By Bruno Waterfield - 5th July 2006
Turkey's EU entry bid, relations with Russia and reducing national vetoes on justice issues will be tough issues for the Finnish EU presidency.
After the summer break, Helsinki has a packed agenda and some tricky political questions to negotiate, key highlights are below.
July 19 2006 – European commission to table proposals on illegal immigration.
September 1 2006 – Informal meeting of Europe’s foreign ministers in Lappeenranta.
Key issues will be boosting the EU’s crisis response capability and ensuring preprations for Europe’s rapid reaction military force are on track .
September 20 – Informal Tampere council of justice ministers, first discussion on commission proposals to use an EU treaty “bridging clause” to reduce national vetoes in key justice areas.
Opposition is expected from Germany, Ireland, the UK and Slovakia.
September 26 2006 – commission publishes monitoring reports on Bulgaria and Romania.
Reports will be critical – especially for Sofia – if both are to make EU entry on January 1 2007.
Autumn 2006 – commission report on closer consular cooperation.
Autumn 2006 – commission report on the establishment of a European Institute of Technology.
October 20 – Informal EU summit in Lahti.
The focus will be on boosting innovation and competitiveness – a subject close to Helsinki’s heart, Finland’s industry is high-tech and includes world leaders such as Nokia. The European commission will prepare a report.
A dinner will be attended by Russian president Vladimir Putin as EU leaders discuss a European energy policy and the terms of a new agreement with Moscow.
October/November 2006 – EU review of Turkey’s progress on customs recognition of Cyprus.
As Ankara’s membership negotiations get underway in 2006, Finland must oversee delicate and increasingly turbulent EU-Turkey negotiations. A crunch point is the European commission’s October report.
Currently Turkey is refusing to recognise Cyprus, an EU member, as part of European customs agreements, an issue that could sink membership talks.
November 2006 – EU-Russia summit, new trade and energy agreements will top the agenda.
A new round of EU-Russia negotiations are set to begin in 2007 and Finland must agree the terms of talks European capitals - and Moscow.
December 5 – Council of justice ministers, key meeting to get agreement on the justice bridging clause.
December 14 2006 – EU leaders meet, agenda will include:
- Future EU enlargement and a commission paper on “absorption capacity”
- The transfer of justice powers to the EU level on immigration, terrorism and organised crime
- Greater cooperation on border security
- EU emergency and crisis coordination
- EU-Russia relations and negotiating framework
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