Finland's EU policy priorities during the Greek and Italian EU Presidencies
December 20, 2002 Government Information Unit Press Release 338/2002
On Friday, 20 December, the Cabinet Committee on European Union Affairs discussed Finland's EU policy priorities during the Greek and Italian EU Presidencies. In accordance with the Seville European Council conclusions, the next two Presidency countries will, for the first time, give a joint operating programme for the whole year.
The priorities of the Greek and Italian Presidencies include the EU enlargement and work on the future, Lisbon strategy, justice and home affairs, and external relations. Finland agrees with the priorities of the operating programme.
The accession treaty with the new Member States will be signed on 16 April 2003. The new Member States will attend the EU meetings thereafter. Finland's objective is that the accession treaty be nationally ratified in 2003. The functioning of a Union of 25 members calls for the adoption of new, more efficient working methods. The Helsinki and Seville European Councils adopted detailed decisions on the improvement of the Council's functioning. These decisions must be fully implemented. Enlargement requires that new decisions be also made on, e.g., the Union's working languages. Finland is ready to consider significant reforms.
After the European Convention on the future of the European Union has completed its work, enough time must be granted for preparation before the opening of the next Intergovernmental Conference, IGC. Finland stresses the need to provide adequate time for preparation so that the new EU Treaty can be brought to public discussion and that the Government and Parliament can thoroughly examine and express their opinion of the issues to be discussed in the new IGC.
The Spring European Council, focusing on the Lisbon Strategy on competitiveness, will be held on 21-22 March 2003 in Brussels. In Finland's opinion, the most important objective is the implementation of the structural reforms required by the strategy for competitiveness. The EU lags behind in the implementation of the earlier agreed commitments and this gap must determinately be closed up. In the drafting of the Community legislation, consideration must be given to its effects on competitiveness. Finland wants, in particular, to promote projects in the fields of the information society, common financial markets, biotechnology and research and innovation. The Spring European Council must make decisions to strengthen the telecommunications sector.
The international commitments on sustainable development, agreed on at the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development in August-September 2002, must be implemented.
Finland emphasises that, as regards the justice and home affairs, the commitments of the Tampere European Council must be adhered to.
In 2003, Finland must initiate preparations for its own Presidency that will take place in the latter half of 2006. The first three-year strategic programme, that will cover the period of 2004-2006, will be adopted, in line with the Seville European Council conclusions, in December 2003. The three-year period will coincide with the Irish, Dutch, Luxembourg, British, Austrian and Finnish EU Presidencies.
Further information: Alec Aalto, State Secretary for EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2180 and Markku Keinänen, Counsellor, tel. +358 9 1602 2184, Government Secretariat for EU Affairs