Greek Presidency of the Council of the EU - DeHavilland

Council Presidency Briefing Last updated: 6 January 2014

Greek Presidency of the Council of the EU 1 January – 30 June 2014

Executive summary th

On 1 January, Greece inherited the Presidency of the Council of the EU from Lithuania, and will hold it until the 30 of June 2014. During this time Greece will chair most meetings of the Council, assume responsibility for long-term planning of its activities and lead negotiations with the European Parliament on a variety of legislative files. This briefing gives a detailed account of the policy priorities of the Presidency, in addition to providing information on the tasks that will be expected of Greece and the challenges that it may encounter.

Image courtesy of © Greek Presidency of the Council of the EU

© DeHavilland EU Ltd 2013. All rights reserved.

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Greek Council Presidency 2014

Table of Contents Executive summary ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.0 Greece at a glance .................................................................................................................................................... 3 2.0 Greece at the helm ................................................................................................................................................... 4 3.0 Role of the Presidency .............................................................................................................................................. 6 4.0 Priorities of the Presidency ....................................................................................................................................... 7 5.0 Challenges for the Presidency................................................................................................................................... 9 6.0 Work of the Council Presidency by policy area....................................................................................................... 10 7.0 Greek Presidency Council Meeting Dates ............................................................................................................... 24 8.0 Upcoming Council Presidencies .............................................................................................................................. 25 9.0 Key Presidency events ............................................................................................................................................ 26 10.0 Contacts ................................................................................................................................................................ 27 11.0 Concluding remarks .............................................................................................................................................. 28 About us ........................................................................................................................................................................ 28


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 1.0 Greece at a glance

Hellenic Republic – .

Facts & figures   

Population: 11.2 million Capital: Athens Accession to the EU: 1981

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Member of the Eurozone: Yes Member of the Schengen Zone: Yes Previous EU Presidencies: 1983, 1988, 1994, 2003

High-ranking Greeks in the EU institutions 

Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries: Maria Damanaki

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Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy Committee: Dimitrios Droutsas

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Director-General of DG DEVCO: Fokion Fotiadis

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Vice-Chair of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group: Niki Tzavela

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Vice-President of the European Parliament: Georgios Papanikolaou

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President of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications: Leonidas Kanellos

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Vice-President of the Parliament: Anni Podimata

Further details of Greek Government Ministers, MEPs and Commission officials are available to our Premium clients.


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 2.0 Greece at the helm From January to June 2014, Greece will hold the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU. This is the 5th time that Greece has had such an opportunity, but this is likely to prove to be one of its most challenging Presidencies. In addition to domestic pressure arising from both economic and political instability, Greece will only have a short amount of time to obtain political agreement on key dossiers before the European elections in May 2014. While Greece has much to offer to the EU during its Presidency, one cannot ignore the economic situation in which Greece finds itself, which, although now somewhat stabilised, may distract from the work of the Presidency.

2.1 Greece’s economic situation Greece’s economy shrank again in 2013, its sixth consecutive annual economic contraction. While some have argued the economy is approaching some form of stability, unemployment still stands at 27.3% - the highest in the EU. Athens has received two bail-out loans from its Eurozone partners totalling more than €200 billion to keep the country solvent, in return for what the the “Troika” of the European Commission, European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have called “difficult adjustment and reform policies”. These policies, which include reducing the wages and size of the public sector workforce, are intended to restore fiscal sustainability, and the Troika predicts that they will return the country to economic growth in 2014. Despite these reforms however, Greece continues to lag behind most EU Member States as it prepares for a potential third bail-out loan this year. The reforms have also led to a rapidly deteriorating political situation, with fiscal adjustments, high unemployment and layoffs in the public sector sparking a social backlash, manifested by numerous demonstrations and riots. With its fragile economy and continued reliance on its bail-out loans, Greece is expected to finance its Presidency with a limited budget of €50 million. In the context of these limited resources, Greek officials have signalled the need to make tough decisions with regards to their adopted priorities. The government has vowed to employ no more than 130 staff to run its Presidency, which is in contrast to other recent Presidencies, some of which have employed up to 250 officials.

