By Martin Banks - 2nd July 2007
Portugal has launched its EU presidency has launched with a pledge to push ahead with ratification of the reform treaty over the next six months.
Addressing MEPs last week, state secretary Lobo Antunes said Lisbon had a “clear mandate” to draft a future European treaty.
“A clear mandate - but not as yet a treaty. This will be our priority which will seek to achieve as rapidly as possible,” he said.
Meanwhile, writing in the latest issue of the Parliament Magazine, foreign minister Luis Filipe Marques Amado said Turkish accession is of “major importance” to the future of the EU.
"This is a decisive moment, when a political crisis could send Turkey away from Europe, perhaps irreversibly."
He also said the new presidency aims to “deepen” transatlantic relations while also strengthening the EU’s relationship with China, India and Russia.
Economics and energy minister Manuel Pinho has identified three priorities: progress on globalisation and implementing an “ambitious” energy policy and, thirdly, pressing ahead with implementation of the Lisbon agenda.
For environment minister Francisco Nunes Correia, climate change, biodiversity and water scarcity are the big issues to be addressed between now and January when Slovenia takes over the presidency.
Agriculture minister Jaime de Jesus Lopes Silva says reform of the EU wine regime and preparatory work for future overhauls of the regimes for sugar and cotton will be the focus of Lisbon’s work.
Meanwhile, Portuguese Socialist MEP Paulo Casaca, predicts Lisbon will prove an “energetic, skilful and alert” presidency.
It faces several challenges, including finding a solution for the constitutional deadlock, getting budgetary reform back on track and starting talks on the maritime policy package.
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