Stockholm, 09/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission supports and fully backs the Swedish Presidency's programme of work for the next six months, the President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, stressed during a joint press conference on Tuesday with Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson in Stockholm, where the full Commission met, (as tradition wants when there is a change of EU Presidency) the different Swedish ministers who will be chairing the different EU ministerial councils during this half year. The Commission is on the same wave length as the Presidency and, like the Presidency, recognises the importance of European integration, especially at this stage, and of the three "e"s which make up the new Presidency's priorities: enlargement, employment, environment. Mr Prodi mainly welcomed the fact that the Swedish Presidency had not announced over-ambitious media-friendly or political promises, as, he said, what is needed during this term is action and results in the different areas and especially in these three. Mr Prodi said no promises must be made if they cannot be kept, and added: "I regret there is not a fourth 'e' in the work programme, the 'euro'". The fact that Sweden is not yet in the euro-zone should not, however, have an adverse effect on the Presidency in general, Mr Prodi hastened to state. "Sweden has always been very clear in its relations with Europe and with the euro project. I have no doubt that the (momentary) non-participation in single currency by Sweden will not have an impact on the Presidency, "even in financial and economic matters", said Mr Prodi.
Regarding the main priority of the Swedes, namely enlargement, Mr Persson restated Sweden's determination to "pursue and accelerate" membership negotiations. While indicating the "heavy" daily load of work that this implies for the Commission services working on enlargement, he gave his assurance that the Commission will do everything possible to support intensification of talks. "It will be a tricky term of office for membership talks, with difficult chapters on the table for the most advanced candidates (free movement of persons, etc.). However, said Mr Prodi, "I am confident that there will be synergy between the Commission and the Swedish Presidency allowing this challenge to be faced". The question of whether the Commission currently has the resources it needs (staff, internal structures, etc.) for carrying out all the preparatory work (definition of common positions by the Fifteen for negotiations) according to the work timetable of the Swedish Presidency "remains to be seen", said Mr Prodi. Be this as it may, the Commission and the Presidency showed proof in Stockholm on Tuesday of "great determination" to move forward in negotiations, "both on the qualitative and the quantitative level". Like Mr Persson, Mr Prodi was, however, very cautious concerning the possibility that the Gothenburg Summit in June this year could result in "target dates" being set for the first accessions. "Nothing is as yet decided in this connection, but we shall do our best to do so", said the Commission president.
On the subject of Russia, Mr Persson again stressed the importance that the Swedish Presidency will grant to strengthening relations and existing cooperation with Russia. Mr Prodi, for his part, affirmed that he had agreed and "decided" with the Presidency to continue the work programme that the Commission recently launched with a view to exploring the possibility of intensifying relations with Moscow regarding the provision of gas and oil towards Europe (mainly to reduce Europe's dependence on OPEC), in the form of a long term supply contract ("Prodi Plan"). "We shall pursue this approach, independently of the fact that the energy prices are again on a downward trend", Mr Prodi assured.
Many questions raised during the joint press conference between Mr Persson and Mr Prodi concerned the decision taken by the Fifteen in Nice (or rather in the days and weeks after Nice) on the transfer, in progressive stages, of all the European Councils to Brussels. On Monday evening, a meeting with a group of European journalists, the Swedish Prime Minister had to admit that he was not immediately in the know about such a decision, given that it had not been the subject of a formal debate in the ups and downs of the last few hours of the European Council of Nice. On Tuesday, Mr Persson acknowledged that this decision had indeed been taken at Coreper, and he said he backed it. However, he stressed, "this decision will change the nature of European Presidencies" and it will therefore be necessary to find other ways to allow a direct contact between Europe and the citizens of countries that hold the EU Presidency.