EU foreign ministers prepare the December European Council
Government Information Unit
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Press release 364/2003
5 December 2003
The EU General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) meets on 8 and 9 December in Brussels. It will focus on preparations for the European Council that takes place in Brussels on 12 and 13 December. Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja and Minister Paula Lehtomäki will represent Finland at the GAERC meeting.
The foreign ministers will adopt the agenda of the European Council the main themes of which will be measures to boost economic growth and competitiveness, EU enlargement and the Union's immigration and asylum policy. The agenda of the European Council will also include the strategic operational programme of the Council, the European Security Strategy and key external relations issues.
Finland emphasises that the EU's Growth Initiative must be considered as part of the Lisbon Strategy aimed at boosting competitiveness, not as a new process. Finland is of the opinion that in the discussion on the Growth Initiative greater attention should be devoted to improvement in the telecommunications sector and to the promotion of broad band and, in particular, 3G markets.
As regards enlargement, Finland considers that the ten acceding countries have made commendable progress in their membership preparations. The adoption of the aquis communautaire and the monitoring of its implementation must be continued until the countries become full members and the shortfalls identified by the Commission must be remedied before accession. Accession agreements with Bulgaria and Romania should be signed in 2005 for those countries to join the Union in 2007. Finland does not consider it necessary to make a commitment whereby the membership negotiations should be finalised in 2004. The conclusion of any negotiations must depend on the countries' verified progress on their own merits. Finland is of the opinion that Turkey has progressed in its pre-accession preparations and, therefore, it should be encouraged to continue its reforms and see to their efficient implementation. Turkey's EU membership ambitions may be hindered if the problems relating to Cyprus remain unresolved, although this is not a precondition for Turkey's membership.
The operational programme of the Council for 2004-2006 will cover the Finnish EU Presidency in autumn 2006 and, therefore, Finland has actively contributed to the preparation of the programme. The programme is largely in line with Finland's objectives. Finland is committed to complying with the agreed principles on improving the efficiency of the Council's functioning and work.
The EU High Representative for the CSDP, Javier Solana, has prepared the European Security Strategy at the request of the foreign ministers. The first draft was published in June, and it has subsequently been discussed in the Member States. The December European Council is to adopt the Strategy. This is the first EU Strategy that will cover defence policy in its entirety. It provides a common assessment of security threats, determines key strategic aims and spells out means to strengthen the Union's capabilities. In the new international situation, key threats are terrorism, the spread of weapons of mass destruction and regional conflicts plus the related collapse of states and organised crime. The Union has three main strategic aims: to respond to the key threats, to establish security in its neighbouring regions and to contribute to international security and justice on the basis of multilateral cooperation. Finland finds the proposed Security Strategy and its emphases justified.
In addition, the Council will agree on a separate EU Strategy, based on the Security Strategy, to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction. The separate strategy will be submitted to the European Council for adoption.
At the meeting of the foreign ministers, Ireland and the Netherlands will present the Council's programme for the year 2004. Finland considers it important for next spring European Council to focus on those areas in which Europe is lagging behind agreed objectives - namely employment and competitiveness. Finland welcomes the strong emphasis that the annual programme places on the development of a European area of justice, freedom and security.
In the context of key external relations, the Council will prepare the EU-Western Balkans meeting of foreign ministers that will be held in Brussels on 9 December and discuss the situation in Iran, Iraq and the Middle East. Moreover, the Council will prepare the Union's positions for the WTO meeting in Geneva on 15 December. In the Geneva meeting, the intention is to discuss the re-launching of the negotiations under the Doha Round.
On 8 December, the General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting will be paralleled with a working session of the intergovernmental conference that will be held at the level of foreign Mfnisters.
Further information: Lotta Lindegren, Senior Officer, Government Secretariat for EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2150, and Anne Huhtamäki, Counsellor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Division for European Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 6097 or +358 40 546 0456