2.2 Greece’s domestic politics Greece formed a coalition government in June 2012 following a snap election, after a previous vote in May proved inconclusive. The parties New Democracy, Pasok and the Democratic Left formed a government, with all three in support of austerity measures. In June 2013, the Democratic Left pulled out of the coalition, forcing Prime Minister and New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras to reshuffle the government in order to avoid a another round of elections. This has left New Democracy and Pasok with a fragile threeseat majority in Parliament. The responsibility for the success of Greece’s Presidency therefore lies with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras. In negotiations with the EU over the implementation of the economic reform as part of Greece’s bailout packages, Mr Samaras has demonstrated a willingness to appease his European partners, including the European Commission, and has been willing to implement austerity measures despite widespread domestic opposition. In contrast, President Karolos Papoulias, who has a ceremonial post in Greek political life but enjoys a great degree of respect, recently insisted that the Greek people could not withstand any further austerity measures.

Greeks & the EU 1981: EU accession Greece joined without a referendum 44% of Greeks feel themselves to be citizens of the EU. 81% of Greeks regard the situation of the European economy as “very bad”. 60% of Greeks favour membership of the European economic and monetary union with one single currency, the Euro. Only 21% of Greeks are satisfied with the way in which democracy works in the EU. Source: Eurobarometer

The fragile majority of Greece’s current government is not the only sign of political instability. The far-right Golden Dawn party, described by many as a fascist organisation, entered the Hellenic Parliament for the first time in 21 years in the 2012 elections. The party advocates withdrawal from the European Union and expulsion of immigrants, but in late 2013 slumped in the polls after one of its members was linked to the murder of a left-wing activist. In addition, Greece’s foreign policy is marked by its poor relations with both Turkey and Macedonia, the latter because of a dispute over the country’s name – “Macedonia” also being a province in northern Greece. Greco-Turkish relations have been icy since the Turkish invasion of Northern Cyprus in the 1970s, and Greece continues to maintain a military apparatus larger than would be


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 expected for a country of its size in a continued stand-off with Ankara. Although both Macedonia and Turkey are candidates for EU membership, Athens is unlikely to accept their eventual accession until its relations with both countries are normalised.

2.3 Reduced Presidency timeframe As President of the Council, the Greek Government will be responsible for finding common positions between the EU Member States on pending legislative proposals tabled by the European Commission. In addition, it must also lead negotiations with the European Parliament on the final legal texts of key files, such as the Banking Union, the Data Protection Regulation and protection of migrant workers. Unlike previous Greek Presidencies, this time around Greece will face the additional challenge of having a shortened timetable in which to adopt key legislation. As the next elections to the European Parliament will take place in May, the Parliament will be dissolved in mid-April. This will essentially reduce the time for negotiations with MEPs from the usual six to only three-and-a-half months. Its conservative agenda suggests that Greece has already anticipated this challenge however. It remains to be seen whether Greece will be able to achieve agreement on these key dossiers, and it is likely that a large number of pending legislative files will have to be carried over into the second half of 2014. More details on Greece’s main challenges during its Presidency can be found here.

2.4 Greece and the EU Greece joined the European Community in 1981. It previously enjoyed an Association Agreement with the Community, which was frozen from 1967 to 1974 during the rule of the Greek military junta. Following the restoration of democratic government it applied and was accepted for Community membership, although the early 1980s was marked by doubts regarding the country’s commitment to European integration. In1982, Greece even went as far to request divergence from certain community policies. Support for a more federal model of European integration has grown since then however, as the benefits of joint policy and free movement have become more apparent, although the imposition of austerity measures in return for the bail-out loans following the economic crisis in 2008 has resulted in a decrease in trust in the EU in many quarters.

Since the mid-1980s, Greece’s role in Europe has been characterised by a number of achievements, in particular:

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The 10 Member State accessions in 2004 that occurred during its fourth Presidency, including that of key ally Cyprus; Fulfilling the “convergence criteria” of the Economic and Monetary Union set out by the Maastricht Treaty; Greek’s own participation as a full member in the single currency since 2002.

In terms of the EU budget, Greece was a net recipient of funding between 1981 and 2010, receiving inflows amounting to €90 billion. This funding has enabled the implementation of several national infrastructure projects and provided welcome investment to the country. More recently, the Greek Government has stated that it considers the European Union to be the institutional framework within which it can achieve stability, at home and abroad, in particular with regard to its relationship with Turkey. However, given the unpopularity of recent austerity measures, the Presidency is expected to try to maximise more direct, tangible benefits for Greece such as the completion of the banking union and securing EU funding for infrastructure projects.


