Cabinet Committee on EU Affairs discussed the priorities of Finland's Presidency of the EU
Government Communications Unit
Press release 265/2005
2 September, 2005
On Friday, 2 September, the Cabinet Committee on European Union Affairs discussed the priorities of the forthcoming Finland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Finland will hold the rotating EU Presidency during the latter half of 2006.
The EU Council's three-year strategic programme for 2004-2006 will provide guidelines for the work during Finland's Presidency. On the basis of the Council's programme, Finland and Austria will together prepare a more detailed working programme for 2006. The Cabinet Committee on European Union Affairs will produce in autumn 2005 a revised estimate on the issues that will appear on the Union's agenda during Finland's EU Presidency. The revision will also include an estimate on the most important priorities for Finland. A final decision on the priorities can only be made closer to the beginning of the Presidency term.
Finland is of the opinion that the Union must emphasise activities that bring added value. That is, measures where Union-level action clearly outperforms action taken by individual Member States alone. By doing so, the EU aims to address people's dissatisfaction with regard to the Union's activities.
The progress achieved by the Presidencies preceding Finland's Presidency of the EU in the current, politically important projects will have a considerable effect on the agenda. The main challenges will be the future of the Constitutional Treaty, the financial framework for 2007-2013, WTO talks and enlargement.
If Europe is to succeed in global competition, Finland considers it important that focus be placed on growth and employment in line with the Lisbon Strategy. The Finnish Presidency wants, in particular, to concentrate on promoting innovation policy, developing the internal market of services and providing better regulation. Finland also underlines social equality and sustainable development.
Intensification of the Union's external operations will also be one of Finland's key issues. During Finland's EU Presidency, work will be continued, e.g., in the fields of military and civil crisis management. Other issues will include reform of the UN, the Northern Dimension and relations, in particular, with Russia and the United States.
Finland will continue to work on the programme aiming to develop the area of freedom, security and justice that was started during its previous Presidency. Finland will aim to enhance the external relations related to this field, widen the area of citizen's free movement and fight international crime and terrorism with joint efforts.
Further information: Helena Tuuri, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister, EU Affairs, Prime Minister's Office, tel. +358 9 1602 2055 or +358 40 553 3494 and Antti Peltomäki, State Secretary for EU Affairs, Government Secretariat for EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2180