Select Committee on Foreign Affairs Uncorrected Evidence



MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

PROSPECTS FOR THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL, HELSINKI, 10-11 DECEMBER 1999

  1.  The President of the Council, Paavo Lipponen, will visit London on 30 November as part of hispre-Helsinki tour of capitals. The Presidency will only finalise the agenda after that tour and the General Affairs Council on 6-7 December.

  2.  At this stage, however, we expect the main topics for the Helsinki European Council to include:

    —  Enlargement;

    —  Turkey;

    —  the forthcoming Intergovernmental Conference and Institutional reform; European Defence and Economic issues.

ENLARGEMENT

  3.  Heads of Government are likely to endorse a Commission recommedation that invitations be extended to all six "pre-ins" (Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria). They will also be asked to confirm that the criteria for membership, agreed at the Copenhagen European Council in 1993, remain unchanged and that they apply to all candidates. The Presidency will propose, in line with a recommendation from the Commission that, with the widening of accession negotiations next year, a more rigorous form of differentiation will be needed, allowing each country to make progress strictly according to its own ability. We support all these recommendations.

TURKEY

  4.  The Commission has recommended that the European Council confirm Turkey as a candidate country and has proposed an ambitious programme to give substance to that status: enhanced political dialogue, including human rights, an Accession Partnership and screening. Accession negotiations themselves could not begin until Turkey met the Copenhagen political criteria. We support this approach. If it prevails, it offers the prospect of putting EU/Turkey relations on a better footing than for many years.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE

  5.  Helsinki is expected to build on the conclusions to the Cologne European Council by deciding on the scope and timing of the next IGC, on the basis of a preparatory report from the Presidency. Heads of Government are likely to confirm the objective of completing the IGC negotiations by December 2000. We continue to support a short and focussed IGC, delivering the institutional changes necessary for the next enlargement of the Union. Helsinki may also consider the practicalities of how the IGC will be negotiated, including the role of the European Parliament and how to keep the applicant countries informed.

  6.  The Government will issue a White Paper on its approach to the IGC in advance of the formal opening of negotiations.

COUNCIL REFORM: THE TRUMPF-PIRIS REPORT

  7.  The Presidency will present a report to the Helsinki European Council detailing discussions and progress made on the implementation of the recommendations in the Council Secretariat's paper on the Operation of the Council post-enlargement (the "Trumpf-Piris Report"). The paper makes a systematic examination of all aspects of the Council's operation within an enlarged Union and makes 143 recommendations for changes. The Government welcomes the report. It is generally sensible and represents a good starting point for shaping how the Council should develop in the coming years.

COMMISSION REFORM

  8.  Commission reform will not be a major agenda item for the Helsinki European Council, but we expect Commission President Romano Prodi to report on the progress of the programme of internal reform that he and Neil Kinnock are leading. Full proposals are expected from the Commission in February. The UK fully supports this programme and we hope that the European Council will again express its commitment to supporting this modernisation of the Commission.

CHARTER OF RIGHTS

  9.  The Charter of Rights is unlikely to feature at Helsinki. The mandate and practical arrangements for drafting were agreed at Cologne and Tampere. The drafting body first meets on 17 December. The Government and Parliament are appointing representatives to the drafting body which is expected to finish work by December 2000.

DEFENCE

  10.  Helsinki will mark an important step forwards on the substance of the Prime Minister's European Defence Initiative. Our main aim is to set a challenging performance goal for European military capabilities: by 2003, Europeans to be able to deploy more effective forces for crisis management, either as part of a NATO operation or as an EU-led operation. We also intend to agree the detailed structure of EU crisis management decision-making bodies including the establishment, in due course, of a permanent Political and Security Committee in Brussels and, in the meantime, of an interim Committee to allow CFSP to become more operational. We also hope to agree how non-EU members of NATO and the WEU can be involved. Wording on the timetable for the establishment of these bodies, for the interim arrangements that will be required and for EU/NATO relations will also be important.

ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT ISSUES

  11.  The main economic issues likely to be discussed at Helsinki are:

(a)   Economic Reform

  We expect to promote a forthcoming Commission paper on developing the information society and a draft resolution on the social and labour market dimension of the information society. This work will feed into the wider preparations underway for a Special European Council in Lisbon on 23 and 24 March 2000 on Employment, Economic Reform and Social Cohesion on which the Prime Minister has written to the Presidency setting out UK ideas.

(b)  Tax

  The Cologne European Council called for agreement to be reached by Helsinki on three tax dossiers: the draft Directive on the Taxation of Savings; the draft Directive on the Taxation of Interest and Royalties; and the work of the Code of Conduct Group on Business Taxation. Discussion of the draft Directive on the Taxation of Interest and Royalties has proved uncontroversial. The work of the Code of Conduct Group chaired by the Paymaster General is also making good progress. But many issues remain unresolved on the draft Directive on Taxation of Savings. We have made clear that the London Eurobond market must be protected; and have put forward proposals which would do that. There will be further discussion at the ECOFIN on 29 November. If the dossier is not concluded then, there may need to be discussion at Helsinki.

(c)  Employment

  Helsinki will approve EU employment guidelines, adopt a joint employment report and discuss the Commission's first-ever recommendations on member state employment practices. We support this process, but some Member States have disagreed with the recommendations addressed to them.

SINGLE MARKET

  12.  At Helsinki, the Commission will present its new Single Market Strategy, which follows the expiry of the Single Market Action Plan at the end of 1998. This is a rolling programme for improving the single market, with target actions which will be reviewed annually. The UK broadly welcomes the draft Strategy and supports the Commission's work in this area. We are particularly pleased to note such elements as the development of the use of the Single Market Scoreboard:

    —  a key tool for encouraging Member States to fulfil their single market obligations;

    —  and the estblishment of processes such an annual cycle to review progress.

MILLENNIUM DECLARATION

  13.  Helsinki will agree a Millennium Declaration on the Union's priorities for future years. The Presidency is expected to propose a draft shortly before, or at, the European Council. It is likely to be short and to focus on the key tasks facing the EU over the next five years.

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

  14.  Substantive discussion of JHA issues at Helsinki is unlikely so soon after the Tampere special European Council. Tampere agreed a range of measures for action in three areas:

    —  asylum and immigration, including a common approach to handling asylum applications, and action against illegal immigration;

    —  judicial co-operation, particularly the endorsement of the principle of mutual recognition;

    —  combating cross border crime; including greater co-operation between national prosecutors, and agreement to set up a task force of European Police Chiefs to organise cross-border police operations.

  These measures will enhance access to freedom, security and justice for EU citizens.

  15.  The Presidency plan to submit to Helsinki a report on finalisation and evaluation of the 1997 Action Plan on Organised Crime. They may also aim for endorsement of main principals of a draft Action Plan on common action for the Russian Federation on combating organised crime. Heads are expected to agree the EU Action Plan to Combat Drugs (2000-04), based on the Commission Communication of 8 June.

ENVIRONMENT

  16.  Helsinki will review overall progress made on implementing the Cardiff commitment to integrate the environment into other EU policy-making areas. Strategies and reports for environmental integration and sustainable development will be submitted by six of the nine sectoral Councils invited so far to take forward the process. The Commission will also submit its "Global Assessment" of the 1992 Fifth Environmental Action Programme entitled "towards sustainability", together with a report on environmental and sustainable development indicators. The Environmental Council has called on Heads to consider the need for a comprehensive EU Sustainable Development Strategy and the development of a set of headline indicators. The Government supports the development of such a strategy.

SPORT

  17.  The Commission will submit to the European Council a report on sports policy in Europe which is likely to address how other Community Policies (for example, Competition and free movement of people) impact on sport. The report may also touch on doping in sport. The Government is not convinced that a role exists for the Commission in sport (the Treaty does not give the Commission any powers) but will be interested to see the reports.

FOOD SAFETY

  18.  The Commission will submit to Helsinki a White paper they plan to adopt in early December, setting out options for an EU Food Safety Agency. The Government supports the general idea of a European Agency and is interested in pursuing the idea. There is clearly scope to do more to protect consumers and improve food safety at an EU level, in particular in the provision of scientific advice.