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 3.0 Role of the Presidency The Council of the European Union represents the 28 national governments of the EU, and is – together with the European Parliament – the legislating body of the EU. It is headed by a Presidency, which rotates between the Member States on a sixmonthly basis. In addition to managing the day-to-day work of the Council, the Presidency also assumes the role of brokering political agreement between the Member States. As such, it will be responsible for obtaining agreement within the Council on pending procedures, while promoting its own priorities and values. As first among equals, the Presidency is expected to carry out its tasks as an organiser, broker and political leader with full impartiality.

3.1 Historical background The rotating Presidency of the Council was established with the foundation of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951. Since then, the tasks of the Presidency have expanded from simply chairing meetings to brokering agreements and compromises between EU Member States and responding to new political challenges. The Presidency chairs nine of the ten Council configurations, with the Foreign Affairs Council being chaired by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Continuity is ensured between the six-month Presidencies through the system of trio Presidencies. This means that while Presidencies can work towards their own individual priorities, the Member States of three consecutive Presidencies must also develop joint programmes. Greece is the third member of its Presidency Trio with Ireland and Lithuania.

3.2 Chairing meetings and setting the agenda The Presidency is responsible for managing the day-to-day tasks of the Council, long-term planning and obtaining agreement on procedures within the Council. In its managerial role, the Presidency will convene and chair meetings, and draft agendas for all levels of the Council, bar certain Committees and those relating to foreign affairs. Greek officials will therefore chair and plan the meetings of national Ministers in the Council, of the Council working parties, where most of the inter-governmental debate on procedures takes place, and of COREPER, the weekly session of EU representatives which decides the priorities of Council meetings.

3.3 Political leader The Presidency, in coordination with the other EU institutions, sets out the Council’s agenda for the next six months, which involves deciding which legislation will be discussed. In this way, it has the power to advance, or hinder, the adoption of different procedures. It is also able to propose new Working Parties and convene meetings of the “Friends of the Presidency” to deal with ad hoc issues.

3.4 Brokering agreement As a broker between the Member States, the Presidency needs to take their different positions into account, and identify possible compromises or bargains which can be struck. It also represents the Council in negotiations (called “trilogues”) with the European Parliament. Trilogues are particularly important in order to gain the consent of MEPs for new EU legislation.

The Presidency has several assets to enable it to achieve these tasks; these include:

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Its ability to set the agenda, and therefore define the prioritisation at all levels of the Council Its privileged access to information - both in the Commission on the release of new initiatives, and from its direct relations with other Member States The support and advice it receives from the General Secretariat of the Council

With the elections to the European Parliament in May, the Council will need to make use of these assets if it is to be successful in concluding its priority proposals before the end of the parliamentary term.


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 4.0 Priorities of the Presidency Overview of Greece’s Priorities for its Presidency I. II. III. IV.

To balance fiscal consolidation with the implementation of the Compact for Growth and Jobs Deeping the integration of the European Monetary Union (EMU) Management of migration from the EU’s external borders Redefining and restarting all aspects of EU maritime policy

4.1 Domestic concerns through a European lens The Greek Presidency will be responsible for promoting the needs of the whole of Europe in the Council. However, the Presidency is also an opportunity for Greece to put forward its national interests and have these reflected in European policy. The Greek Presidency has defined its aims as follows: “to respond to the challenge of the economic crisis, to safeguard the common currency by deepening and reinforcing the European Monetary Union (EMU), while promoting direct policies tackling recession and unemployment.” In addition to which, it will pursue its national agenda on migration in the context of the EU’s Global Approach to Migration, and on marine and maritime policy.

4.2 Jobs and growth Greece’s economy shrank by 3% in the third quarter of 2013, the smallest such decline in around three years. However, this has widely been accredited to the temporary benefits of the tourist industry. The unemployment rate in Greece remains at 27.3% and there is little reason as to why this should change in the coming months. It is a situation that resonates across Europe, although the jobless rate in Greece is twice that of the Eurozone’s, which stands at 12.2%. It comes as no surprise therefore that Greece is advocating better investment to tackle unemployment and address the social consequences of the crisis. One example includes the use of the European Social Fund to finance temporary recruitment subsidies, particularly as a means to find employment for young people. Greece is currently in negotiations with bailout leaders to try to avoid new austerity measures being imposed on the country, arguing that these would threaten the economy’s emergence from six years of contraction. This is perhaps the reason that Greece’s main economic objective is to balance the timetable of fiscal consolidation with the implementation of a realistic Compact for Growth and Jobs and extensive European investment programme, which it will model on the EU cohesion policy.

