European Union: Forthcoming Council Business (Hansard, 11 June 2002)

§ Baroness Amos

See attached.

4 June—ECOFIN—Brussels

1. Adoption of the agenda
2. (poss) Approval of the list of "A" items
3. Preparation of the Seville European Council

— Council report on Broad Economic Policy and Guidelines
—Council report on administrative co-operation in tax matters.

4. (poss) Recasting of the Financial Regulation
5. Macro-financial assistance

—Policy debate

6. Directive on prospectuses

— Policy debate

7. (poss) Directive on Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision

— Political agreement

8. Sixth half-yearly Commission report on the Financial Services Action Plan
9. Tax Matters

— Tax Package
— Savings taxation
— Report on dependent or associated territories
— Report on negotiations with third States
—Code of Conduct: progress report
— (poss) Taxation of biofuels
— Political agreement
— (poss) Energy taxation
— Administrative co-operation in tax matters
—Council conclusions
— VAT treatment of cross-border motor vehicle leasing

10. Methods of evaluating output gaps
11. Advantages of the different types of pension schemes
12. Other business

6–7 June—Industry and Energy Council—Brussels

1. Approval of provisional agenda
2. (poss) Approval of the list of "A" items
3. Competitiveness and enterprise policy in the EU

(a) — Commission communication "Productivity: the key to competitiveness"
— Annual Commission report on competitiveness (2002)
—Presentation by the Commission and discussion
— Council conclusions
(b) — Communication from the Commission on the impact of the e-Economy on European businesses: economic analysis and political implications
14748/01 ECO 367
—Council conclusions
(c) — Report on the European Charter for Small Enterprises; Follow-up to the Barcelona European Council on 15 and 16 March 2002
— Presidency briefing
6125/02 ECO 38

4. Sustainable development

(a) Strategy for chemicals
— Commission briefing
(b) Contribution of enterprise policy to sustainable development
— Discussion
— Council conclusions

5. Steel

(c) Expiry of the ECSC Treaty
— Commission briefing
(d) Situation on the world steel market
— Commission briefing

6. (poss) Shipbuilding

(e) Fifth report from the Commission to the Council on the situation in world shipbuilding
— Presentation by the Commission
8689/02 RC 6
(b) Proposal for a Council Regulation concerning a temporary defensive mechanism in shipbuilding (LA)(*)
(Articles 87(3) and 89 of the Treaty) 11335/01 RC 14 WTO 83

7. Competition

(f) Proposal for a Council Regulation on the implementation of the rules on competition laid down in Articles 81 and 82 of the Treaty and amending Regulations (EEC) No 1017/ 68, (EEC) No 2988/74, (EEC) No 4056/86 and (EEC) No 3975/87
— Progress report
(g) XXXIst Commission Report on Competition Policy 2001
— Presentation by the Commission
8455/02 RC 4

8. (poss) Reduction/re-orientation of public aid State-aid scoreboard—Spring 2002 edition

— Presentation by the Commission

9. Life sciences and biotechnology—A strategy for Europe

— Council conclusions
6415/02 RECH 40 ENV 103 CONSOM 14 SAN 24 DEVGEN 15 MI 31 IND 23 AGRI 43 SOC 87 RELEX 27 EDUC 30 AG 6

10. Euromed—industrial co-operation

—Presidency briefing on the outcome of the Ministerial Conference in Malaga on 9 and 10 April 2002
7922/02 ECU 116 MED 30

11. G 10 medicinal products

— Report from the High-Level Working Party on innovation and the supply of medicinal products
— Commission briefing
ENERGY (7 June 2002)

12. Proposal for a Council Regulation on State aid to the coal industry after the expiry of the ECSC Treaty (LA)(*)

(Articles 87 and 89 TEC)
— Political agreement

13. Internal market in electricity and gas

(h) Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directives 96/92/EC and 98/30/EC concerning WA 22 common rules for the internal market in electricity and natural gas (LA)(*)
(Article 95 TEC)
— Political agreement
(i) Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on conditions for access to the network for cross-border exchanges in electricity (LA)
(Article 95 TEC)
— Progress report

14. Proposal for an amendment to the Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision 1254/96/EC laying down a series of guidelines for trans-European energy networks (LA)

(Article 196 TEC)
— General approach

15. Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the promotion of the use of biofuels for transport (LA)

(Article 175 TEC)
— General approach

16. Energy Charter

— Progress report

17. Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council adopting a multiannual programme for action in the field of energy: "Intelligent Energy for Europe" Programme (2003–06) (LA)

(Article 175 TEC)
— Presentation by the Commission

18. Security of energy supply

— Commission briefing on follow-up to consultations on the Green Paper on security of supply

19. Other business

Other business
3—Brussels—Employment and Social Affairs Council
3—Brussels—Eurogroup (Evening)
4—Brussels—ECOFIN
6–7—Brussels—Convention on the Future of Europe—Plenary session
6–7—Madrid—EU-ASEM meeting (EU 15)
6–8—Brussels—Foreign Affairs (ASEM Ministers)
10–11—Brussels—General Affairs Council
10–11—Brussels—Agriculture Council
11—Brussels—Fisheries Council
13–14—Brussels—Justice and Home Affairs Council
17–18—Brussels—Transport and Telecommunications Council
17–18—Brussels—General Affairs Council
21–22—Seville—European Council
24—Brussels—General Affairs Council (Evening)
24–25—Brussels—Convention on the Future of Europe—Plenary Session
24–25—Brussels—Environment Council
25—Brussels—ECOFIN
26—Brussels—Heath Council

The following are the principal events in the EU between 1 July and November 2002. The list is based on the information available at the date of issue.

Date	Location	Event
July
12–13	Kolding	Meeting of Employment and Social Policy Ministers (Informal)
15–16	Brussels	Agriculture Council
19	Brussels	Budget Meeting
19–21	Arhus	Environment Ministers meeting (Informal)
22–23	Brussels	General Affairs Council
August
31–1	Elisnore	Gymnich (Ministerial Informal)
September
6	Brussels	ASEM Economic Ministers Meeting
6–8	Copenhagen	ECOFIN (Ministerial Informal)
8–10	Nyborg	Agriculture Council (Ministerial Informal)
12–13	Copenhagen	Justice and Home Affairs Council (Ministerial Informal)
22–23	Copenhagen	ASEM Meeting
23–24	Brussels	Agriculture Council
26	Brussels	Internal Market, Consumer Affairs and Tourism Council
27	Tent	ACP-EU Ministers Meeting
30	Brussels	Research Council
30–1	Brussels	General Affairs Council
October
3–4	Brussels	Transport and Telecommunications Council
8	Brussels	ECOFIN
8	Brussels	Employment and Social Policy Council
14	Brussels	Fisheries Council
14–15	Brussels	Justice and Home Affairs, and Civil Protection Council
15–16	Brussels	Agriculture Council
17	Brussels	Environment Council
18–19	Aalborg	Internal Market, Consumer Affairs and Industry Meeting (Ministerial Informal)
21–22	Brussels	General Affairs Council
24–25	Brussels	European Council
November
1	Brussels	Culture Council
2	Brussels	ECOFIN—Troika meeting on Macro-Economic Dialogue
12	Brussels	Education and Youth Council
14–15	Brussels	Internal Market, Consumer Affairs and Youth Council
18	Brussels	Fisheries Council
18–19	Brussels	General Affairs Council
19–20	Brussels	Agriculture Council
22	Brussels	Development Council
25–26	Brussels	Budget (Council)
25–26	Brussels	Industry and Energy Council
28–29	Brussels	Justice and Home Affairs, and Civil Protection Council