PARLIAMENTARY BRIEFING NOTE
COLLEGE OF
COMMISSIONERS' VISIT,
1 JULY 2005
The Commission visit on 1 July marked the start
of the UK Presidency of the EU. The Prime Minister said that he
was delighted that the Scottish and Welsh First Ministers were
participating as well as UK Ministers.
HMG told Commissioners it would use the Presidency
to:
— Try to reach a future financing deal.
— Make progress on the Services and
Working Time Directives, as well as the Better Regulation Agenda.
— Take forward the G8 Africa and climate
change agenda, as well as the Middle East Peace Process.
— Build on the EU's work to counter
terrorism, organised crime and illegal migration.
— Take effective collective action
on foreign policy and development issues, showing the EU's relevance
to its citizens.
— Uphold the EU's existing commitments
on enlargement.
The Prime Minister announced that the UK would
host an informal meeting of Heads of Government in the UK to build
greater consensus on what constitutes an appropriate and competitive
modern European social model. The meeting is likely to be at the
end of October. No venue has yet been selected but the style of
the meeting is likely to be country retreat.
The Prime Minister agreed to hold a Tripartite
Social Summit before the informal Heads of Government meeting
to inform discussion. The Commission will also produce a paper.
The Commission noted that the new Structural
Funds Regulations would come to the Council for approval in October
at the earliest and depended on agreement of the budget. Working
up guidelines, frameworks and programmes could take up to two
years. The Commission would do all it could to enable programmes
to be put in place and expenditure made as quickly as possible.
HMG underlined its commitment to agreeing the Regulations during
the UK Presidency so that detailed planning could get underway
as soon as agreement was reached on future financing.
The Commission undertook fully to support the
UK Presidency and looked forward to it being a success.
The Scottish First Minister noted Scotland's
important constitutional role on EU issues. The First Minister
for Wales noted Wales' strong interest in an early budget settlement
and speedy implementation of new structural funds programmes.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
21 July 2005
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