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Swedish Presidency aims to resolve all institutional issues at October summit |
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Sweden, which currently holds the rotating EU Presidency, has announced that it plans to clear up all the EU's institutional issues at one Council summit in October, so that the EU can focus all its attention on pressing international issues such as the economic crisis and the upcoming climate change summit in Copenhagen. The Presidency hopes that the Council will appoint a new Commission, as well as the new posts of EU foreign minister and President of the European Council, and agree a "loose framework" for the EU diplomatic service proposed by the Lisbon Treaty.
Cecilia Malmstrom, Sweden's Europe minister, told Parliament last week: "Our aim is - if everything goes smoothly and the Lisbon treaty is adopted - that at the October council … we can decide on all the institutional issues." MEPs raised a number of concerns to Ms. Malmstrom over the institutional changes introduced by the Lisbon Treaty, particularly over the responsibilities and accountability of the new EU foreign minister. Ms. Malmstrom stated that the Swedish Presidency did not want to pre-empt the outcome of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty by openly discussing these issues with Member States. Ms. Malmstrom said to MEPs: "We tend to focus a little too much on institutional issues and too little on issues that are of real concern for the daily life of the citizen. They are concerned about having a job or not." She further urged Parliament to vote this month on Jose Manuel Barroso's reappointment as Commission President rather than delaying the decision again. Source: |