4.3 Further integration of the Eurozone When Greece became a member of the Eurozone in 2001, public spending and government borrowing soared, meaning that the country could not pay its debts when the global financial crisis took place. Despite this, it is considered very unlikely that Greece will leave the Eurozone. In such a context, the Greek Presidency will reform the architecture of the European Monetary Union to safeguard the stability of the Euro and advance the coordination of Member States' fiscal and economic policies. It is also promoting the banking union, centralising key competences and resources for managing the failure of any bank in the Eurozone, and supporting general principles for the reinforced budgetary and economic governance mechanisms. The Greek Presidency will look to enhance the extant synergies between Member States in this area. It also aims to enhance the transparency, accountability and representation of any financial governance structure in recognition of the EMU’s social dimension.


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 4.4 Comprehensive migration management Migration and asylum are salient issues in Greek politics, with the country’s location making it the most affected area by any influx of foreign migrants. Greek ministers have long argued for the effective organisation of legal migration and facilitated mobility, and strengthening the synergies between migration and development. The Greek Government has implemented national policies to this effect, for example, by sealing its land border with Turkey. The Greek Presidency will pursue its national agenda in the context of the EU’s Global Approach to Migration which attends to the external dimensions of asylum. This includes dialogue with countries throughout the world, to tackle the source of illegal immigration in the framework of the Prague and Budapest Processes. Greece’s own patrols have come under public censure amid accusations of the illegal expulsion of migrants. ProAsyl, a nongovernmental organisation, reported that people seeking protection in Europe were being systematically and brutally prevented from entering Greek territory. The Greek Presidency promises to tackle human rights issues, and other problems arising from illegal migration in areas of social-political cohesion and the economy.

4.5 Marine and maritime policy While maritime policy is of special interest to Greece, it has also been argued that a comprehensive supranational policy in the context of the Multiannual Financial Framework would have benefits for the EU economy as a whole. In the freight market, the Greek shipping sector has undergone important cyclical as well as structural changes in recent years and its prominent position in this area depends largely on exploiting the development of south-east Europe. The Greek Presidency will be committed to the goals outlined by the Limassol declaration, including an agenda for growth and jobs that will be a common theme of the Greek programme. In addition to which, the Presidency will address the security problems of sea border management with the EU’s Frontex assuming responsibility for much of the country’s endeavour to patrol its territorial waters and combat illegal immigration. Harmonisations and delegations to the European level of this type are set to be typical of its agenda in this area. Lastly, a major focus in this area will be the environment: creating a strategy to alleviate the effects of climate change in coastal regions and calling on European institutions to support the development of maritime activities in the context of the blue-economy prerogative.


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 5.0 Challenges for the Presidency Greece will face several unique challenges during its Presidency. These consist of a shorter time frame in which to deliver on its priorities, a volatile economic and political situation domestically, and pressure not to overspend its reduced budget.

5.1 Race against the clock Greece’s main challenge stems from the fact that the current mandate of the European Parliament will end in April 2014, leading to European elections between the 22 and 25 May. Without a sitting Parliament, the Greek Presidency will be unable to obtain the parliamentary consent needed to adopt legislation. As the month of April will also be dominated by political campaigning, this will, in effect, shorten the window for adopting EU legislation from six to three months. During this time Greece will be under pressure to deliver on a range of complex and high-profile dossiers. The pressure of a restricted timetable could limit what Greece is able to achieve in terms of its own priorities. In addition, the Commission took the unprecedented step during the release of its Work Programme for 2014 to list on-going legislation which it believed deserved special attention in the run up to European elections. The Commission will therefore expect the Greek Presidency to work hard to secure the adoption of these initiatives. Considering the short timetable, and the fact that over 250 dossiers have yet to be adopted, the Greek Government has been conservative in its aims. However, finding agreement on these dossiers will be difficult. Some proposals are yet to be adopted by the Council whilst also considered to be controversial by certain Member States, so agreement is unlikely to be forthcoming.

