Strasbourg, 05/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - Cyprus which has just taken over the presidency of the EU Council of Ministers from Denmark will not lose sight of negotiations on the cohesion package over the coming six months. Nonetheless, the Cypriot Presidency remains cautious in announcing that it wants to encourage the conclusion of negotiations on the relevant regulations in due course. At this point, the issue is on the agenda of two General Affairs Councils, for deliberation on legislative acts, in October and December. Cohesion will be discussed more regularly, however, in talks on the multiannual financial framework 2014-2020, as it is here that the key points of the legislative package are to be found. This is particularly so for macroeconomic conditions and the capping of allocations, two massive areas of dispute in inter-institutional discussions. The budget will be the subject of bitter debate, as some “net contributor” countries want the sum proposed by the Commission to be reduced.
Cyprus, then, will have to maintain the pace set by the Danes during the first half of the year and will have to wrap up issues outstanding. Initially, these will be the financial points outside the financial framework, territorial development and European territorial cooperation as well as indicators, communication and technical assistance. A common general approach will broach these issues though it has yet to be decided whether adoption will be at the October or the December General Affairs Council meeting. Legislative and budget negotiations are intimately linked, only agreement on the figures will finally seal the consensus reached on the legislative architecture. Until such time as everything is adopted, nothing is certain. The Cypriot Presidency has shown the importance it attaches to cohesion policy, devoting several events to it. An informal Council meeting of relevant ministers will take place at the start of November, prepared by the directors general with responsibility for cohesion policy, who will meet in October. The Presidency will also hold meetings of the inter-governmental groups responsible for urban development (UDG) and territorial cohesion (NTCCP) in September. Cyprus will work with the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions to organise the annual general meeting of the Islands Commission in November. (MD/transl.rt)