Het Zweedse voorzitterschap presenteert zijn prioriteiten aan het EP (en)

Swedish government ministers this week outlined their Council Presidency priorities to a range of parliamentary committees - and fielded MEPs' questions on most EU policy areas.

Development 

Helping to ensure that developing countries can fight poverty effectively and meet global economic crisis and climate change challenges are the Swedish Presidency's key development priorities, International Development Co-operation minister Gunilla Carlsson told the Development Committee on Wednesday. The Presidency wants to create "a coherent and uniform framework" to improve the effectiveness of EU support for democracy-building worldwide, she added, because "democratisation contributes to reducing poverty in all its dimensions".

Replying to MEPs' questions about lack of consistency in the EU's development policy approach, Ms Carlsson urged Parliament to make full use of its scrutinising powers (budgetary and co-decision procedures), to ensure that various EU policy players work together to make development co-operation more effective.

International trade

Concluding the Doha Round "is the first, second and third priority" of the EU Presidency, Trade Minister Ewa Björling, told the International Trade Committee on Tuesday. To achieve this goal, "getting the US on board is essential", she added. Any delay in Russia's WTO accession would be "regrettable", she said. Ms Björling spoke of the possible conclusion in 2010 of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. She alsostressed that the fight against climate change should be supported by facilitating the transfer of environmentally-friendly products and technologies.

Committee MEPs emphasized that the elimination of all kinds of non-tariff barriers should be addressed, as well as trade in raw materials. Furthermore, MEPs drew the Presidency's attention to the fact that the role of Parliament and its International Trade Committee will significantly increase with the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty.

Economic and monetary affairs

In the current economic and financial crisis, "defence line number one" is to improve the supervision of financial markets and to set up European infrastructure in this area, Finance minister Anders Borg told the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on Wednesday . Mr Borg also stressed the need to guarantee the long-term sustainability of public finances, and to have an active labour market policy. Local government and financial markets minister Mats Odell underlined the importance of the proposals on  capital requirements, sound remuneration policies and alternative investment firm managers.

While MEPs agreed with these priorities, several stressed that the Stability and Growth Pact should be implemented more strictly and more prudently and that rules should apply to all players. MEPs also emphasized the need for the EU to speak in one voice at the G20 meetings.

Employment and social affairs

Creating more inclusive labour markets is a priority of the Swedish Presidency, Employment Minister Sven-Otto Littorin and State Secretary Bettina Kashefi, replacing the Social Security Minister, told the Employment and Social Affairs Committee on Thursday. Measures to be taken include pushing forward the micro-financing proposal. The Presidency also aims to see that the new regulation concerning mobile workforce is implemented smoothly, and that the issue of third country nationals with respect to it is resolved.

Several MEPs were disappointed that the speakers had not mentioned the Laval court case concerning posted workers, and urged the Presidency to open up work on the Posting Directive. Mr Littorin said that the Presidency opposed this. Many MEPs also called for more action on youth unemployment and equal pay, and for specific initiatives rather than words.

Care for the elderly and social inclusion

High-quality care for the elderly, an "active inclusion" strategy for the almost one hundred million people outside the labour market and a better co-ordinated disability policy are priority areas for the Swedish Presidency, Minister for Elderly Care and Public Health Maria Larsson told the Employment and Social Affairs Committee on Wednesday. MEPs' questions centred on talks among EU Member States about the anti-discrimination directive, and concern for the elderly, women, and young unemployed people.

To ensure healthy and dignified ageing, the Presidency aims to step up co-operation between health care and social care providers for elderly people. For population groups most affected by the economic crisis, it intends to prepare the way for the 2010 "European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion", inter alia by preparing an "active inclusion" strategy. Disability policy, and especially the issue of accessibility, are also key issues, said Ms Larsson.

Environment, public health and food safety

The long-term sustainability of fisheries, food and climate, as well as sound animal husbandry and healthy animals, are key concerns for the Swedish Presidency, Agriculture Minister  Eskil Erlandsson told the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee on Wednesday.

The Presidency would like to conclude work on proposed obligations for operators placing timber on the market and the novel food regulation. But progress will be harder to make on the food labelling proposal, where a balance still has to be found between the needs of consumers and industry, he added.

MEPs questioned Mr Erlandsson about the use of meat from cloned animals, the need to tackle antibiotic resistance, loss of biodiversity, labelling of nanoparticles, organic food, GMO labelling and pesticides.

Climate change

The top climate change priority is to reach a comprehensive and ambitious agreement at the upcoming UN climate summit in Copenhagen, Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren, told the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee on Tuesday. MEPs in general supported him but raised many questions on financing, the role and involvement of the US, the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China), and developing countries, as well as a possible sanctions mechanism. On financing, Mr Carlgren summarized his position as: "no money, no deal" and "no emissions reductions, no money".

