Brussels, 27/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - On 1 January 2002, Spain will take over the Presidency of the European Union Council of Ministers, which it will hold for the following six months. Two European Councils will be organised in that time - the first in Barcelona in March and the second in Seville in June. The timetable of Council meetings and other major events follows:
JANUARY: Fisheries (possibly on 10 Jan.); informal meeting of Employment and Social Affairs Ministers on 18/20 January in Burgos; Agriculture on 21/22; ECOFIN on 22, preceded by a meeting of Eurogroup the evening before; General Affairs, 28/29 January.
FEBRUARY: Industry and Research Ministers meeting, 1/2 February in Gerona; meeting of the Presidents of the European Parliament and national parliaments' Defence Committees on 4/5; Health Ministers meeting, 7/8 in Malaga; informal Foreign Affairs meeting (Gymnich) in Caceres on 8/9; ECOFIN on 12, preceded by Eurogroup on 11; informal JHA on 13/15 in Santiago de Compostela; Education/Youth on 14; General Affairs on 18/19, at the same time as Agriculture Council; informal Telecoms and Information Society meeting on 21/23 in Vitoria; Justice/Home Affairs on 28; EU/Gulf Co-operation Council ministerial meeting on 27/28 February in Granada.
MARCH: Internal Market, Consumer Affairs/Tourism and possible Justice/Home Affairs on 1 March; Environment on 4; ECOFIN on 5, preceded by Eurogroup on 5; Employment/Social Affairs on 7; Research on 11; General Affairs on 11/12; Spring European Council in Barcelona on 15/16; Culture and Broadcasting ministerial meeting in Salamanca on 17/19; Trade-EuroMed ministerial meeting in Toledo on 18/19; Agriculture on 18/19; informal Defence meeting in Zaragoza on 22/23; Transport/Telecoms on 25/26 March.
APRIL: (Luxembourg): ASEM/Migration ministerial meeting in Lanzarote on 4/6 April; Fisheries on 8; informal ECOFIN Council in Oviedo on 12/14; General Affairs on 15/16; Agriculture on 22/23; EuroMed in Valencia on 22/23; Justice/Home Affairs on 25/26; Energy Ministers meeting in Pamplona on 26/28; informal Agriculture Council in La Manga (Murcia) on 26/30 April.
MAY: informal Tourism Council in Santander on 3/5 May; ECOFIN on 7, preceded by Eurogroup meeting on 6; EU/Canada Summit in Madrid on 8; General Affairs/Defence on 13; EU/MERCOSUR Summit and EU/Latin America and Caribbean Summit in Madrid on 17/18; Internal Market and Consumer Affairs/Tourism on 21; Culture/Broadcasting on 23; informal Environment summit in Mallorca on 24/26; Agriculture on 27/28; EU/Russia Summit in Moscow on 28; Public Administration ministerial meeting in San Millan de la Cogolla (La Rioja) on 29; Education/Youth, and Development on 30; informal Transport Council in Gijon from 31 May to 2 June.
JUNE: Employment/Social Affairs on 3 June; ECOFIN on 4 June with Eurogroup meeting on 3; Industry/Energy on 6/7; meeting of ASEM Foreign Ministers in Madrid on 6/7 and a meeting of Consumer Affairs Ministers in Santiago de Compostela at the same time; General Affairs, along with Agriculture Council on 10/11; Fisheries on 11; Justice/Home Affairs on 13, which might be continue on 14; General Affairs, and also Transport/Telecoms on 17/18: European Council in Seville on 21/22; Environment on 24/25 and possibly a General Affairs Council on 24 and ECOFIN Council on 25; informal Education Ministers meeting with candidate countries in Bratislava on 24/25; Health on 26 June.
The first meeting under the Spanish Presidency will be the traditional meeting of the new Presidency of the Council of Ministers with the European Commission, which will be held in Madrid on 8 January.