This WEEK in the European Union
HONOR MAHONY
23.06.2008 @ 08:35 CET
EUOBSERVER / WEEKLY AGENDA (23 - 29 June 2008) - This week sees Slovenia leave the EU presidency stage, bowing out on a subdued note in the aftermath of Ireland's EU treaty rejection.
Its final week heralds France's turn at the EU helm. Ljubljana, as a small country, has been regularly overshadowed by Paris since it assumed the presidency in January with the Elysée Palace announcing a new initiative or refining a high-profile one almost every week.
Paris has overshadowed Slovenia's presidency (Photo: wikipedia)
But Slovenia still has a few major events under its watch including the EU-Russia summit on Thursday and Friday. The summit, in Siberia, is expected to formally launch negotiations on a Partnership and Cooperation agreement.
The opening of the talks has suffered lengthy delays first due to a bilateral spat between Moscow and Warsaw over Polish meat exports and then due to Lithuania, which numbered energy security among its concerns.
In addition, EU farm ministers will meet on Monday and Tuesday amid ongoing concerns about the effects of rising fuel and food prices. European farmers have been staging a number of protests in recent weeks, anxious to see that the EU does not reduce tariffs on farm products from non-European countries as part of ongoing WTO talks.
In the European Parliament, Slovenia will present the achievements of its six month presidency in various committees - the deal on the working time directive is expected to feature as a highlight of Ljubljana's EU reign.
The outcome of last week's EU leaders' summit will be discussed by MEPs and Slovenian leader Janez Jansa on Tuesday. The Lisbon Treaty was the main topic at the meeting which saw little concrete agreement except a commitment to revisit the issue a few months down the road when leaders meet in October.
Towards the end of the week, several French ministers will already start presenting their plans for the French presidency while the leaders of the parliament's political groups will travel to Paris to meet President Nicolas Sarkozy as well as ministers of the French government.
On Monday, the foreign affairs committee will host Milo Djukanovic, prime minister of Montenegro. The small Balkan country has opened a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU, the first step on the road to membership of the bloc.
On the same day, Ken Livingston, former major of London, will give a press conference on cutting carbon dioxide emissions. As major of Britain's capital, he introduced a congestion charge aimed at reducing over-traffic in the centre of the city.
European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet will appear before the economic and monetary affairs committee on Tuesday amid speculation that the bank may raise interest rates in July. The first ten years of economic and monetary union will also be assessed by the committee.
The Environment Committee will discuss three reports on emissions trading, carbon storage and reducing greenhouse gases.
The European Commission's lobbyist register will be formally launched on Monday but has already been criticised by transparency groups for being to lax.