Internet: http://ue.eu.int
PROVISIONAL VERSION
GENERAL AFFAIRS AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS *
2496th Council meeting
GENERAL AFFAIRS
-Brussels, 19 March 2003
President : Mr Giorgos PAPANDREOU
Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic
* The 2495th session on External Relations is the subject of a separate press release (doc. 6941/03 Presse 63)
CONTENTS
1PARTICIPANTS... 3
ITEMS DEBATED PREPARATION OF THE SPRING EUROPEAN COUNCIL... 4
PROGRESS OF WORK IN OTHER COUNCIL CONFIGURATIONS... 5
ANNUAL POLICY STRATEGY 2004... 6
REFORM OF THE EU STAFF REGULATIONS... 7
1
? Where declarations, conclusions or resolutions have been formally adopted by the Council, this is indicated in the heading for the item concerned and the text is placed between quotation marks.
PARTICIPANTS
The Governments of the Member States and the European Commission were represented as follows:
Belgium :
Mr Louis MICHEL Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Didier REYNDERS Minister for Finance
Ms Annemie NEYTS Minister, attached to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, with responsibility for Agriculture
Denmark :
Mr Thor PEDERSEN Minister for Finance
Germany :
Mr Caio Kai KOCH-WESER State-Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance
Greece :
Mr Giorgos PAPANDREOU Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Nicos CHRISTODOULAKIS Minister for Finance
Mr Anastasios GIANNITSIS Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs
Spain :
Ms Ana PALACIO VALLELERSUNDI Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Luis DE GUINDOS JURADO State Secretary for Economic Affairs
France :
Ms Noëlle LENOIR Minister attached to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, with responsibility for European Affairs
Ireland :
Mr Brian COWEN Minister for Foreign Affairs
Italy :
Mr Giulio TREMONTI Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance Mr Roberto ANTONIONE State Secretary for Foreign Affairs
Luxembourg :
Mr Nicolas SCHMIT Ambassador, Permanent Representative
Netherlands :
Mr Hans HOOGERVORST Minister for Finance
Austria :
Ms Benita FERRERO-WALDNER Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs
Portugal :
Mr António MARTINS da CRUZ Minister for Foreign Affairs and Portuguese Communities Abroad
Finland :
Mr Sauli NIINISTÖ Minister for Finance
Mr Jari VILÉN Minister for Foreign Trade
Sweden :
Mr Gunnar LUND Minister at the Ministry of Finance, with responsibility for EMU Issues
United Kingdom :
Mr Nigel SHEINWALD Ambassador, Permanent Representative
* * *
Commission :
Mr Neil KINNOCK Vice-President
ITEMS DEBATED
PREPARATION OF THE SPRING EUROPEAN COUNCIL
The Council approved the agenda of the European Council meeting to be held on 20 and 21 March in Brussels and took note of the annotated draft agenda prepared by the Presidency as the basis for deliberations. (doc. 7415/03)
The annotated draft agenda sets out the main items that the European Council is due to address in connection with the economic reform strategy that it laid down at Lisbon in March 2000. It draws on the Commission's so–called Spring Report on progress made towards the Lisbon goals and suggested policy orientations.
PROGRESS OF WORK IN OTHER COUNCIL CONFIGURATIONS
The Council took note of a progress report from the Presidency on work underway in the Council's other configurations, covering meetings held since the last report on 24 February.
The Presidency's report draws attention to:
• The Competitiveness Council on 3 March, where a political approach was achieved on the main elements of the Community patent, on the basis of which legal instruments necessary for the future patent system will be finalised.
• The Justice and Home Affairs Council on 27 and 28 February, where a general approach was agreed on the draft Directive on the right to family re–unification – the first-ever Community instrument on legal immigration – and agreement reached on a framework Decision on attacks against information systems.
ANNUAL POLICY STRATEGY 2004
The Council took note of the presentation by the Commission of a communication on its Annual Policy Strategy for 2004, setting out the objectives and key initiatives to be taken and drawing the consequences in terms of the human and financial resources required.
The APS constitutes the first step in the strategic planning and programming cycle introduced in 2001. This year, it also contains a multiannual dimaension, aimed at contributing to the Council's forthcoming three–year programme.
The political priorities identified for 2004 are accession of the new Member States, stability and security and sustainable growth.
REFORM OF THE EU STAFF REGULATIONS
The Council approved guidelines for future work on the proposal for a Regulation aimed at amending the staff regulations for European Union civil servants, with a view to facilitating agreement on an overall negotiating position. It requested the Permanent Representatives Committee to continue work with a view to concluding the dossier as soon as possible.
The guidelines approved by the Council cover the key outstanding issues, in particular the pensions system, pay and allowances.
The Commission's proposal is part of an overhaul of personnel policy covering all aspects from recruitment to retirement. Enlargement of the EU will require administrative changes, in particular with the integration of large numbers of staff from the new Member States. The reform is due to be concluded by June 2003, when current arrangements on pay and pensions will run out.
The proposal is aimed at:
– Strengthening the principle of merit in the EU civil service, with a better link between performance and career development.
– Modernising policy on equal opportunities, social facilities and working conditions, so as to continue recruitment and to maintain highly–qualified multi–lingual staff;
– Maintaining budgetary rigour by respecting the expenditure ceiling provided for under the EU's financial perspectives and ensuring cost control in the medium term.
