Brussels, 21/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama will, on Monday, chair the General Affairs Council to be held since Finland gave over the Presidency to Portugal on 1 January. As tradition has it, this session will therefore be opened by an "open debate" devoted to the working programme of the new Council Presidency. Mr Gama asked for ministerial interventions to be focused on European security and defence policy. This theme will then be taken up in formal session, in the context of information that the Presidency hopes to give on how it plans to ensure follow-up of the European Council of Helsinki. On this point, the following points will be tackled:
- IGC. As the European Commission opinion is expected for 26 January and that of the EP by mid February (see yesterday's EUROPE, pages 3 and 4), it is foreseen that the Council will give the kick-off for new revision of the Treaties during its sitting on 14 February. With this in mind, the Presidency will inform the ministers of its intentions regarding: - the arrangements for practical organisation of the IGC (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.3): ministerial and preparatory meetings, Commission and EP participation; secretariat, documents, transparency, linguistic regime, information of applicant countries; - working methods: work programme and documents, breakdown of work between ministers and their high representatives (in the case of Portugal, this last function will be ensured by the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Seixas da Costa), possibilities of "conclaves", involvement of European Council, etc.; - provisional timetable until the end of the Presidency, a negotiating session at ministerial level being planned at the time of each General Affairs Council (EUROPE has reason to believe that the Presidency plans for the foreign ministers and other secretaries of State to take on the general political responsibility for work). Ministerial meetings will be prepared by a High Level Group chaired by Mr Seixas da Costa, which should be held four times between now and mid-March and four times again by mid-May.
- Functioning of Council. The Fifteen will take stock of the situation on reforms aimed at improving this functioning, some of them now having come into force (such as that on limiting the number of members for delegations admitted to the Chamber). Others require further reflection at Coreper level during coming weeks (reduction of the number of Council formations, better organisation of contacts with third countries …). Finally, others still will be studied by Secretary General Javier Solana who will then present, at the appropriate moment, operational conclusions to Coreper. The legal service will prepare a draft revised internal regulation.
- European security and defence policy. The Presidency will confirm that its intention is to present to the European Council of Lisbon of 23 and 24 March a report on the establishment of interim crisis management structures and to take stock of progress in work on the other aspects of the Helsinki conclusions.
- Enlargement. The intention of the Presidency is to organise bilateral ministerial conferences with the six new States admitted in the negotiation process (Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Romania and Slovakia) on 15 February this year, with a view to presenting to them the general EU position concerning the opening of negotiations. The latter should come about end March at deputy level, with a view to establishing what the first chapters to be opened up to negotiation are (on the basis of a Commission assessment). Ministers will get down to the heart of negotiations during a later meeting, and will be called upon to intervene for the first time on 14 June, in the presence of the ministers of countries with which negotiations have been under way since 1998 (sessions at deputy level are scheduled, for these countries, in April and May, even though an additional meetings cannot be totally ruled out at this stage).
- Transparency and access to papers. The Council will note the fact that the Commission should present its proposal - based on Article 255 par.2 - before the end of the month and that the Presidency should ensure examination of it without delay.
The Portuguese Presidency should also seize this opportunity to give additional indications about the organisation of the extraordinary European Council in Lisbon.