5.2 Economic and political instability In addition to a tight political agenda, the Greek Presidency may be affected by the unstable situation domestically. The situation in Greece is proving to be unstable both economically and politically. Disagreements are on-going between the Troika and the Greek government regarding the means of dealing with the Greek debt crisis and the €2.9 billion gap in the budget for 2014. This situation could spill over into political instability as it threatens to divide Greece’s ruling party Nea Dimokratia. Largely due to the collapse in Greek living standards following 6 years of recession, the political landscape in Greece has become sharply polarised to the left and right. This division has led to instability in the Greek Parliament, with Prime Minister Samaras only narrowly avoiding a vote of no confidence in November, which was called by the party of the radical left, Syriza, in reaction to the government’s austerity policies. In a sign of growing despair with mainstream politics in Greece, the far-right political group, Golden Dawn, gained 7% of the vote during the 2012 Greek Parliamentary elections. Several members of the party have since been arrested as part of an investigation into accusations of its involvement in violent attacks and crime. This volatile political climate could undermine the work of the Presidency, which will be as concerned with obtaining agreement among Council members as it will with maintaining its reputation on the world stage.

5.3 A Spartan Presidency Following years of recession and with unemployment nearing 30%, Greece faces an immensely challenging domestic situation. The Greek domestic budget adopted on 10 December foresaw a 0.6% growth rate for 2014 and sets out €5.6 billion in spending cuts and projected tax revenue. The impact that this will have on Greece’s Presidency of the EU is already apparent. In October, Greece announced that it would allocate only €50 million for the Presidency budget during its tenure, a substantial reduction from its predecessors who have spent between €60 and €80 million. Only 130 Greek public officials will support the work of the Council, compared to 250 during the Lithuanian Presidency. The lack of resources is expected to place considerable strain on a Presidency which will already be hard pressed to close its pending legislation. Even if the Spartan budget does not impact the work of the Presidency itself, it will affect the agenda. The number of ministerial meetings has been limited to no more than 13, and all meetings in Greece will be hosted in the capital as opposed to regional cities. There are also fears that visiting officials may receive a hostile welcome due to public outrage in Greece against austerity measures enforced by the Troika. A cooperation meeting between the Greek and German Foreign Ministries was recently disrupted by antiausterity protests, and European ministerial meetings in Greece may suffer similar difficulties.


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 6.0 Work of the Council Presidency by policy area During its mandate, the Greek Presidency will work on a wide range of dossiers, both those inherited from the Lithuanian Presidency and those newly tabled by the Commission. This section provides a detailed overview of the Presidency’s work by Council and specific policy area. Details are provided regarding pending legislation to be adopted, proposals expected to be tabled by the Commission, and the interests of the Presidency in each sector: Council

Policy areas

Agriculture and Fisheries

Agriculture – Animal Welfare – Fisheries – Maritime Affairs

Competitiveness

Enterprise & Industry – Intellectual Property – Research – Single Market

Economic and Financial Affairs

Economic Affairs – Financial Services – Taxation

Education, Youth, Culture and Sport

Culture – Education – Sport

Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers

Consumers – Employment – Health – Social Affairs

Environment

Climate Change - Environment

Foreign Affairs

Development – Foreign Affairs & Neighbourhood Policy - Humanitarian Aid – Trade

General Affairs

Budget – Enlargement – Institutional Affairs - Regional Policy

Justice and Home Affairs

Justice – Home Affairs

Transport, Telecommunications & Energy

Digital Agenda – Energy – Telecommunications – Transport


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 Council: Agriculture and Fisheries Subject areas: Agriculture – Animal Welfare – Fisheries & Maritime Affairs Competitiveness - Economic and Financial Affairs - Education, Youth, Culture and Sport - Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumers Environment - Foreign Affairs - General Affairs - Justice and Home Affairs - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy

Agriculture Key pending legislative proposals 

Key upcoming policy initiatives

Information and promotional measures for agricultural products

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Guidelines for state aid for agriculture and forestry

Presidency Outlook With the final signature of the 2011 CAP Reform Package at the end of 2013, the Greek Presidency will be left to secure agreement on less high-profile agricultural dossiers. The most important proposal currently pending concerns information and promotion measures for EU agricultural products at home and abroad.

Animal Welfare Key pending legislative proposals 

Food chain package: animal health

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Regulation on cloning of animals for food

Key upcoming policy initiatives 

Proposal on veterinary medicine

Presidency Outlook In the area of animal health, Greece will need to work to secure adoption of the Regulations of the food chain package concerning animal health, which aims to simplify existing animal health legislation and to modernise the financial provisions for food and feed expenditure for 2014 to 2020. It will also work on new Commission initiatives on animal cloning and veterinary medicine.

