Brussels, 21/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - The Belgian presidency of the EU Council has given a good account of its half-year term of office, which expires on 31 December when the baton will be passed on to Hungary (see yesterday's EUROPE). The “pragmatic and targeted” approach adopted by Belgium has paid off, the Belgian minister for foreign affairs, Steven Vanackere, was pleased to tell the press on 20 December. “Results are good. We managed to attain our objectives” on both the legislative and institutional fronts. “We have worked in earnest and shown commitment and that has borne fruit”, he added. As it had announced, the Belgian presidency has taken a low profile to work in the greatest discretion and leave as much room as possible to the new institutional players created by the treaty, notably the permanent president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, and High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton.
Steven Vanackere then highlighted the main results of the last six months, including: - the EP/Council agreement on the 2011 budget which, he said, has allowed not only a situation of provisional twelfths but also a paralysing institutional confrontation to be avoided; - agreement on the regulation for implementing the European citizens' initiative; - progress towards better economic governance, including with the introduction of a “European Semester”. During the 2011 semester, for the first time, member states should therefore submit their annual budget proposals accompanied by their structural reform programmes to European common scrutiny; - on financial oversight, the agreement between the Council and EP on creation of European agencies for prudential monitoring of banks, insurance companies and financial markets, as well as the creation of a European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) responsible for attracting attention, in good time, to crises in the financial system (supervisors and the board will be operational as of 2011); - approval by the Council and Parliament of the directive on alternative investment funds (and above all hedge funds) and review of the ruling on credit rating agencies; - on the EUROPE 2020 strategy, adoption by Council of the integrated guidelines for economic growth and employment; - progress on the European patent, which will now allow an agreement to be envisaged in 2011; - in the field of transport, the Council's political agreement on review of the Eurovignette directive; - the European External Action Service (EEAS) that Catherine Ashton has set in place and which officially started work on 1 December; - the launch of accession talks with Iceland in July and the closure of eight chapters in membership talks with Croatia (Ed. five are already closed, and all should be by 22 December). Furthermore, Serbia's request for membership was forwarded to the Commission for its opinion. No chapter has been opened or closed with Turkey but the Belgian presidency affirms it has moved forward well with the preparation for opening talks on the “competition” chapter which could, possibly, be opened under Hungarian presidency. Montenegro has received the status of candidate country; - on competition, the free trade agreement with South Korea has been signed; - on justice/security and freedom, the political agreement between Council and Parliament on the directive on long-term residents allowing refugees and other persons enjoying international protection to be able to acquire long term residence status in the Union; - and on the subject of climate change, the common position defended by the EU during the COP16 conference in Cancún, where the EU made a difference this time. The Belgian presidency sought to correct inconsistencies that existed in Copenhagen (in December 2009) and the Union spoke with a single voice. “It was an approach that was really successful”, Vanackere said. (H.B./transl.jl)