EU Heads of State or Government to meet in Lahti on 20 October
Finland, the current holder of the EU Presidency, will organise an Informal Meeting of EU Heads of State or Government in Lahti on Friday, 20 October. The meeting will be chaired by the Prime Minister of Finland, Matti Vanhanen.
The main themes of the meeting will be the Union's innovation policy and external energy relations. Discussions will be based on the European Commission's communications due to be issued on 12 October.
The idea behind the discussion on external energy relations is to encourage the Union to speak with one voice on energy issues. Commitment to common objectives will boost the Union's ability to respond to changes on global energy markets. Discussions in Lahti will focus, in particular, on energy relations between the EU and Russia and on tightening relations with the neighbouring regions. In order to implement a coherent external energy policy and enhance preparedness for crises, the meeting will also consider ways of improving the sharing and processing of information.
The development of the EU's innovation policy is aimed at ensuring that investment in research results in more commercially successful goods and services. The aim is to create an operating environment that promotes creation of innovations and their efficient implementation. A successful innovation policy requires safeguarding of sufficient funding, protection of companies' intellectual property rights, development of efficient standardisation procedures, and promotion of cooperation between universities and businesses.
The Heads of State or Government will also touch on the Union's immigration policy. Illegal immigration affects the entire Union. The EU must be able to formulate a comprehensive and effective policy which attaches due attention to the issues surrounding both illegal and legal immigration. The Union's immigration policy will be discussed in greater detail at the December European Council in Brussels.
In addition, the situation in Sudan/Darfur will also be touched upon at the Lahti meeting.
After their informal meeting, the EU Heads of State or Government will be joined for dinner by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. Discussion during the dinner will focus on the development of the strategic partnership between the EU and Russia, including cooperation in energy issues.
The Finnish Prime Minister, Matti Vanhanen, and the President of European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, will also host the Informal Tripartite Social Summit on growth and employment in Lahti on 20 October. The Informal Social Summit will focus on the management of change in Europe from the labour market perspective and seek ways to establish a new balance between flexibility and security on the labour market ("flexicurity"). The Social Summit will also provide a platform for the social partners to convey their views on the issues for discussion at the Informal Meeting of the Heads of State or Government. The meeting will be attended by representatives from Finland, German and Portugal, as the current and the next two Presidency countries, as well as the Commission and European social partners.
Further information: Jari Luoto, State Secretary for EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2180 and Laura Aho, Adviser, EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2150, Government Secretariat for EU Affairs; Sanna Kangasharju, Deputy Head of Information, Government Communications Unit, tel. +358 9 1602 2175 or +358 40 731 9915
press release
11 Oct 2006, 16:04
Finland's EU Presidency(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)