Memorandum submitted by the Secretary
of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Foreign and Commonwealth
Office
PROSPECTS FOR
THE EUROPEAN
COUNCIL, BRUSSELS,
18-19 JUNE 2009
June European Council
1. We expect the June European Council to give
priority to discussions on the economic and financial situation;
we expect the Council to take "first decisions" on strengthening
EU financial sector supervision. The Council will also decide
on the Irish legal guarantees and the possible re-appointment
of Commission President Barroso.
2. Other issues which will feature at the Council
are climate financing, illegal migration, development, external
relations and the Baltic Sea Strategy.
Economic and Financial Situation
3. We want the Council to demonstrate leaders'
continued focus on the economic outlook, and the actions needed,
both domestically and at European level, to stabilise the financial
system and the real economy. The Prime Minister has recently called
for further action by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to increase
lending across the EU. We are keen to seek conclusions language
endorsing the outcomes of the London Summit and committing the
ED to play its part in delivering on all areas covered in the
global agreement.
4. We expect the Council to take "first
decisions" on strengthening EU financial sector supervision,
based upon the recent European Commission Communication following
the De Larosiere report. It is important for the UK that supervision
should remain a national responsibility, as Larosiere has recognised.
Lisbon Treaty
5. To address Irish concerns, it was agreed
at the December European Council to give Ireland the legal guarantees
it needs on the Lisbon Treaty. As expected, these assurances will
be discussed in more detail at the June European Council. They
are assurances that the Lisbon Treaty does not change competence
over tax or national control over defence, and that the Charter
and provisions on justice and home affairs do not affect Ireland's
constitution on the right to life, education or family life. The
December Council agreed that if the Treaty enters into force,
a decision will be taken to the effect that the Commission shall
continue to include one national of each Member State.
6. We will assess draft proposals from the Irish
to ensure that they fully respect our overall objectives.
Climate Financing
7. We are supportive of further leaders' discussions
of climate financing at the Council though we do not expect significant
progress. Our objective will be to ensure the EU continues to
signal its willingness to contribute financially to developing
countries' adaptation needs, in line with the conclusions of the
Spring European Council. In this context, and if possible, we
would also like to see further progress on the issue of internal
financial burden sharing within the EU, avoiding any adverse conclusions
in relation to border adjustment mechanisms.
Illegal Migration
8. Italy, Greece, Malta and Cyprus are pushing
for a discussion on illegal migration across the Mediterranean.
We are happy to join a wide discussion of EU action to combat
the problem, focussed on practical co-operation, improving capacity
in southern Member States, and working with third countries to
return illegal immigrants and tackle the sources of migration.
Development
9. Building on the outcome of the GAERC, we
want the Council to endorse additional resources for the poorest
countries as agreed at the London Summit. It should strongly reaffirm
the commitments on Official Development Assistance (ODA), and
agree to return to the issue at the December European Council,
after the November GAERC discussions on ODA. We also want to secure
language on the maternal health MDG, urging the need to accelerate
progress on this off-track MDG.
External Relations
10. We expect the main areas of discussion to
be on Afghanistan/Pakistan, Burma, and possibly the Middle East
Peace Process.
Baltic Sea Strategy
11. We expect the Council to lay the groundwork
for this, to be carried out under the Swedish Presidency.
Rt Hon David Miliband MP
12 June 2009
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