EU Foreign Ministers prepare the June European Council meeting
Government Communications Unit
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Press release 190/2006
9.6.2006
The EU General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) will meet on 12 June in Luxembourg. The meeting will focus on preparations for the European Council meeting that will take place on 15 and 16 June in Brussels. Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja and Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paula Lehtomäki will represent Finland at the GAERC meeting.
The Foreign Ministers will aim at reaching as broad an agreement on the conclusions of the June European Council as possible. The main theme of the European Council is the Union’s future, especially as regards the Constitutional Treaty and enlargement. The European Council is to decide, in accordance with conclusions adopted in June 2005, on how to continue the Constitutional Treaty process. In the context of enlargement, the meeting will aim at providing guidelines for the discussion on enlargement in general.
Other issues include cooperation in justice and home affairs, sustainable development, climate change, the Lisbon Strategy, energy policy, strengthening of external relations, transparency, better regulation, membership preparations of Romania and Bulgaria and key external relations affairs. The conclusions of the June European Council will have substantial effects on the work to be continued under Finland’s Presidency.
The Foreign Ministers will prepare the EU-US Summit which will be organised on 21 June in Vienna. The Council will discuss the progress made under the EU-US economic initiative especially in question related to copyright and regulatory collaboration. A cooperation agreement on higher education and vocational education is to be signed at the meeting. They will also discuss key international affairs such as energy issues. The conclusions of the Summit will provide guidelines to the agenda concerning transatlantic relations during Finland’s Presidency.
The Council will also discuss the situation in the Western Balkans, in particular, Montenegro’s independence as a result of the referendum organised in 21 May and cooperation between the countries of the region and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague. The Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the EU and Albania is to be signed in connection with the meeting. The agreement covers areas such as political dialogue, movement of goods, labour, services and capital, and approximation of legislation with the aquis communautaire.
The Foreign Ministers will also discuss issues relating to Iran's nuclear programme. The permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany have drawn up a cooperation proposal presented to Iran. The proposal offers support, for example, to the development of civil nuclear technology. Iran, for its part, should start to comply with the resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and cooperate fully with the organisation. Uranium enrichment activities in Iran are not included in the package of proposals.
As regards the Middle East Peace Process, the Foreign Ministers will discuss a special mechanism to re-channel aid to the Palestinian people.
Further information: Jari Luoto, State Under-Secretary for EU Affairs, Government Secretariat for EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2182, and Anne Huhtamäki, Counsellor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Division for European Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 6097 or +358 40 546 0456