Finland’s EU Presidency : Transport, Telecommunications and Energy

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Transport, Telecommunications and Energy

The Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (TTE) meets once every two months. Meetings are attended by the ministers responsible for the area under discussion: transport, telecommunications or energy. During its Presidency, Finland will hold three meetings of the TTE Council and they will be chaired by Minister of Transport and Communications, Susanna Huovinen, or Minister of Trade and Industry, Mauri Pekkarinen.

Main issues

Transport
During Finland’s Presidency, the focus will be on transport logistics. The communication on the issue, submitted by the Commission at the end of June, will be discussed during Finland’s Presidency. The communication will address the requirements laid down in the Lisbon Strategy by introducing ways to improve the efficiency of logistics within the Union. The communication emphasises intermodality which enables the integration of different transport modes. Smoothly running, integrated transport systems are essential for the Union’s industries and competitiveness. Other priorities include road safety and short sea shipping.

Telecommunications
The main focus will be on network and data security and the Council is to discuss two proposals submitted by the Commission. One of the proposals will be on spam and malware while the other will concern the development of a European data security strategy. Consideration will also be given to the e-communications legislative package, frequency policy and the i2010 Information Society Strategy, and the Regulation on roaming charges.

Energy policy
Discussion on the development of the EU’s energy policy will continue during Finland’s EU Presidency. The development project was launched on 8 March when the Commission published a green paper entitled “A European Strategy for sustainable, competitive and secure energy”.

Preparatory work for the adoption of a prioritised action plan on energy policy in spring 2007 will continue during Finland’s EU Presidency. The Council’s aim is to contribute to the development of the EU energy policy when the Commission will publish its first annual strategic energy review at the end of Finland’s Presidency.

In relation to energy policy, the focus will be on external relations, energy efficiency, renewable energy resources, and the internal markets in electricity and gas. With regard to energy and external relations, Finland considers it particularly important to develop cooperation between the EU and Russia.

Meetings
The Council meeting to be held in Luxembourg in October will concentrate on transport issues. The meeting of EU ministers responsible for energy will take place in Brussels in November. Energy will also be on the agenda for meetings between the Union and its outside partners. The Council meeting in Brussels in December will discuss transport and telecommunications issues. The meeting will be preceded by an informal dinner for Telecoms Ministers. In addition, Italy will host a Road Safety Conference in Verona in November.

Civil servants and experts will hold a seminar on short sea shipping in Brussels and EU Transport Attachés will meet in Oulu. An expert seminar on the i2010 Strategy and the information society will take place in Espoo, Finland, and Greece will host a meeting on the governance of the Internet.