Brussels, 16/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - The first formal Council of the EU under the Irish presidency will be the Ecofin Council of 20 January, chaired by Charlie McCreevy. In the evening of 19 January there will be a Eurogroup ministerial meeting.
On Tuesday, the Ecofin Council will listen to the Irish presidency and the European Commission present it with their work programmes and examine the updated convergence and stability programmes of Austria, Finland, Denmark an Sweden (EUROPE 8 January pp 8-9). I twill also discuss the Kok report on job creation (EUROPE 27 November p 12) and reduced VAT for high labour intensive services (see p 13 of EUROPE on 9 January p 9). Although the theme is not on the agenda, ministers will have to raise the Commission's appeal against the Ecofin's decision of 25 November on the halting of procedures against Germany and France for excessive deficits (EUROPE yesterday p 8 and ON 15 January p 8).