The economic and financial crisis should be seen as an opportunity for Europe to move towards a more eco-efficient society, he said, adding that developing a concrete EU strategy for biodiversity and marine issues is another priority for the coming months.

Industry, research and energy

"We can address both the economic crisis and the climate challenge at the same time" by working for a shift towards "a European eco-efficient economy", Sweden's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Industry Maud Olofsson Parliament's Industry Committee on Wednesday. Ms Olofsson said she hoped an agreement with Parliament on the energy efficiency package (energy performance of buildings directive, the energy labelling directive and the tyre labelling regulation) would be reached this autumn, so as "to send a clear message to the international climate negotiations" in December in Copenhagen.

"The Swedish Presidency will do its utmost to prevent further disruption of gas supplies to Europe", Ms Olofsson added. To enable the EU to deal with any supply disruption in the future, the Presidency would start working on the Commission's proposal for a security of natural gas supply regulation, she said. Moreover, the Swedish Presidency will also try to reach a first reading agreement with MEPs on the European Earth observation programme GMES, stressed Ms Olofsson.

Telecoms

Achieving "a swift conclusion" on the telecoms package had always been "a top priority", Swedish minister for Communications Åsa Torstensson told Industry Committee MEPs on Wednesday. The conciliation process should be "fast and limited", she said, because "it is vital for both economic recovery and for consumer rights that the package be adopted quickly".

In May, MEPs and Council had reached a compromise at second reading on the package, except for one EP amendment stressing that a user's Internet access cannot be restricted without prior ruling by the judicial authorities. "It is vital that we work in tandem to clarify the importance of the Internet for disseminating information and for a lively democratic debate", said Ms Torstensson, adding that "our efforts should be zealous and extend beyond the telecoms package".

Research

"Sweden considers that a larger proportion of the EU budget should be allocated to research, innovation and other measures for promoting competitiveness" - and money should be shifted from agriculture to the research budget - research minister Tobias Krantz told Parliament's Industry Committee on Thursday.  Furthermore, resources now allocated to research could be used more effectively, he added. The minister agreed with MEPs that the administrative burden imposed on researchers applying for funds under the EU's Seventh Research Framework Programme should be simplified.

The Swedish Presidency will also give priority to "the quality of our universities and other public research institutions and providers" by developing a European strategy for more investments at EU level "to strengthen the European knowledge building institutions".

Internal market and consumer protection

The best way of dealing with the draft legislation on consumer rights in the EU was the main topic that the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee discussed with Swedish minister Nyamko Sabuni.  The draft directive is one of the Swedish Presidency's priorities, but because of its legal, economic and political complexity it will not be possible to finalise it within six months, said the minister. The labelling of textiles (a recast of existing legislation) and class actions (on which the Commission is due to put forward new legislation) were also discussed.

In an economic crisis, keeping the internal market open is all the more important, argued trade minister Ewa Björling. Improving the way the single market works, in order to boost growth and jobs, is a key priorities of the Presidency, she said. MEPs welcomed this general aim as well as the detailed action plan for the coming six months, which includes swift and effective implementation of the services directive as well as legislative work on the Community patent, European patent disputes, late payments in commercial transactions, construction products and gambling.

Transport

Transport will be part of the solution to climate change if the EU succeeds in establishing a single transport system which encourages road-to-rail shift for freight and the use of innovative technology, Communications Minister  Åsa Torstensson told the Transport and Tourism Committee on Wednesday. She stressed the importance of transport infrastructure in securing economic recovery in an "eco-efficient economy", citing improved freight logistics, intelligent transport systems and rail liberalisation as priority policy fields.

MEPs questioned the minister's ambitions, however, drawing to her attention the deep budget cuts made by Council in all major EU transport initiatives for 2010. MEPs also argued that faster action is needed to put into practice the "internalisation of external costs" for the environment, i.e. through the Eurovignette lorry charge. The Council must now "move from words to actions", MEPs insisted.

Regional Development

"It is important for the Swedish Presidency to find a balance between the need to ease implementation in the countries hardest hit by the economic crisis, while safeguarding the fundamental principles of the structural funds", Enterprise and Energy Maud Olofsson told the Regional Development Committee on Thursday, adding that the presidency expects structural fund recipients to benefit substantially from measures to simplify their implementing arrangements.

Another priority is the Baltic Sea strategy, which will not provide new funds, but should ensure that existing EU programmes work more efficiently. The presidency will also focus on the transition to an eco-efficient economy, as 30% of the EU cohesion policy budget for the EU´s cohesion policy is expected to be invested in the "green economy", and this should continue after 2013, she said.

