Zweden gaat zich tijdens voorzitterschap niet met bilaterale conflicten bemoeien (en)
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – With just over a week to go before Sweden i takes over the helm of the EU's six-month rotating presidency, the country's foreign minister, Carl Bildt, has made it clear he does not intend to waste time attempting to unblock the many bilateral disputes that currently pepper the EU's diplomatic landscape.
"I would like to emphasise that responsibility for solving bilateral issues lies primarily with the countries concerned. You can't expect the world to solve your bilateral issues. You'll have to solve them yourselves," said Mr Bildt on Monday (22 June) speaking to reporters in Brussels while presenting plans for Sweden's presidency.
In the Balkans, Croatian accession talks are currently blocked by Slovenia i due to a border dispute, while Greece i has put the brakes on Macedonia i's application as a result of the country's choice of name.
"The western Balkans is always something that can keep you fairly busy if you have nothing else to do," said Mr Bildt in recognition of the many disputes in the region.
The divided country of Cyprus i is another area where Mr Bildt has expressed a desire to see progress, but here again he says the EU has limited influence.
The Ukraine is currently facing difficulties in paying its Russian gas bills, with the Kremlin suggesting the EU should step in and pick up the tab to avoid another gas crisis similar to that witnessed in January.
But Mr Bildt insisted the EU does not have the budget for this and that the two countries must solve the problem themselves.
Iceland
One area where he appears to be more optimistic for a quick solution is the future status of Iceland which – depending on an upcoming parliamentary debate – may submit an application in the coming months to join the EU.
Iceland's parliamentary tradition that stretches back over 1000 years, its membership of the European Economic Area since the early 1990s and resultant adoption of the vast majority of the EU's rules clearly distinguishes it from would-be members in south-eastern Europe, said Mr Bildt.
He also pointed out that Icelandic membership would give the EU a far greater say in the ever increasing number of issues related to the Arctic area, including marine transportation, energy resources and the melting icecap.
Climate change and the economy
Sweden's European affairs minister and former MEP, Cecilia Malmstrom, speaking alongside her colleague, said she is under no illusion the next six months are going to be easy and that the presidency's main priorities will be to deal with negotiations in the lead up to the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen in December and the economic crisis.
"We will do our utmost to do whatever we can to reach a conclusion in Copenhagen, a global deal, a post-Kyoto deal to reduce CO2 emissions," she said, referring to the key meeting where leaders from 181 states will attempt to thrash out a global plan to reduce carbon emissions.
Crucial to securing a deal will be the willingness of the world's richer countries to provide financing for less developed countries, but Ms Malmström said it would be "silly" for the EU to show its hand on this issue too soon.
On the economic side, the incoming presidency will need to tackle rising unemployment and member-state budget deficits and also secure member state approval for commission legislative proposals on financial supervision due out this autumn.
Securing a common EU position leading into the next G20 i leaders meeting in the US this September will also be vital to a successful outcome, while intense discussions on a successor to the Lisbon Strategy – the EU's long-term growth plan – are needed if the new agenda is to be agreed next year.
Institutional uncertainty
Not likely to help the Swedes however, is the significant institutional change that is expected under their watch, with a new European Parliament due to sit for the first time next month and the current commission scheduled to end this October.
Adding to this confusion is the current drawn-out changeover between the Nice and Lisbon Treaties, with four countries – Ireland i, Germany i, Poland i and the Czech Republic i - yet to ratify the EU's new set of rules.
"The Lisbon Treaty is of course something that will lie over our whole presidency," said Ms Malmstrom.
A second referendum will be held on the reform treaty this autumn in Ireland, following an EU leaders' agreement last Friday to provide the country's prime minister, Brain Cowen, with legal guarantees in the areas of social policy, taxation and neutrality that he was seeking and that he hopes will enable him to win a second referendum on the document.
Until the Lisbon Treaty is fully ratified, it is unclear under which rules the new commission should be appointed, with members of the European Parliament insisting the old Nice rules – under which they have less say – should not be used.
The outgoing Czech and incoming Swedish presidencies are currently exploring the level of support among the parliament's political parties for Jose Manuel Barroso to stand for a second term as commission president, with both keen to secure quick approval for the former Portuguese politician.
"Obviously we would prefer if the parliament could decide in July [on the new commission president], as there are so many difficult issues, and we need a commission that can help us on this," said Ms Malmstrom.