INFORMAL SUMMIT OF EUROPEAN HEADS OF STATE
AND GOVERNMENT, LAHTI, OCTOBER 2006
Letter from Rt Hon Margaret Beckett, Foreign
Secretary, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to the Chairman
The informal meeting of European Heads of State
or Government in Lahti, Finland will take place on 20 October.
The Prime Minister is attending on behalf of the United Kingdom.
The format of this informal will follow that of the Hampton Court
summit during the UK Presidency.
The Finns intend the discussions to focus on
innovation and external energy; President Putin of Russia will
join the summit for dinner. The situation in Darfur and migration
issues, bearing in mind recent experience in Spain, will also
be discussed.
There will be no formal conclusions of the summit.
Prime Minister Vanhanen will make a public statement after the
meeting setting out what Heads have agreed to take forward within
the EU's wider delivery agenda. I hope you find the attached statement
setting out the main agenda items and what the UK expects of the
discussion useful. The Government will provide a written statement
to the House next week on the outcome of the Lahti summit.
17 October 2006
Annex A
WRITTEN MINISTERIAL
STATEMENT: OCTOBER
2006
Finnish Presidency of the European Union:
Informal Meeting of European Heads at Lahti, 20 October 2006
The Foreign Secretary (Mrs. Margaret Beckett):
The Informal Summit of European Union Heads of State and Govemment
will be held on 20 October in Lahti, Finland. My Right Honourable
Friend the Prime Minister (Mr. Tony Blair) will represent the
UK.
The Government welcomes the opporttmity the
Lahti summit provides for EU leaders to take forward the "delivery
agenda" agreed at the Hampton Court summit last October,
during the United Kingdom's Presidency of the EU. This will help
the EU respond to the challenges of the 21st century: improving
European innovation and research; ensuring Europe's universities
can compete globally; tackling the energy challenges all Member
States face; addressing citizens' concerns on security and on
migration.
In particular Lahti will concentrate on EU extemal
energy policy and innovation. There will also be discussion of
immigration and of Darfur, as well as dinner with President Putin.
At Lahti we will underline the importance of
climate security in the EU's discussion of energy; for example
through the extension of the Emissions Trading Scheme and developing
clean coal technology. Delivering our climate change goals is
bound up with improving our competitiveness and fostering jobs,
growth and innovation. Lahti will be an opportunity to set a clear
political framework for future work.
The discussion of external energy issues will
also ensure we maintain the momentum of the Hampton Court agenda,
for example by mainstreaming energy into the EU's relations with
third countries. Energy will also feature in the discussions with
President Putin over dinner. This will also be an opportunity
to consider the future of the strategic relationship between Russia
and the EU.
The other main theme at Lahti will be innovation.
The Government believes there are two major
challenges for the EU in this area. Firstly a fragmentation of
effort in research, and secondly Europe's relative weakness in
getting to market the high quality research and innovation carried
out by its research base and universities. Lahti should make progress
on the key aspects of improving the EU's innovation performance,
such as Intellectual Property rights and the links between business
and education.
Heads of Government will also discuss the situation
in Darfur, at the request of my Right Honourable Friend the Prime
Minister. It is important that EU Heads send a clear message underlining
the urgent need to implement the peace deal agreed in May.
We also expect a discussion of migration issues,
bearing in mind recent experience in Spain. Member States agreed
at Hampton Court to a series of commitments as part of the Global
Approach to Migration. It is important that the EU continues to
prioritise delivery of those actions.
The Government will provide a written statement
to the House next week on the outcome of the Lahti summit.
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