Fisheries

Here the Swedish Presidency will tackle three key issues: the fisheries control regulation, the TAC and quota negotiations, and the smooth implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, should it enter into force. The aim is "to reach a political agreement on the control regulation at the Council meeting in October," Agriculture Minister Eskil Erlandsson told the Fisheries Committee on Wednesday. The Presidency will encourage small-scale fishing, he added in reply to MEPs' questions.

Mr Erlandsson sought MEPs' specific backing for recovery and conservation plans to be negotiated for Celtic cod, anchovy, western stocks of Atlantic horse mackerel and northern hake. He also stressed the importance of Baltic Sea Strategy in co-ordinating  Baltic coastal development and bringing together EU activities in the environment, energy, competitiveness and security fields.

Culture and Education

"Our first priority concerns teachers and their professional development, including the role of school leaders" Education minister Jan Björklund told the Culture and Education Committee on Wednesday, stressing that all teachers need professional development opportunities and to become more mobile. The second priority is migration and education. Education should help the children of migrants to become successful and productive citizens of the country in which they live, he said. The third area is the "knowledge triangle", i.e. the interaction between education, research and innovation.

"Promoting a creative generation" is the Presidency's overall motto in the area of culture and media, said Culture minister Ms Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth, adding that the Council should adopt conclusions in November on "how we can promote the creativity of children and young people and secure their access to culture".

Legal affairs

Adopting the Stockholm programme is the Swedish presidency's main priority in legal affairs, justice minister Beatrice Ask told Legal Affairs Committee MEPs on Wednesday. Regarding another key issue, the enforcement of judgments given by courts in another country, the minister mentioned the need for guidelines for the Brussels I regulation and abolition of the exequatur procedure. Other topics were the Community patent, the need to cut red tape for small companies and greater emphasis on support for children in divorce cases.

Diana Wallis (ALDE, UK) backed the abolition of the exequatur procedure. She and committee chair Klaus-Heiner Lehne (EPP, DE) argued that more attention must be devoted to contract law. Tadeusz Zwiefka (EPP, PL) called for coordinated legislation to deal with divorce, inheritance and wills.  Eva Lichtenberger (Greens/EFA, AT) believed that the Community patent could include non-EU countries.

Civil liberties, justice and home affairs

Justice minister Beatrice Ask announced an initiative on accrediting forensic laboratories to guarantee that information and data exchanged are compatible and useable throughout the EU, "to be adopted before the end of the year". Negotiations on the framework decision on procedural rights will also be restarted. The Presidency will also try to reach agreement on a common instrument on interpretation and translation, a strategy to strengthen the status of victims of crime in Europe, and an initiative on the transfer of proceedings between the judicial systems of the Member states. The Presidency will, also seek agreement on framework decisions on the fight against trafficking in human beings and on sexual exploitation of children, she added.

Immigration minister Tobias Billström stressed the need for well-managed immigration to attract skills, adding that within the Stockholm co-operation programme, the fight against illegal immigration should also respect a balance, "so that the security measures are not taken at the expense of legal immigration". The Presidency aims to achieve political agreement on the proposed resettlement mechanism, and an EP/Council agreement this autumn on the European Asylum Support Office, he said.

Constitutional affairs

The Swedish Presidency is preparing for a smooth implementation of the Lisbon Treaty - provided it is ratified - European Affairs Minister Cecilia Malmström told the Constitutional Affairs Committee on Tuesday. It aims to have the Council take the necessary decisions, inter alia to enable the 18 MEPs whose status depends on the treaty's ratification to start work as soon as possible, and on arrangements for the European External Action Service. If the treaty is adopted, the October European Council can deal with the nominations of the President of the European Council, the High Representative and the new Commission, she said, confirming the current Commission would continue in a caretaker capacity for a limited time.

Committee members put several questions about appointments for to the new positions. Ms Malmström declined to speculate on names, but assured Parliament it would be kept informed of the issues. MEPs also voiced concern about the lack of public interest in Europe and urged the Presidency to push forward work on issues of most interest to citizens.

Women's rights and gender equality

To make it easier for women to start and run their own businesses and to reconcile professional and family life, the Presidency expects to take negotiations forward with the Parliament on the maternity leave directive, the new anti-discrimination directive and the proposal for equal treatment of self-employed women and men, Gender Equality Minister Ms Nyamko Sabuni told the Women's Rights committee on Tuesday.

Committee MEPs congratulated the Presidency for paying particular attention to gender equality in order to make women less vulnerable in times of economic downturn, but said that more measures are needed to tackle the pay gap and unequal representation in administration, in both in public and private sectors. MEPs were also concerned that Sweden is blocking rules on cross-border divorces.