GAERC meeting to discuss preparations for the European Council and the situation in Pakistan
Government Communications Unit
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Press Release 386/2008
5 December 2008
The EU General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) will meet on 8 December in Brussels. The main theme of the meeting will be the preparation of the December European Council. Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb and Minister of Migration and European Affairs Astrid Thors will attend the Council meeting.
The EU ministers will discuss the European Council meeting to be held in Brussels on 11 and 12 December. The Chairman will present a draft agenda for the European Council. The main theme of the December European Council will be the climate and energy package on which agreement is hoped to be reached by the end of 2008. The European Council is also to consider further steps to be taken with regard to the Lisbon Treaty and adopt an agreement on the recovery plan for growth and jobs presented by the European Commission in November. It is also expected to issue a declaration on the European Security and Defence Policy. A brief discussion will also be held on the Common Agricultural Policy.
The ministers are to adopt the conclusions on the EU enlargement strategy. At the beginning of November, the European Commission announced its enlargement package: an annual strategy document explaining its policy on EU enlargement and a summary of the progress made by each candidate and potential candidate. According to the strategy, the EU has taken steps to improve the quality of the enlargement process. Finland emphasises that the enlargement commitments made by the EU in 2006 must be consistently respected in the attainment of the enlargement policy objectives.
The foreign ministers are to adopt the enlargement conclusions on the Western Balkans. Finland supports the enforcement of the provisional EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Agreement as progress has been achieved in the cooperation between Serbia and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The Council will also discuss the EULEX Kosovo operation that will become operational throughout Kosovo in early December.
During the foreign minister’s lunch, CFSP High Representative Javier Solana will present a report on the European Security Strategy. Finland welcomes the update of the Strategy in relation to which the Council is to issue statements on the reinforcement of EU's military capabilities and international security. Topical issues include the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and fight against international terrorism.
The foreign ministers will also discuss the situation in Mumbai after the terrorist strikes and EU’s support to the Pakistan Government to promote stability in the area. Finland is in favour of tightening the EU-Pakistan relations by means of setting up a ministerial troika for the Czech Presidency and, if necessary, organising an EU-Pakistan summit in 2009.
Other topics will include the Middle East Peace Process and the strengthening of relations with the EU’s Mediterranean partners on the basis of the recently updated EU Middle East action strategy. The Council will also look at ways of supporting the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo which has continued to deteriorate. Finland supports further measures to prevent sexual violence against women. The Council is to adopt conclusions that impose wider sanctions against Zimbabwe.
In addition, the GAERC meeting will discuss the state of the World Trade Organization trade talks. Finland hopes for a breakthrough before year-end in the negotiations concerning agriculture and the market-entry conditions of industrial products. In that case, a WTO ministerial conference should be organised in December.
Further information: Sanna Ek, Counsellor, EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2150 and Jonna Laurmaa, Counsellor, EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2191, Government Secretariat for EU Affairs, and Markku Lampinen, Counsellor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5530 or +358 40 546 0456