EU Foreign Ministers to discuss Financial Perspectives and Western Balkans
Government Communications Unit
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Press release 346/2005
4 November, 2005
The General Affairs and External Relations Council of the EU will convene in Brussels on Monday, 7 November 2005. The main topics for the meeting are the EU Financial Perspectives and the situation in Kosovo. Finland's representatives at the meeting will be Mr Erkki Tuomioja, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Ms Mari Kiviniemi, Minister of European Affairs.
The Foreign Ministers will hold the first ministerial discussion during the UK Presidency on the topic of the EU Financial Perspectives for 2007-2013. Discussion will be based on questions sent to the Member States by the UK, concerning the structure of European Union expenditure, a timetable for modernizing the budget and reform of the own resources system. The five proposals presented by José Manual Barroso, the President of the European Commission, on October 20 to speed up the development negotiations will also be used as a basis.
Finland wishes to emphasize that in order to achieve a compromise, it is important to simultaneously examine all expenditure items and also the whole picture of expenditure and income. The challenge of globalization should be taken up at the Union level mainly through the application of resources that improve competitiveness, particularly R&D resources. Structural fund resources targeted at promoting adaptation to economic change also hold a key role. Finland does not consider the new globalization fund that has been discussed to be necessary, as similar actions can be funded with existing EU funding programmes.
Where agricultural issues are concerned, the key questions from Finland's point of view are adequate overall funding for rural development and a fair distribution of funding among the Member States. The timetable for budget modernization proposed by the Commission corresponds with Finland's view on the matter, if implementation will begin in 2014. Where the own resources system is concerned, Finland wishes to underline that the aim must be a system that is as simple and transparent as possible, and where the issue of net balances is solved on the expenditure side of the budget.
Where external relations are concerned, the main topic is the situation in Kosovo, which the Foreign Ministers will discuss with Martti Ahtisaari, who is to be appointed Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General. Finland considers it a good thing that negotiations are opened on the status of Kosovo. President Ahtisaari has the full support of the Finnish Government in his new assignment. Finland believes it to be important to solve the position of Kosovo vis-à-vis international law and to ensure stability throughout the Western Balkans that takes minority rights into account. The EU has started negotiations on its future role in Kosovo.
Another matter to be dealt with is an overview of the situation in Syria following the publication of a report from the International Independent Investigation Commission that investigated the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. Finland hopes that Syria will cooperate to enable the Commission appointed by the UN Secretary General to complete its investigations of Prime Minister Hariri's assassination. Finland hopes that the EU will act in a way that reinforces Lebanon's sovereignty and the development of its democracy.
The Council will also discuss the Union's relations with Iran. Matters that the Ministers will discuss include responses to the recent statement on Israel by the President of Iran, the outlook for dialogue between the EU and Iran and Iran's nuclear armaments programme.
Where the World Trade Organization is concerned, the Ministers will discuss preparations for the forthcoming Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong in December. A key theme is the agricultural negotiations, where the parties have proposed offers for reductions in customs tariffs and subsidy payments. Agreement has not yet been reached on these matters, and negotiations continue.
Other matters on the agenda include further action by the follow-up meeting on the UN Millennium Declaration, EU policy with regard to Belarus, the Middle-East peace process and the situation in Iraq. The Chairman will give an outline of the current state of preparedness against avian and pandemic influenza. These are precautionary measures, as the cases of avian influenza in Europe do not significantly increase the risk of a pandemic. The conclusions from the Informal Meeting of Heads of State or Government held at Hampton Court on 27 October will also be brought up.
Minister Mari Kiviniemi will take part in the luncheon for Ministers of European Affairs arranged in connection with the meeting, where information provision on EU matters will be discussed, particularly ways of encouraging discussion about the future of the EU at the national level in Member States.
Further information: Jari Luoto, State Under-Secretary, EU Affairs, Government Secretariat for EU Affairs, tel: +358 9 1602 2182 and Anne Huhtamäki, Counsellor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel: +358 9 1605 6097 or, in matters concerning the Western Balkans, Katariina Niemenmaa, Counsellor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel: +358 9 1605 5623