Brussels, 29/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - Belgium is to take on the EU Council Presidency on 1 July for six months, with two European Councils, one in Gent in October and the other in Laeken in December. The Council sessions, including informal ministerial meetings, are as follows:
JULY: - Informal session of Employment and Social Affairs Ministers, on 6 and 7 July in Liège; - Ecofin, on 10, preceded on 9 by a meeting of the Eurogroup; - informal meeting on regional policy and spatial planning, on 13 and 14 in Namur; - General Affairs, on 16 and 17; - Budget, on 20 July; - Agriculture, on 23 and 24.
SEPTEMBER: - Informal meeting of External Trade Ministers, on 6 and 7 September in Bruges; - informal meeting of Foreign Ministers, on 8 and 9 in Genval; - informal meeting on Environment and Transport, from 14-16 September in Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve; - informal Agriculture, from 16 to 18 in Alden Biezen; - informal Ecofin, on 22 and 23 in Liège; - Agriculture, on 24 and 25 September; - Justice/Home Affairs and Civil Protection, on 27 and 28; - internal market/consumers and tourism, on 27 September.
OCTOBER: - (Luxembourg): Research Council, on 1 October (the meeting could be postponed if the Parliament does not manage to take a decision in first reading, in September, on the proposal of a framework programme; - Employment and Social Policy, on 8; - General Affairs, on 8 and 9; - informal "policy for large towns", on 9 October in Brussels; - informal meeting of Defence Ministers, on 11 and 12 in Brussels; - Transport and Telecommunications, on 15 and possibly 16 October; - Informal European Council, on 19 in Gent; - Agriculture, on 22 and 23; - Fisheries, on 25; - Environment, on 29; - General Affairs, on 29 and 30 October.
NOVEMBER: - Culture, on 5 November; - Ecofin, on 6; - Development, on 8; - Employment and Social Policy, on 12; - Health, on 15; - Justice, Home Affairs and Civil Protection, on 16 November; - General Affairs, 19 and 20; - Budget, 21 and 22; Internal Market/Consumers and Tourism, on 26; - Fisheries, possibly on 27; - Education and Youth; on 29 November.
DECEMBER: - Employment and Social Policy, on 3 December; - Ecofin, on 4; - Industry and Energy, on 4 and 5; - Informal Culture, on 4 and 5 in Bruges; - Justice/Home Affairs and Civil Protection, on 6 and 7; - Transport and Telecommunications, on 6 and 7; - Research, on 10 December; - General Affairs, on 10 and 11, - Environment, on 12 and 13; - European Council, on 14 and 15 in Laeken; - Agriculture, on 17 and 18; - Fisheries, on 19 and 20 December.
The first meeting of the Belgian EU Presidency will be the traditional meeting of the new Council Presidency with the European Commission. It will be held on 2 July at the Palais d'Egmont.