19 October, EU finance ministers will prepare a report for the European Council.
G20. The Council meeting of 19 October will also provide the opportunity to prepare terms of reference for the next G20 finance ministers meeting on 22-23 October 2010. The European Council of 28-29 October will set the EU position for the G20 summit in Seoul on 11 November.
Climate Change. The Environment Council on 14 October will adopt conclusions ahead of the Conference in Cancun (29 November-11 December 2010). These conclusions are expected to confirm the stepwise approach and set out the EU position on a number of issues, such as REDD+, fast start financing, long-term commitment. They will also address the EU's expectations of other parties, for example, on MRV, transparency in the use of financing, improvement of carbon markets. On 19 October 2010, the ECOFIN Council will provide its input on financing climate change.
The Commission communication on options to move beyond 20% greenhouse gas emission reduction target and on carbon leakage will be discussed at the Environment Council on 14 October 2010, just before the European Council. (A.B./transl.rt)