Finland's EU Presidency: Newsletter 19/2006
04 Dec 2006, 09:15
INFORMAL MINISTERIAL MEETING: EUROPEAN COOPERATION IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING, 4-5 DECEMBER IN HELSINKI
The Ministers in charge of vocational education and training in the European Union will convene in Helsinki on 4-5 December for an informal ministerial meeting led by the Finnish Minister of Education and Science, Antti Kalliomäki.
At the meeting, the ministers will adopt a Helsinki Communiqué, outlining the common vocational education and training policy for the coming years. The meeting will discuss the position of vocational education and training in Europe and is to adopt objectives for European cooperation in that field over the next two years. Cooperation on vocational education and training is pursued as part of the Copenhagen Process, the counterpart of the Bologna Process in higher education.
In connection with the meeting, Minister Antti Kalliomäki and Commissioner Ján Figel will present awards to ten successful projects that have supported the aims of the Copenhagen Process, with funding from the EU's Leonardo da Vinci Programme.
All the sessions of the meeting on Tuesday, 5 December, are open and scheduled to take place at approximately 9.30-14.00 (GMT+2). The press conference will be held at approximately 14.00 (GMT+2). Both the open sessions and the press conference can be viewed as live webcasts or as recordings from the archive at eu2006.fi.
www.eu2006.fi/calendar/vko49/1129705891255/
COMPETITIVENESS COUNCIL IN BRUSSELS ON 4 DECEMBER
The Competitiveness Council will convene in Brussels on 4 December. The meeting will be chaired by the Minister of Trade and Industry Mauri Pekkarinen.
At the meeting, the ministers will exchange views on a broad-based innovation strategy and adopt conclusions on strategic priorities for innovation action at EU level. The Council will also hold a debate on a proposal for modernizing the Community Customs Code. The ministers will also exchange views on the progress made on Better Regulation and on the priorities for future work.
The open sessions of the Council meeting, scheduled to begin at approximately 9.45 (GMT+1), and the press conference at approximately 15.30 (GMT+1) can be viewed as live webcasts or as recordings from the archive at eu2006.fi.
www.eu2006.fi/calendar/vko49/en_GB/1147785421623/
JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS COUNCIL (JHA) IN BRUSSELS ON 4-5 DECEMBER 2006
The EU ministers responsible for justice and home affairs will convene in Brussels on Monday, 4 December, and Tuesday, 5 December, for a meeting of the Council of Ministers. The Council is to adopt conclusions on the implementation of the Hague Programme.
On Monday, the meeting will be chaired by the Finnish Minister of Justice, Leena Luhtanen, and the intention is to agree on a general approach for the Framework Decision on taking account of convictions in the Member States in the course of new criminal proceedings. In addition, the Ministers will try to reach a general approach on the Framework Decision concerning the possibility of transferring prisoners inside the EU and a political agreement on the establishment of an EU agency for Fundamental Rights.
On Tuesday, the meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, chaired by Finnish Minister of the Interior Kari Rajamäki, will set a timetable for the enlargement of the Schengen area and carry out a mid-term review of all the Schengen evaluations completed during the Austrian and Finnish Presidencies. The meeting will also aim to adopt the EU border management strategy, conclusions on the future of Europol, progress reports on the JHA External Relations Strategy, and reports on the implementation of the Counter-Terrorism Strategy and of the Action Plan on combating radicalisation and recruitment into terrorism. Furthermore, the meeting will strive to achieve political agreement on the content of the proposed financial instrument for civil protection.
The open sessions of the Council meeting, scheduled to begin at approximately 10.30 (GMT+1) on Monday and 10.00 (GMT+1) on Tuesday, and the press conferences, at approximately 17.00 (GMT+1) on Monday and 14.30 (GMT+1) on Tuesday, can be viewed as live webcasts or as recordings from the archive at eu2006.fi.
www.eu2006.fi/calendar/vko49/1147766959515/
PRESIDENCY MEETS THE PRESS ON 8 DECEMBER
On 8 December at 14.15 (GMT+1), Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen will answer reporters' questions live on TV and the web in the Presidency Meets the Press, transmitted on EbS, Europe by Satellite. The Presidency Meets the Press, produced by Finland's EU Presidency, EbS and YLE, the Finnish Broadcasting Company, can be viewed by anyone with access to the web or EbS satellite transmission.
EUROPEAN COUNCIL MEETING ON 14-15 DECEMBER 2006
Accreditation is required for the meeting of the European Council and takes place via the website of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union. Accreditation ends at 12.00 on Tuesday, 5 December 2006.
Media accreditation for the European Council meeting on 14-15 December 2006:
www.consilium.europa.eu/showPage.asp?lang=en&id=661&mode=g&name
www.eu2006.fi/calendar/vko50/1136456998803/
CONSPECTUS RERUM LATINUS
The next Latin news-in-brief will be issued on Monday, 4 December.
NEWSLETTERS
The next newsletter will be issued on Monday, 11 December.
