Brussels, 06/01/2009 (Agence Europe) - In Prague on Tuesday 6 January, Czech Prime Minister and current President of the Council of the EU Mirek Topolánek and Deputy Prime Minister with responsibility for European Affairs Alexandr Vondra told press about the priorities and work programme of the Czech Presidency of the EU in the first half of this year. The 30-page detailed work programme, the main thrust of which was unveiled in our special report (EUROPE Documents N°2510 of 23 December 2008) is available in several languages at http://www.eu2009.cz . It will be discussed by the Czech government and the 27 European commissioners at a joint meeting in Prague on Wednesday 7 January.
In choosing the motto “Europe without barriers”, the Czech Presidency wants to note the “symbolic and historic” significance of the year 2009, which will see a number of dates of great importance for European integration, Topolánek said. He mentioned, in particular, the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the 30th anniversary of the first direct elections to the European Parliament, the 10th anniversary of the introduction of the euro and the 5th anniversary of the major enlargement of the EU in 2004, with the accession of 10 new countries, one of which was the Czech Republic. The sectoral priorities of the Czech Presidency will hinge on the three “E”s, the Economy, Energy and Europe in the world, said Topolánek and Vondra.
Economy. Three major challenges await the new Presidency in managing the financial and economic crisis: - the reform and regulation of financial markets (European supervision of credit rating agencies, review of the directive on the capital adequacy of investment firms and credit institutions, completion of negotiations on the directive regulating the insurance sector, the directive on undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities); - implementing the European economic recovery plan; - preparation of the EU position for the G20 summit in London on 2 April. This joint European position will probably be agreed at the European Council in March, the Czech Prime Minister said. The Presidency also wants to improve the competitiveness of the EU by implementing the Lisbon strategy (another important issue for the European Spring summit) more rigorously, considerably reducing red tape for companies, particularly SMEs, and making use of the potential of the EU internal market which, according to Topolánek, is a “key instrument” for the recovery of economic growth in Europe. “The Presidency will support any initiative that can help to emphasise all the freedoms of the internal market and to get rid of administrative obstacles and unnecessary regulations,” Topolánek and Vondra said, and they will strive to reach a swift conclusion of Doha Round talks at the WTO.
Energy. EU energy security comes very high on the list of Czech Presidency priorities. “The events of the last few days (the dispute between Russia and Ukraine over gas supplies) have shown that it is the right decision,” said Topolánek, reiterating that the EU does not want to play the role of “referee” in what is first and foremost a trade dispute between the two countries (see related article). The EU has to ensure that its energy networks are better integrated and inter-connected, strengthen the internal market in gas and electricity and develop contractual relations with other regions and countries with the aim of guaranteeing a constant supply, he said. With regard to external energy relations, the Czech Presidency will focus its attention on Russia (a special meeting of the Standing Partnership Council is planned, and an EU-Russia summit in May), Ukraine and the Caspian Sea region, Topolánek announced.
Europe in the world. The neighbouring countries of eastern Europe and those in the Southern Caucasus are “as important” as those of the South, with which the EU has just launched the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Topolánek said. Strengthening neighbourhood relations with Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan is, therefore, an absolute priority of the Czech Presidency, which intends to launch a new “Eastern Partnership” with these countries at a “27+6 Summit” in Prague in the first week of May. The Presidency will also work to make progress in accession talks with Croatia (which must first resolve its dispute with Slovenia) and Turkey, and in building closer relations with the countries of the Western Balkans, said Topolánek. The President in office of the European Council stressed that all 27 member states had to maintain a common approach in negotiations which are taking place with Russia on a new enhanced partnership agreement. The Czech Presidency would also like to strengthen transatlantic cooperation with the United States. An EU-US summit, to be attended by new President Barack Obama, is planned for Prague or Brussels in early April (probably 4 April). Details of Obama's European visit, on the sidelines of his trip to the G20 summit in London and the NATO summit in Strasbourg, will be decided sometime after 20 January, once he has officially taken up his post, Topolánek noted. (H.B./transl.rt)