Brussels, 14/02/2000 (Agence Europe) - The General Affairs Council (GAC), which met on Monday under the presidency of Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama, began work (before being interrupted for the launching of the Intergovernmental Conference: see other article on page 5) with the so-called "horizontal" issues. As work opened, Mr Gama welcomed the new Irish Foreign Minister, Mr Cowen, and reminded his colleagues that they would no longer be working with Ms Ferrero-Waldner as Secretary of State but as Austrian Foreign Minister. EUROPE specifies that Ms Ferrero-Waldner regained the meeting room after the Council session had begun, taking her place directly without any contact with other delegations. The Fifteen came to the following results on the "horizontal" issues:
- Preparation of the extraordinary European Council of Lisbon. The Portuguese Presidency gave details regarding the way in which it plans to conduct preparations for this summit, and stressed the importance - a point a view supported by several delegations - that it attaches to the follow-up that should be given to it. Its intentions received a positive welcome that will encourage it to continue along the path marked out (certain Member States would even be envisaging the objectives of this European Council "with enthusiasm"). Several ministers stressed during the round the table discussion that the GAC's task of coordinating the preparatory work for a summit should be fully applied in this case.
- Strengthening of European security and defence policy. The GAC approved the three Decisions that give birth to the interim structures of the policy, namely: - Interim Political and Security Committee; - Interim Military Committee; national military experts posted with the Council Secretariat General. As far as the Political and Security Committee (COPS) is concerned, the Fifteen decided to leave open the question of eventual presidency for this body, in the event of crisis, by the High Representative/Secretary General Javier Solana (as an exemption from the rule of rotating presidency). The Military Committee will answer to the Council's Secretariat general and will work both for the COPs and for the High Representative/Secretary General. EUROPE has reason to believe that the Member States will have the freedom to appoint as representatives in this body those who represent them in the corresponding structure of NATO. During his speech, Javier Solana above all drew attention to the question of where this new structure would be located, stressing not only that Juste Lipse (headquarters of the Council's Secretariat General) was already, at the present time, close to saturation and, above all, that this building had shortcomings from the security point of view. The question of location for the definitive structure remains unresolved: it would seem that the Fifteen had entrusted Mr Solana with the task of finding a building which, being near to Juste Lipse, would fully meet the security requirements. EUROPE also has reason to believe that the COPS should hold its first meeting on 6 March.
- Charter of Fundamental Rights. The Presidency takes stock of the situation on the launching of work within the Convention which is preparing the Charter.
- Reform of the European Commission. The ideas of the Commission were presented to the Council by: Mr Patten, who stressed the need to improve the management of EU aid to the third countries, current practices being far too slow and weighed down by administrative sluggishness. According to Mr Patten, the GAC must support this approach: - Mr Kinnock who, in presenting the general ideas adopted by the Commission, also stressed that it was not only up to the Commission to be determined about reform. It should also involve each of the Community institutions concerned. The Commission's point of departure, according to one source close to the Presidency, has "in general, enjoyed warm support". During the round the table discussion, several ministers - notably Dutch national van Aarsen - stressed the need to take into account in this operation the question of the cost of European civil servants.
