Foreign Affairs Committee Contents


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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