Fisheries & Maritime Affairs Key pending legislative proposals


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Maritime spatial planning and coastal management

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Long-term plan for cod stocks and the fisheries

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Regulation on measures applicable to certain stocks on highly migratory fish

Presidency Outlook Following on from the work of the Lithuanian Presidency, Greece will continue to work to adopt the proposals on multiannual plans which are crucial to the successful implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy. However, as Lithuanian Ambassador Vinciunas has warned, “there is still a lot of work to do with multispecies and mixed fisheries plans”, meaning that Greece will find it difficult to secure agreement before the end of the mandate.


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 Council: Competitiveness Subject areas: Enterprise & Industry – Intellectual Property – Research – Single Market Competitiveness - Economic and Financial Affairs - Education, Youth, Culture and Sport - Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumers Environment - Foreign Affairs - General Affairs - Justice and Home Affairs - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy

Enterprise & Industry Key pending legislative proposals 


Sound level of motor vehicles Regulation

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State aid modernisation package

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Review of the internal market legislation for industrial products

Presidency Outlook The Commission is expected to release a number of new legislative initiatives in the field of enterprise and industry during the Greek Presidency, including a long-expected review for industrial products proposal and a new package setting out additional components of the State aid Modernisation strategy. Greece will also oversee formal adoption of the new Regulation on the sound level of motor vehicles which lays down revised EU requirements for the noise levels of motor vehicles.

Intellectual Property Key pending legislative proposals 

Trade marks package

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Implementation of the unitary patent package

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Directive on protection of trade secrets


Review of the copyright acquis

Presidency Outlook The major legislative effort in this area concerns the Trade Marks Package, on which the Greek Presidency is expected to begin negotiations with the European Parliament. The start of the Presidency also coincides with the entry into force of the new EU Patent Court in London, Munich and Paris.

Research Key pending legislative proposals 


EU participation: R&D programme supporting research SMEs

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Implementation and management of the Horizon 2020 Participants Guarantee Fund (PGF)

Presidency Outlook Following the adoption and launch of Horizon 2020, the EU’s research and development programme for 2014-2020, there is not much pending files that remains to be adopted. The Commission is not expected to table any legislative proposals in the area.

Single Market Key pending legislative proposals 


Disclosure of non-financial information by large companies

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Unfair trading practices in the business-tobusiness supply chain

Presidency Outlook Whilst the Presidency is expected to oversee final work in a bid to complete a proposal on disclosure of non-financial information by large companies, Greece is also likely to receive some new legislative dossiers from the Commission in this sector, such as on unfair trading practices in the business-to-business supply chain.


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 Council: Economic and Financial Affairs (ECOFIN) Subject areas: Economic Affairs – Financial Services - Taxation Competitiveness - Economic and Financial Affairs - Education, Youth, Culture and Sport - Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumers Environment - Foreign Affairs - General Affairs - Justice and Home Affairs - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy

Economic Affairs Key pending legislative proposals 


Financial assistance facility for non-Eurozone EU Member States

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Decision on EU participation in the capital increase of the European Investment Fund

Presidency Outlook Greece will be responsible for obtaining the adoption of the financial assistance facility for non-Eurozone EU Member States. Overall, Greece has announced to prioritise agreement on further budgetary and economic integration.

Financial Services Key pending legislative proposals


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Markets in financial instruments package

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Single Resolution Mechanism on the banking union Multilateral interchange fees Regulation, PSD2

Framework for crisis management and resolution for financial institutions other than banks

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Supply of capital to long-term investment

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Review of the IORP Directive

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Presidency Outlook Greece has highlighted the promotion of the banking union as one of its key priorities for its term. It is therefore expected to achieve agreement on the Single Resolution Mechanism and Markets in Financial Instruments package as part of its ambition to achieve integrated economic governance throughout the Eurozone. Other on-going key procedures such as the payment services Directive (PSD2) and multilateral interchange fees Regulation require further work towards adoption in the Council. A number of long-awaited proposal, including on crisis management and resolution for financial institutions other than banks and the review of the instructional and occupational pensions (IORP) Directive, are expected to be tabled in the first quarter of 2014.

Taxation Key pending legislative proposals 

Financial transaction tax for 11 EU countries

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Energy taxation Directive

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Standard VAT declaration


Double taxation dispute resolution

Presidency Outlook The area of taxation at the level of the EU remains a controversial issue, particularly for Member States such as the UK, Denmark and Sweden which have opposed the introduction of a financial transaction tax. Progress has been slow on a number of pending legislative proposals in this area, but there will be pressure to deliver on several of them under this Presidency.


