Brussels, 06/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Foreign Ministers of the EU Member States will be meeting in different capacities from Sunday to Tuesday, in Luxembourg. Their work will be organised in the following way:
- Sunday 8 October. From 15h30 and under the chairmanship of French Minister Hubert Védrine, the Fifteen will meet in ministerial conclave on institutional reform (see other article, page 3).
- Monday 9 October. From 9h30, the ministers will meet in General Affairs Council (GAC) which, during the morning, will cover external relations (effectiveness of EU external action, Western Balkans, Meda, Barcelona Process, bananas and improved access to the Community market for products from the less advanced countries). At lunch, the ministers could approve declarations on the situation in the Middle East. Also during lunch, they will discuss, in the presence of President Prodi, "horizontal issues" (preparation of the informal summit of Biarritz, situation on the oil market, correcting letter to the preliminary draft budget 2001) and various other point s (situation in the Moluccas, nuclear safety in the prospect of enlargement, Commission Communication on main transmissible diseases).
After lunch, towards 15h30, the Intergovernmental Conference strictly speaking will meet to discuss institutional reform. The Council will then continue its deliberations begun that morning.
In principle, at 18h00 the Association Council with Morocco will meet, being extended with a "political dialogue" dinner.
- Tuesday 10 October. Every hour from 9h30 there will be Association Councils with Bulgaria and Poland, as well as the Cooperation Councils with Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia.
