Brussels, 20/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - The General Affairs Council, which met under the presidency of Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama, tackled the following issues on Monday (in addition to those cited in the previous pages):
- Statute of MEPs. The Presidency informed the Council of the state of progress of work as well as on the methodology that it plans to apply in coming weeks.
- Economic situation of Bulgaria and Romania. The European Commission carries out a summary update on progress accomplished by these two countries. See other article on page 11.
- Freelance interpreters. The Council noted an agreement on this issue of a taxation kind, aimed at extending to all independent interpreters working for the Institutions the "Community" taxation status recognised for those who work for the EP. Normally, freelance interpreters are, from a taxation point of view, subject to the tax obligations in force in the Member State where they operate. Called upon to work between Brussels and Strasbourg (not to mention Luxembourg), the independent interpreters working for the Parliament had managed to be allowed to pay Community tax instead of national taxes. In order to prevent action at the Court of Justice, the Commission has proposed that this regime be extended to all interpreters concerned, something that Belgium had challenged. It will finally be the case, but Belgium obtained a declaration in the minutes stipulating that this exemption would not be a precedent to be used as an argument for other persons working on an occasional or temporary basis for the European Institutions.
- Programme of extraordinary European Council in Lisbon. The Presidency took stock of the state of preparations. The summit will be preceded by a small lunch by the European Union Troika with Mr Guzmao, President of the National Resistance Council of East Timor. During the dinner, the heads of state and government will discuss the Balkans and Russia as well as European security and defence policy, and the Presidency will present a summary report on the evolution of the IGC's work. Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel may, as is his stated intention, raise the question of the political situation in Vienna, but it is not foreseen that the other heads of government, other than the Presidency, will react to this.