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 Council: Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Subject areas: Culture – Education - Sport Competitiveness - Economic and Financial Affairs - Education, Youth, Culture and Sport - Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumers Environment - Foreign Affairs - General Affairs - Justice and Home Affairs - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy

Culture Key pending legislative proposals


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Return of cultural goods unlawfully removed

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Establishing a Union action for the European capitals of culture for the years 2020 to 2033

None

Presidency Outlook Greece will continue work on adopting the proposals on establishing an EU action for the European capitals of culture for the years 2020 to 2033 and the proposal on the return of cultural goods unlawfully removed from EU Member States.

Education Key pending legislative proposals 


Erasmus Programme 2014-2020

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Report on the implementation of the framework for lifelong learning

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Report on the European quality assurance framework for vocational education and training

Presidency Outlook The EU has a limited competence in the education sector, and with the adoption of the Erasmus Programme for 2014-2020, their remains little for Greece to achieve in terms of education policy at the EU level.

Sport Key pending legislative proposals 

Erasmus Programme 2014-2020


None

Presidency Outlook Much like education policy, sport issues are primarily a competence for the Member States. There are no planned major initiatives in this area.


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Council: Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers (EPSCO) Subject areas: Consumer Affairs – Employment – Health – Social Affairs Competitiveness - Economic and Financial Affairs - Education, Youth, Culture and Sport - Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumers Environment - Foreign Affairs - General Affairs - Justice and Home Affairs - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy

Consumer Affairs Key pending legislative proposals 


Consumer product safety and market surveillance

Misleading advertising Directive

Presidency Outlook In the field of consumer affairs, the Presidency will need to obtain agreement on the Product Safety Directive replacing obligations on economic operators and contain provisions for the development of standards in support of the general safety requirement.

Employment Key pending legislative proposals


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Proposal for a Directive on the posting of workers

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Decision on the cooperation of public employment Services

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Youth guarantee schemes

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Consolidation of three Directives on information and consultation of workers

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Decision on the establishment of a platform for undeclared work

Presidency Outlook The Greek Presidency is expected to focus on speeding up the implementation of actions relating to the “Initiative for the youth” and monitoring the implementation of national projects relating to the youth guarantee. It will also work on finalising negotiations with the Parliament on the proposal for a Directive on the posting of workers, the establishment of a quality framework for internships, the proposal for a Regulation on the enhancement and renewal of EURES and the Decision on the cooperation of public employment services.

Health Key pending legislative proposals 

Revision of the tobacco products Directive

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Clinical trials Regulation

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Medical devices Regulations


Report on patients' rights in cross-border healthcare

Presidency Outlook Greek priorities include the progress of on-going legislative proposals such as medical devices, tobacco products, clinical trials, pharmacovigilance fees and the transparency Directive. Non-legislative priorities will include the economic crisis and its impact on healthcare and health systems, migration and public health, nutrition and physical activity, eHealth and health innovation.

Social Affairs Key pending legislative proposals 

Directive on improving the gender balance among boardmembers

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Equal treatment Directive



European Accessibility Act

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Greek Council Presidency 2014 

Decision on a tripartite social summit for growth and employment

Presidency Outlook In terms of social policy, the Presidency has said it will aim to promote sustainable social protection systems in order to address challenges such as the aging population, unemployment, undeclared work and poverty. The Greek Ministry of Labour has voiced its desire to adopt the Council proposal on European platform for social dialogue, the Tripartite Social Summit, in order to encourage the involvement of social partners. It also hopes to discuss the integration of the Social Dimension in the European Employment Strategy at the EPSCO Council in April. Separately, the European Commission is expected to unveil in the first half of 2014 its proposal for a European Accessibility Act.


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Council: Environment (ENVI) Subject areas: Climate Change - Environment Competitiveness - Economic and Financial Affairs - Education, Youth, Culture and Sport - Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumers Environment - Foreign Affairs - General Affairs - Justice and Home Affairs - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy

Climate Change Key pending legislative proposals 

Emissions from aviation

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Emissions from maritime transport


First Quarter 2014: 2030 targets for Energy and Climate Change

Presidency Outlook In the field of climate change, Greece has said that its priorities will include reaching at an agreement with the European Parliament on the proposal on aviation backloading and the proposal on waste transport. It will also promote and consider the issues arising from the “Energy-Climate in the framework of 2030" package, which is expected to be discussed in the European Council in late March 2014. Other priorities will include "the energy cost of industry, the protection of vulnerable consumers, energy security and energy-saving”.

