Brussels, 23/12/2002 (Agence Europe) - Taking over from Denmark, Greece will preside the EU Council from 1 January for six months. Two European Councils are scheduled, the first in Brussels on 21 March and the second in Thessalonika on 20 June. The future Greek Presidency has already proposed the following calendar of Council and other meetings:
JANUARY: - Agriculture/Fisheries, 20 and 21; - Ecofin, 21; - informal Employment and Social Policy, 24 in Nauplia; - General Affairs/External Relations, 27 and 28; - EU/Asean ministerial meeting, 27 and 28.
FEBRUARY: - Agriculture/Fisheries, 11 (and possibly 10); - Ecofin, 18; - possibly Education/ Youth/Culture, 20; - informal Energy, 22 in Thessalonika; - General Affairs/External Relations, 24 and 25; - Agriculture/Fisheries, 24 and 25; - Justice and Home Affairs (JHA), 27 and 28; - Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers, 28.
MARCH: - informal Education, 1 and 2 in Ioannina; - Competitiveness (Internal Market, Industry, Research), 3; - Environment, 4; - Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers, 6; - Ecofin, 7; - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy, 7; - informal Defence, 14 and 15 in Athens; - Agriculture/Fisheries, 17 and 18; - General Affairs/External Relations, 18 and 19; - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy, 27 and 28; - Rio Group, 27 and 28 in Athens; - EU/Mercosur Cooperation Council, 27 and 28 in Athens; - informal JHA 28 and 29 in Veria; - possibly Agriculture/Fisheries, 31.
APRIL (in Luxembourg): - informal Ecofin, 4, 5 and 6 in La Canee; - EU/Africa Summit, 5 in Lisbon; - General Affairs/External Relations, 14 and 15; - Agriculture/Fisheries, 14 and 15; - signature of Accession Treaty and European Conference, 16 in Athens.
MAY: - informal General Affairs/External Relations (Gymnich), 2, 3 and 4; - Education, Youth and Culture, 5 (and possibly 6); - informal Environment, 5 in Athens; - JHA, 8; - Competitiveness, 12 and 13; - informal Agriculture, 12 and 13 in Corfu; - Ecofin, 13; - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy, 14; - ACP-EC Council, 16; - informal Transport, 16, 17 and 18 (cruise); - General Affairs/External Relations/Defence Ministers, 19 and 20; - Competitiveness, 19; - informal Culture, 24 in Thessalonika; - Agriculture/Fisheries, 26 and 27; - Euro-Med Conference, 26 and 27 in Athens; - EU/Russia Summit, 31 in Saint-Petersburg.
JUNE (in Luxembourg): - Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers, 2 and 3; - informal Development Cooperation, 2 and 3 in Alexandropoli; - Ecofin, 3; - JHA, 5 and 6; - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy, 5 and 6; - informal Council of Ministers for public administration, 6 in Rhodes; - Agriculture/Fisheries, 11 and 12; - Environment, 13; - General Affairs/External Relations, 17 and 18; - possibly Zagreb Process II, 21 in Thessalonika; - possibly General Affairs/External Relations, 24; - Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers, 24.