Programma Europese Raad 14-15 maart (en)
BACKGROUND1 EUROPEAN COUNCIL Thursday and Friday 14 and 15 March in Brussels
The European Council will at its "spring summit" discuss the economic situation and outlook in order to set policy orientations.
Starting on Thursday evening, the European Council will review progress on this year's European Semester monitoring exercise. It will receive an update on work on the further development of the EU's economic and monetary union. And the rules of procedure of the euro summits will be adopted.
A euro summit will be held thereafter, taking stock of the economic situation in the euro area.
On Friday morning, the European Council will discuss foreign affairs. It will discuss relations with the EU's strategic partners, in particular Russia, and will be briefed on preparations for the G8 i summit in June.
Indicative programme:
Thursday: 9.30 tripartite social summit, followed by a press conference at 12.30 17.00 meeting with the President of the European Parliament 17.30 family photo 17.40 first working session
20.15 working dinner, followed by a press conference followed by euro summit Friday: 10.00 second working session, followed by a press conference
Full media programme
Invitation letter by President Herman Van Rompuy
• Media accreditation: http://european-council.europa.eu
• Press conferences by video streaming: http://video.consilium.europa.eu/
• Video coverage in broadcast quality (MPEG4): http://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu
i
This note has been drawn up under the responsibility of the press office
Economic and social policy
Promoting competitiveness, growth and jobs
The European Council will discuss implementation of this year's European Semester exercise, in the light of a report from the Council presidency summarising the discussions and main messages of different Council configurations2 involved {doc. ).
In view of the continued stagnation of economic activity and high levels of unemployment in Europe, it will examine how efforts to support youth employment and promote growth and competitiveness can be accelerated. The discussion will focus on implementation of decisions taken, in particular in relation to the compact for growth and jobs agreed in June last year
In the context of the European Semester, the European Council is expected to provide guidance to the member states for preparation of their national reform programmes (economic and employment policies) and stability or convergence programmes (fiscal policies) for this year
The European Semester involves simultaneous monitoring of the member states' fiscal, economic and employment policies during a six-month period every year. In June, the European Council will assess the programmes defined at national level
As concerns the compact for growth and jobs, the European Council will discuss results obtained under two packages of the "single market act", which set out priority measures aimed, by the completion of the EU's single market, at increasing confidence and stimulating economic growth and job creation
See letter by President Van Rompuy:
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/135864.pdf)
Economic and monetary union
President Van Rompuy will provide an update on work on the further development of the EU's economic and monetary union (EMU), with a view to the European Council meeting in June
In December, the European Council set out the next steps in the process of completing EMU. It called on President Van Rompuy to present in June, after consultations with the member states, possible measures and a timetable on the following issues:
ex-ante coordination of national economic policy reforms;
the social dimension of the EMU;
mutually agreed contracts (between individual member states and EU institutions) for competitiveness and growth;
solidarity mechanisms that can enhance efforts made by the member states that enter into contractual arrangements for competitiveness and growth
Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council, Competitiveness Council i, Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council, Environment Council, Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council
Other items
The European Council will hold an exchange of views on relations with Russia, one of the EU's strategic partners and a key player in geo-political and security terms, a major energy supplier which is enjoying expanding trade with the EU
The United Kingdom Prime Minister will provide an update of preparations for the G8 summit in June.