The intergovernmental conference of the European Union - setting up of the Finnish delegation for negotiations

Press release 184/2003
21 August, 2003

On 22 August, the President of the Republic set up a Finnish delegation for negotiations for the EU Intergovernmental Conference in 2003 and authorised the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to appoint other necessary experts to the delegation.

Any amendment of the Treaties on which the European Union is founded requires convening an Intergovernmental Conference. Article 48 of the Treaty on European Union lays down provisions on arranging the Conference. Before starting the Conference, the Council of the EU consults the European Parliament and the Commission. The President of the Council convenes the Conference for the purpose of determining by common accord of the Member States the amendments to be made to the Treaties. The amendments enter into force after being ratified by all the Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements.

In June 2003, the European Council of Thessaloniki decided that the text of the draft constitutional treaty prepared for the EU by the Convention set up by the Laeken European Council in December 2001 was a good basis for starting an Intergovernmental Conference. The Thessaloniki Council requested the future Italian Presidency of the EU to initiate the procedure laid down in the Treaty on European Union in order to allow an Intergovernmental Conference to be convened in October 2003. The Conference should complete its work and agree the new constitutional treaty for the EU as soon as possible and, in any case, in time for the new EU constitution to be known to European citizens before the June 2004 elections for the European Parliament. The new states acceding to the EU will participate fully in the Conference on an equal footing with the current Member States. The purpose is that all Member States of the enlarged Union will sign the new constitutional treaty as soon as possible after 1 May 2004. The Italian Presidency has called the opening session of the Conference to convene in Rome on 4 October 2003.

The Intergovernmental Conference will convene at the level of heads of state and government so that the heads are assisted by members of the General Affairs and External Relations Council of the EU. Also a representative of the Commission will attend the Conference. Representatives of the European Parliament will participate in the work of the Conference in the same way as during the previous Conference. The EU candidate countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey will attend the Conference as observers. In accordance with earlier practice, also meetings at civil servant level will be organised during the Conference. The General Secretariat of the EU Council will provide secretariat functions for the Conference.

At national level, the Intergovernmental Conference will be handled in Finland in the Cabinet Committee on European Union Affairs and, if necessary, in the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy. The Government's Sub-committee on Institutional Affairs will be responsible for preparations at civil servant level. Also the ministers' special advisers will follow the handling of issues related to the Conference. Contact persons will be appointed at all ministries and in the autonomous province of Åland to facilitate communication.

Finland's positions related to the Conference will be prepared in continuous interaction with the Finnish Parliament. The Government will also provide citizens and non-governmental organisations with appropriate information about the preparations for and the process of the Conference.

When necessary, the delegation for negotiations will have an opportunity to consult experts. An expert of the Government of Åland will be consulted always when the delegation handles issues which, according to the Act on the Autonomy of Åland, fall within the competence of Åland.

A delegation is set up for the negotiations at the EU Intergovernmental Conference. The delegation consists of the following persons:

- Erkki Tuomioja, Minister for Foreign Affairs; chairman of the delegation
- Paula Lehtomäki, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development; deputy chairman of the delegation
- Eikka Kosonen, Finland's Permanent Representative to the European Union; representative of the Finnish Government
- Antti Peltomäki, Head of the Government Secretariat for EU Affairs; deputy representative of the Finnish Government
- Jan Store, Director General at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs; member of the delegation
- Risto Piipponen, Director at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs; member of the delegation
- Joni Heliskoski, Senior Adviser at the Ministry of Justice; member of the delegation
- Helena Tuuri, the Prime Minister's Special Adviser on EU Affairs; member of the delegation
- Jan Wahlberg, Counsellor at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs; secretary of the delegation
- Lotta Lindegren, Senior Officer at the Government Secretariat for EU Affairs; secretary of the delegation
- Markus Lyra, Director General at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs; expert of the delegation
- Alexander Stubb, Counsellor at Finland's Permanent Representation to the European Union; expert of the delegation.

Further information: Pia Hillo, Counsellor, Department for Europe of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. 358 9 160 56204