Brussels, 22/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - The foreign and/or European ministers are optimistic that an agreement on the 2011 budget can be concluded before the end of the year. “We are moderately optimistic that it should be possible to come to an agreement approved by the EP before the end of the year”, said the Belgian foreign minister, Steven Vanackere, after the General Affairs Council held in Brussels on Monday 22 November. Amongst other things, the Council discussed preparations for the European Council of 16-17 December. The new French minister for European affairs, Laurent Wauquiez, also told the press that he was “reasonably optimistic” that an agreement on the 2011 budget could be reached “before the European Council” of December. “Positions are moving in a positive direction”, he said. Commissioner Maros Šefèoviè shares these “moderate hopes”, as the consequences of a non-agreement would be serious, he told the press.
A more positive name for the permanent mechanism for the eurozone? As part of preparations for the European Council of December, the General Affairs Council also discussed preparations for the creation of a permanent crisis management mechanism for the eurozone. According to the president of the Council, Vanackere, one of the conclusions to be drawn from this debate is that the name of this mechanism must be “positive”. “We believe that it would be better to speak about a financial stability mechanism than about a crisis mechanism for the eurozone”, Vanackere told the press. The subject will be discussed in greater detail at the next General Affairs Council on 14 December, Vanackere said.
Monday's Council also discussed three other subjects: - the Commission's working programme 2011, which was presented to the ministers by Commissioner Šefèoviè; - the use of videoconferencing and teleconferencing in the work of the Council. The idea is to replace the physical meetings of the ministers in Brussels with videoconferences, but the use of this new technology should be encouraged, particularly in emergency cases or when it is impossible to meet physically (as was the case this summer after the eruption of the Icelandic volcano), Vanackere explained to the press. The Council will return to this issue next spring, when it will also have at its disposal the results of a feasibility study on the technical possibilities, he said; - stepping up cooperation between the member states as regards disaster intervention capabilities. The ministers intend to adopt conclusions on this subject on 14 December, Vanackere stated. (H.B./transl.fl)