Editor's note

International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Friday, 29.03.2024, 10:18

Dutch Council Presidency in the first half of 2016

Eugene Eteris, BC, Copenhagen, 08.01.2016.Print version

From January to the end of June 2016, the Netherlands holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council of Ministers. It is for the twelfth time in its long history as a founding member of the EU, that Holland takes the helm of the Council, the EU’s most important legislative and budgetary institution.

Already at the end of November, the Dutch Ambassador to the EU Pieter de Gooijer (officially, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the EU) at the briefing in Brussels set out the priorities of the Dutch Presidency of the Council and addressed the key challenges ahead.


The EU Council is the place where national ministers from each EU country meet to adopt laws and coordinate policies.

Priorities of the Dutch Presidency of the Council

The Dutch Council Presidency, which aspires to work towards an EU focusing on the essentials, will have to deal with the manifold internal and external challenges related to the ‘refugee crisis’, efforts aiming to further improve economic governance in the framework of EMU, attempts to promote jobs and growth with a strong emphasis on the further completion of the Single Market, including the digital economy, as well as the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the EU in the light of the renegotiations ahead of the “in-out” referendum.


It promises to be an intense Presidency characterised by numerous crises and important dossiers on the agenda.


For example, the Aviation Summit (taking place on 20-21 January 2016) under the Dutch presidency will gather the first reactions of the stakeholders on the EU aviation strategy.


On the basis of these discussions, the Commission will assess how implementation should proceed over the course of the current mandate. Some actions – such as the evaluations of existing legislation – can move ahead without delay. Others will take the form of Commission proposals and therefore be subject to normal consultation and decision-making procedures.

Priorities’ examples

For example, among top 5 agriculture priorities for the Dutch Presidency there are the following: = “reforming” legislation for organic food; = monitor agro-market situation (particularly in the context of the extended Russian food import ban); = further discussions on how to tackle antimicrobial resistance; = steering talks on CAP simplification; and = instigating debate on climate-smart agriculture.  

http://www.vieuws.eu/food-agriculture/top-5-agriculture-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-dutch-eu-presidency

 

Among top 5 transport priorities for the Dutch Presidency, there are the following: = liberalising railways and brokering an agreement on the long-awaited 4th railway package; = helping EU airlines better face competition; = fostering EU port market access and ensuring fairer conditions for port workers; = developing self-driving vehicles for a greener, more robust and sustainable economy; and = finding a balance between security and mobility.

http://www.vieuws.eu/transport/top-5-transport-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-dutch-eu-presidency.

Commission’s visit to Holland

On the occasion of the start of the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the European Union Commission President Juncker and the College of Commissioners paid an official visit (6 January 2016) to the Netherlands.


The Presidency's five priorities have been confirmed: =jobs, growth and competitiveness; = the Economic and Monetary Union, financial services, social affairs and regional policy; = the Energy Union, climate and transport; = the EU as a strong global player; and = freedom, justice, security and counter-terrorism.


President Juncker stated: "We share with the Dutch Presidency the vision of Europe as an innovator and job generator".

http://ec.europa.eu/news/2016/01/20160107_en.htm

Council’s work: background

According to the Lisbon Treaty, the Council of Ministers (commonly, just the Council) - jointly with the European Parliament - exercise legislative and budgetary functions while carrying out necessary EU’s policy-making and coordinating functions (art. 16 TEU). 


The Council consists of representatives of all EU-28 member state at ministerial level in ten configurations; this ministers “may commit the government of these states” and cast their votes.

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/council-eu/configurations/


The Council acts – generally - by a qualified majority except where the Treaties provide otherwise.


From November 2014, a qualified majority is defined as at least 55 per cent of the members of the Council, comprising at least fifteen of them and representing the EU states comprising at least 65 per cent of the population of the Union.


A blocking minority includes at least four Council members, failing which the qualified majority shall be deemed attained.


Besides, a Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the EU states (so-called COREPER) is responsible for preparing the work of the Council.


So, the Council is an essential EU decision-maker: it negotiates and adopts legislative acts in most cases together with the European Parliament through the ordinary legislative procedure, also known as co-decision. This process is used for policy areas where the EU has exclusive or shared competence with the member states. In these cases, the Council legislates on the basis of proposals submitted by the European Commission.

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/council-eu/  

 

The Council defines and implements EU foreign and security policy on the basis of guidelines set by the European Council. This also includes the EU's development and humanitarian aid, defense and trade. Together with the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council ensures the unity, consistency and effectiveness of the EU's external action.


The Council provides the mandate to the Commission to negotiate on behalf of the EU agreements between the EU and non-EU countries and international organisations. At the end of negotiations, the Council decides on the signature and conclusion of the agreement, based on a proposal from the Commission. The Council also adopts the final decision to conclude the agreement, once the Parliament has given its consent (required in areas subject to co-decision) and it has been ratified by all EU member states.


These agreements may cover broad areas, such as trade, cooperation and development, or they may deal with specific subjects such as textiles, fisheries, customs, transport, science and technology, etc. 

The General Secretariat of the Council, GSC

The General Secretariat of the Council (GSC) is the body of staff responsible for assisting 2 EU institutions: the European Council and the Council of the EU (including its presidencies, the Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) and the other Council committees and configurations).


The GSC helps organise and ensure the coherence of the Council's work and the implementation of its 18-month program. It assists the European Council and its President and also supports the Council presidency in negotiations within the Council and with the other EU institutions.


The main tasks of the GSC are:


·         to assist, advise and help coordinate the work of the Council and the European Council, including the implementation of the Council's 18-month program;

·         to support the Council presidency in negotiations within the Council and with other EU institutions;

·         to provide logistical support and handle the practical organisation of meetings (including meeting rooms, document production and translation), and

·         to prepare draft agendas, reports, notes and minutes of meetings at all levels.

 

“Trios” Presidency program

The presidency of the Council rotates among the EU member states every 6 months. During this 6-month period, the presidency chairs meetings at every level in the Council’s configurations, helping to ensure the continuity of the EU's work in the Council.


Member states holding the presidency work together closely in groups of three, called “trios” or troika. This system was introduced by the Lisbon Treaty in 2009.


The trio sets long-term goals and prepares a common agenda determining the topics and major issues that will be addressed by the Council over an 18 month period. On the basis of this program, each of the three countries prepares its own more detailed 6-month program.


For example, the Luxembourg’s “trio-presidency” was made up of the programs for Holland, and Slovakia (common presidency’s program was adopted in November 2015).  

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/council-eu/presidency-council-eu/

 

Council presidencies from 2013 up to 2020:

Ireland: January-June 2013, Lithuania: July-December 2013, Greece: January-June 2014, Italy: July-December 2014; Latvia: January-June 2015; Luxembourg: July-December 2015; Netherlands: January-June 2016; Slovakia: July-December 2016; Malta: January-June 2017; United Kingdom: July-December 2017; Estonia: January-June 2018; Bulgaria: July-December 2018; Austria: January-June 2019; Romania: July-December 2019; Finland: January-June 2020.


The Dutch presidency program (besides its own) is composed of the programs from the Netherlands, Slovakia and Malta.

See:  http://english.eu2016.nl/documents/publications/2015/12/30/trio-programme-2016-17





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