COMMON FOREIGN AND SECURITY POLICY

  19.  The European Council will consider a number of Common Foreign and Security Policy issues, including progress on the negotiation and implementation of the EU's first Common Strategies. It is likely to adopt a Common Strategy on Ukraine, setting a framework of objectives to be pursued in the EU's relations with Ukraine. It will consider progress on the preparation of Common Strategies on the Western Balkans and the Mediterranean, and on the implementation of the Russia Common Strategy adopted at Cologne. In addition, the Council is likely to consider progress on a number of CFSP issues of topical interest (yet to be identified).

REFERENCES

Enlargement and Turkey

  Copenhagen European Council: established the political and economic criteria

  Luxembourg European Council: decided on the process of accession and set aside pre-accession funding, also set out a European Strategy for Turkey (which Turkey rejected)

  Cardiff European Council: welcomed the opening of negotiations with the first six countries and tried to restore relations with Turkey

  Vienna European Council: noted progress so far in negotiations and screening (for the pre-ins) and, in an annex on enlargement, dealt in more detail with the recommendations in the Commission's first regular reports.

  Berlin European Council: Agreed Agenda 2000, which makes financial provision for up to six new members to join the EU between 2002-2006 and confirmed enlargement as a "historic priority".

  Cologne European Council: short conclusions which noted progress, reaffirmed Copenhagen criteria and emphasised the important the EU attached to high standards of nuclear safety.

Intergovernmental Conference

  The Cologne European Council set out the basic IGC agenda and its approximate timing.

Council reform: the Trumpf-Piris Report

  The Cologne European Council welcomed the Trumpf-Piris report and called upon the GAC to submit specific proposals for improving the operation of the Council with a view to enlargement to the Helsinki European Council.

Commission Reform

  The Cologne European Council emphasised the importance it attached to the reform and modernisation of the Commission and the European Civil Service. It welcomed the intention of the then Commission President Designate to present specific proposals for reform at the beginning of 2000. Cologne also welcomed the Commission's intention to submit proposals for the reform of the method of adjusting remunerations, pensions and staffing policy.

Defence

  The Cologne Declaration on strengthening the common European security and defence policy included a declaration of intent to develop "the capacity for autonomous action, backed up by credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and a readiness to do so, in order to respond to international crises". The Vienna European Council Conclusions welcomed the new impetus given to the debate on European Defence.

Economic Reform

  Cardiff established peer review-based process of economic reform.

Tax

  Cologne called for agreement to be reached at Helsinki on three tax dossiers: the draft Directive on the Taxation of Savings; the draft Directive on the Taxation of Interest and Royalties; and the work of the Code of Conduct Group on Business Taxation. This drew on the work of previous European Councils, in particular Vienna.

Employment

  Cologne established the European Employment Pact, bringing together the Cardiff (economic reform) and Luxembourg (employment) processes and adding a third, the Cologne macroeconomic dialogue.

Single Market

  At Vienna the European Council welcomed the Commission's intention to make further use of the Single Market Scoreboard, and called on Member States to improve their record in transposing Community rules into national law. Priority areas were identified as better regulation, improving consumer protection, developing the single market in financial services, reducing state aids, and upholding the principle of mutual recognition.

  The Cologne Council did not discuss the Scoreboard, concentrating instead on the Commission's action plan for creating a single market in financial services.

Millennium Declaration

  The Vienna European Council agreed that Helsinki would adopt a "Millennium Declaration" on the Union's priorities for future years.

Justice and Home Affairs

  Cardiff expressed deep concern about the threat to our societies posed by drugs, endorsed the key elements of an EU strategy to tackle all aspects of the problem in 2000-04, and asked the Council and the Commission to develop this into a comprehensive plan as a basis of action.

  Vienna invited the institutions to develop further an integrated and balanced post-1999 drugs strategy taking into account the new possibilities offered by the Amsterdam Treaty.

  Vienna also called for a strengthening of EU action against organised crime in the light of the new possibilities opened by the Amsterdam Treaty.

  Tampere underlined the importance of addressing the drugs problem in a comprehensive manner. It called upon the Council to adopt the 2000-04 European Strategy against Drugs before the Helsinki European Council.

