Brussels, 07/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - As tradition wonts, the European Commission will be holding its first meeting of the year 2002 in the capital of the country that holds the Presidency of the European Council Union. Thus, on 8 January, the Commission will hold a plenary meeting in Madrid with the Spanish government, followed by bilateral meetings between the Commissioners and the ministers on issues that come within their sphere of competence. (See EUROPE of 19 December, p.10, on the subject of the Presidency's priorities).
The Commission will also meet on 9 January in Brussels mainly to review issues concerning changes to the statute of officials (retirement), the financing of CFSP, State aid and Commission participation in the Ministerial Conference on Transport and the Environment, on 16 January in Japan.