This WEEK in the European Union
VALENTINA POP
29.11.2009 @ 22:18 CET
EUOBSERVER / WEEKLY AGENDA (30 November – 6 December) – Foreign policy comes to the forefront this week as the EU's new legal framework enters into force on Tuesday, transforming trade commissioner Catherine Ashton into the bloc's new top diplomat.
A ceremony in the Portuguese capital on Tuesday (1 December) will mark the entry into force of the new legal framework of the Union, the Lisbon Treaty, over five years since the first text – then known as the EU Constitution – was agreed upon by heads of state and government.
MEPs in the foreign affairs committee will have a first meeting with Catherine Ashton on Wednesday (Photo: EUobserver)
One of the immediate consequences of the new treaty is that the EU will get a foreign policy chief in the form of Ms Ashton, who was appointed to take on the job by EU leaders earlier this month. A novelty of the new set-up, which merges the current post of EU foreign policy representative and commissioner for external relations, means she will also become vice-president of the European Commission.
Unlike other commissioner nominees designated last week, she will assume office immediately, but still be subject to parliamentary hearings together with her colleagues on the future Barroso II team. The three-hour long individual hearings are scheduled to take place between 11-19 January, followed by a vote in the plenary on the entire commission.
In order to avoid potential criticism from MEPs that she is ignoring the legislature, Ms Ashton will appear for a discussion before the parliament's foreign affairs committee on Wednesday (2 December).
On Monday, still in her capacity as trade commissioner, Ms Ashton will be in Geneva at a ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation. For the rest of the three-day event, the EU commission will be represented by agriculture chief Mariann Fischer Boel, as the negotiations also have an agricultural dimension.
A special meeting of EU foreign ministers chaired by Swedish trade chief Ewa Bjorling is also scheduled on the fringes of the Geneva event on Monday.
On the same day, outgoing commissioner for external relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner will participate in
her last event in that capacity by attending the EU-China summit taking place in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing.
Climate will top the agenda with just one to go until the UN conference in Copenhagen aiming to get a global deal on fighting climate change. Last week, China announced it would reduce its CO2 emissions by 40-45 percent "per unit of GDP" on 2005 levels by 2020.
The EU delegation, led by Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, is set to to press for more details when discussing the issue with Chinese premier Wen Jiabao. Mr Jiabao, for his part, is expected to make the case for a cut in the prices on European green technologies in the interest of tackling climate change.
Ms Ashton's first trip as EU 'foreign minister' will take her to Kiev, for the EU-Ukraine summit on Friday (4 December). Discussions will focus on Ukraine's financial and political troubles ahead of presidential elections set to take place in January.
If Ukraine embroils the EU in a fresh gas crisis with Russia in January, as feared, or fails to hold normal presidential elections, relations are likely to deteriorate further. European Commission plans to offer €500 million in economic aid are under review because of Kiev's unwillingness to curb public spending or to clean up waste and corruption at its national gas company, Naftogaz.
While visa liberalisation remains a distant prospect for Ukraine, Macedonians, Serbians and Montenegrins with biometric passports will enjoy visa free travel to Europe by 19 December. The decision is to be taken on Monday by EU interior ministers meeting in Brussels.
Meanwhile, Monday is also likely to see a political deal on extending parental leave from three to four months for each parent during a meeting of employment ministers.
Foreign ministers from 22 EU countries, plus the US, Canada, Turkey, Norway, Albania and Croatia, will meet in Brussels at the Nato headquarters for the first time since the new secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen took office four months ago.
The former Danish Prime Minister has recently been touring European capitals in order to secure more troops for the organisation's flagship mission in Afghanistan. So far, only Slovakia floated a concrete number – 250 extra soldiers – while all other capitals are "seriously considering" the request for more troops. Relations with Russia and Nato enlargement will also be on the agenda.
At the end of the week, on Sunday, Romanians will go to the polling stations again for the second round of the presidential elections. The incumbent, centre-right Traian Basescu, narrowly won the first round, but polls now put his challenger, centre-left leader Mircea Geoana, in the lead.