Environment

  Cologne noted the Commission's report on the integration and sustainable development process and reaffirmed the Council's intention to review at Helsinki overall progress on the initiative begun at Cardiff. It called upon the General Affairs, ECOFIN and Fisheries Councils to report back in 2000 on the integration of the environment and sustainable development into their policy areas.

  Cologne also emphasised the EU's desire to fulfil Kyoto commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to press for speedy ratification of the Kyoto Protocol under the Action Plan agreed at the Buenos Aires climate conference. It stressed the importance of development joint and co-ordinated policies and measures at Community level to supplement the efforts of Member States. It called on sectoral Councils to pay particular attention to climate change in the preparation of their integration strategies for Helsinki. Cologne also urged ECOFIN to take an early decision on the development of a framework for energy taxation.

Sport

  The Vienna European Council (December 1998) recalled the declaration on sport attached to the Amsterdam Treaty and invited the Commission to submit a report to the Helsinki Council with a view to safeguarding current sports structures and maintaining the social function of sport within the Community framework. The European Council also underlined its concern over doping in sports which undermines the sporting ethic and endangers public health. It invited Member States to examine jointly with the Commission and international sports bodies possible measures to intensify the fight against this danger, particularly through better co-ordination of existing national measures.

  A declaration on sport attached to the Amsterdam Treaty, which came into force on 1 May 1999, emphasises the social significance of sport and called on Member States to listen to input from sports associations on relevant issues, and to give special consideration to the characteristics of amateur sports.

Common Foreign and Security Policy

  The conclusions of the Vienna European Council commissioned a Common Strategy on Ukraine.



DOCUMENTS LIKELY TO BE CONSIDERED AT THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL

ENLARGEMENT

  Commission Progress reports and Composite Paper (likely to be approved at 6th December GAC).

INTERGOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE

  Presidency preparation report (not yet available).

  Commission communication on "Adapting the Institutions to make a success of enlargement".

COUNCIL REFORM: THE TRUMPF-PIRIS REPORT

  Council Secretariat Paper: Operation of the Council with an Enlarged Union in Prospect.

  Finnish Presidency Paper: Operation of the Council with an Enlarged Union in Prospect: Method of Work.

  Finnish Presidency Progress Report (not yet available).

DEFENCE

  Report on European Defence by the Presidency (not yet available).

ECONOMIC REFORM

  Draft Council resolution on the social and labour market dimension of the information society.

TAX

  Draft Directive on the Taxation of Savings. (Plus UK paper on the treatment of international bonds under the draft Directive).

  Draft directive on the Taxation of Interest and Royalties.

  Draft report of the Code of Conduct Group on Business Taxation.

  Third Report by ECOFIN on reinforced tax policy co-operation.

EMPLOYMENT

  Joint Employment Report.

  Guidelines for Member States Employment Policies 2000.

  Draft Council recommendations on the implementation of Member States' employment policies.

SINGLE MARKET

  Commission Communication: The Strategy for Europe's Single Market.

  Commission Communication on target actions for the Single Market.

MILLENNIUM DECLARATION

  (possibly) Presidency draft text (not yet available).

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

  Report on finalisation and evaluation of the Action Plan on Organised Crime.

  Draft EU Action Plan to Combat Drugs, 2000-2004, (Commission Communication of 8th June 1999) together perhaps, with Presidency Report on Member State views.

  (possibly) Report on action on drugs in the EU in 1999.

ENVIRONMENT

  Commission Communication on integrating the environment into Community policies.

  Commission's "Global Assessment" of the Fifth Environmental Action Programme.

  Commission report on environmental and sustainable development indicators.

  Sustainable development strategies produced by the Transport, Agriculture and Energy Councils.

  Reports on integration of environment and sustainable development produced by the Development, Industry and Internal Market Councils.

SPORT

  Commission report on sports policy in Europe.

FOOD SAFETY

  Commission White Paper on EU Food Safety Agency.

COMMON FOREIGN AND SECURITY POLICY

  Draft Common Strategy on Ukraine.


 
previous page contents

House of Commons home page Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries

© Parliamentary copyright 1999
Prepared 1 December 1999