On July 1, Ireland handed over the presidency of the Council of the European Union to Lithuania. This is the first time in its nine years of membership that Lithuania will hold the Council Presidency. It is also the first time one of the three Baltic States will hold the rotating Council Presidency.
Lithuania has been committed to the European project since joining in 2004. Earlier this year Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite was awarded the Charlemagne Prize to recognise her contribution to European integration. Lithuania hopes its commitment to Europe and to EU citizens will be reflected in its presidency priorities.
This presidency will be the last full Council presidency before the European Parliament elections take place at the end of May next year. As a result, it falls on Lithuania to conclude many of the ongoing legislative proposals before the end of the current Parliament’s legislative term.
There are over 500 legislative files to deal with, approximately 115 of which are considered high priority. The implementation of the recently agreed Multiannual Financial Framework is just one example of a high priority dossier that has been passed on from the Irish presidency to Lithuania.
The Lithuanian presidency’s motto is Credible, Growing And Open. This refers to the main priorities of the presidency.
The Lithuania presidency hopes to achieve a stable financial sector that is transparent and credible. Achieving this will require strengthening the co-ordination of EU economic and monetary policies.
The Lithuania presidency hopes to achieve a stable financial sector that is transparent and credible
Another important issue for the presidency is continuing to implement policies which encourage economic growth and competitiveness, such as the Growth Agenda. The presidency feels increased investment into research and technological developments is the best way to get Europe’s economy back on track and increase Europe’s competitiveness on a global scale.
Continuing to tackle Europe’s high rate of unemployment and youth unemployment in particular will have a positive effect on Europe’s economic growth potential. This will require Lithuania to carry on the implementation of Youth Guarantees and the Youth Unemployment Initiative.
Finally, Lithuania will also seek to keep the European Union open to new members from the east and will work on the eastern partnership and the EU strategy for the Baltic Sea region.
Through these policies, the Lithuanian presidency hopes to use the lessons learnt to boost the EU’s capacity to provide an adequate response to the economic, financial, social and energy challenges that it may be facing in the future by developing those financial and social models that are more sustainable.
Energy security also features in the presidency’s top priorities. This is why Lithuania hopes to put in place the framework to allow the Internal Energy Market to be completed by 2014. This will also require greater investment in modern trans-European energy infrastructure. In addition to the Internal Energy Market, the Lithuanian presidency will finalise the proposals of the Single Market Act II aimed at strengthening the Single Market.
The presidency will also touch on health issues such as the Cross Border Health Threats Directive and the country of origin in food labelling (due to the recent horse meat scandal). Finally, the presidency will review the 2007 Obesity Strategy, particularly in relation to childhood obesity.
Together, Ireland, Lithuania and Greece formed a trio of presidencies that had drawn up common priorities for the three presidencies. Lithuania’s six-month presidency will be succeeded by Greece on January 1 and any of the priorities that have not been completed under the current presidency will be passed on to the Greek presidency.
David Casa is a Nationalist MEP.