Stand van Spaans voorzitterschap na eenderde van de periode (en)

Met dank overgenomen van Spaans voorzitterschap Europese Unie 1e helft 2010 i, gepubliceerd op maandag 8 maart 2010.

With one third of the six month Presidency gone, the Secretary of State for the EU, Diego López Garrido, has given a very positive assessment of the issues that the Spanish government is progressing as part of its work program.

The Secretary of State gave a list of the most important decisions that have been achieved for each of the areas considered as a priority from the perspective of building Europe.

They included, he emphasised, the commitment of the Heads of State and Government to the Eurozone i, which he insisted was one of the most important decisions in the history of the EU.

He also emphasised that fact that, at the request of the Spanish Presidency, the European Commission is to bring forward the proposal on the popular legislative initiative to 31 March, originally planned for 28 April. This initiative, included in the Treaty of Lisbon, is key to achieving greater EU citizen participation.

Exiting the crisis and growth strategy

  • - 
    Maintaining support measures for the financial sector with the aim of a progressive and coordinated withdrawal by 2013.
  • - 
    Political commitment to the Eurozone by the European Council made on 11 February in light of the situation in Greece.
  • - 
    Launch of the 2020 Strategy for growth and employment. The proposal presented by the European Commission on 3 March is in line with the objectives of the Spanish Presidency .
  • - 
    Backing of the Competitiveness Council of 1 and 2 March for two of the Presidency's priorities, the electric vehicle and a reduction of the administrative burden for companies, especially small and medium companies, on which the Commission has been asked to put forward proposals.

A Europe for the people

  • - 
    Joint US-EU statement on air safety and the fight against terrorism in Toledo, on 21 February.
  • - 
    EU Home Affairs Security Strategy adopted at the Justice and Home Affairs Council of 25 February.
  • - 
    The project to create a European Public Prosecutor's Office presented on 3 March, which will be debated for the first time at the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 22 and 23 April.
  • - 
    Approval by the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council of 8 and 9 March of the Presidency's proposals for the creation of a European observatory for gender-based violence and a European Victim Protection Order.
  • - 
    Launch of the debate on the popular legislative initiative at the Informal Meeting of European Ministers held on 12 and 13 January at La Granja (Segovia), on which the Commission will present a proposal on 31 March.

Common Foreign and Security Policy

  • - 
    Agreement on the enlargement of Operation Atalanta in Somalia at the Informal Meeting of Defence Ministers held in Palma de Mallorca on 24 and 25 February.
  • - 
    Setting up of the Secretariat General of the Union for the Mediterranean on 4 March in Barcelona.
  • - 
    Conclusion of a trade agreement with Peru and Colombia, making it possible for the agreement to be signed in May at the EU-Latin America and Caribbean Summit in Madrid.
  • - 
    Opening of two new chapters, fishing and the environment, in accession negotiations with Croatia, that may conclude in 2010.
  • - 
    Favourable ruling by the European Commission on Iceland's accession, which allows it to be passed on to the Council.
  • - 
    Coordinated humanitarian aid response to the earthquakes in Chile and Haiti and an initial position has been reached on the creation of a rapid response force.

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