Environment Key pending legislative proposals 

Environmental Impact Assessments



Illegal Waste Shipments



Alien invasive species


First Quarter 2014: Revision of the Environmental Liability Directive

Presidency Outlook The Presidency will be keen to promote environmental actions that offer opportunities for investment and employment, in addition to promoting the horizontal greening of all actions and sectors. Such actions include the protection of European biodiversity, 'blue' development and maritime spatial planning [under fisheries policy]. Particular priorities include the proposal for alien invasive species, while efforts will also be made to advance the proposals on the ratification of the second period of the Kyoto Protocol, the package of proposals on air quality, and the proposal on plastic bags.


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Council: Foreign Affairs (FAC) Subject areas: Development – Foreign Affairs & Neighbourhood Policy – Humanitarian Aid - Trade Competitiveness - Economic and Financial Affairs - Education, Youth, Culture and Sport - Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumers Environment - Foreign Affairs - General Affairs - Justice and Home Affairs - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy

Development Key pending legislative proposals 


The European Year for Development (2015)



Communication on follow-up towards the post-2015 development framework



Communication on strengthening the Role of the Private Sector in Achieving Inclusive and Sustainable Growth in Developing Countries

Presidency Outlook Adoption of the EU external action package is expected by the end of the year, which would leave Greece with little to work on in terms of development and foreign affairs policy. Greece will however continue negotiations in the Council on developing an EU position on the post-2015 development framework, which will be crucial for shaping the successor to the Millennium Development Goals.

Foreign Affairs & Neighbourhood Policy Key pending legislative proposals




EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Agreement



European Neighbourhood Instrument 2014-2020



Regulation on the trade in goods used for capital punishment and torture

Presidency Outlook Greece will also preside over the introduction of a visa-free regime for Moldova and the signing of a visa facilitation agreement with Azerbaijan, and is expected to encourage engagement with the Arab world, with a Presidency summit organised in May to discuss “fortifying political, business and investment ties” between Europe and the Arab world.

Humanitarian Aid Key pending legislative proposals 


European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps

Decision on borrowing of the EC for providing macro financial assistance to third countries

Presidency Outlook Greece will work to achieve formal adoption of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, and will continue negotiations within the Council on the proposal on EU Aid Volunteers, which will provide EU funding for NGOs to train up to 10,000 volunteers in humanitarian work from 2014-2020.

Trade Key pending legislative proposals 

Trade Defence: Anti-Dumping Regulation



Enforcement of international trade rules



EU position on WTO accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina



EU position on WTO accession of Serbia

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Presidency Outlook A key priority for Greece will be the on-going negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which its proponents have said will boost the size of the EU economy by approximately €120 billion. The Presidency will also continue negotiations on the enforcement framework for international trade rules and the proposed Regulation to reform the EU’s trade defence instruments.


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 Council: General Affairs (GAC) Subject areas: Budget – Enlargement – Institutional Affairs – Regional Policy Competitiveness - Economic and Financial Affairs - Education, Youth, Culture and Sport - Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumers Environment - Foreign Affairs - General Affairs - Justice and Home Affairs - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy

Budget Key pending legislative proposals 


Financing of European Political Parties

None

Presidency Outlook With agreement reached between the Parliament and the Council on the EU’s expenditure ceilings for 2014-2020, following more than two years of inter-institutional negotiations, the Greek Presidency will be tasked with finalising the negotiations on the remaining budgetary procedures such as the proposal on the financing of European political parties.

Enlargement Key pending legislative proposals 

Key upcoming policy initiatives  Commission Delegated Regulation setting out the detailed implementing rules for IPA II

Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II)

Presidency Outlook Much has been made of Greece's apparent decision to drop enlargement from its list of priorities, having previously stated that it was a priority issue. But during its Presidency, Greece is expected to implement the EU enlargement strategy in the Western Balkans region, in particular to advance negotiations with Montenegro and Serbia.

Institutional Affairs Key pending legislative proposals 


Statute and funding of European political parties



None

Presidency Outlook Greece will continue to work towards the adoption of the proposal on statute and funding of European political parties which aims to increase the visibility, recognition, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of European political parties and foundations.

Regional Policy Key pending legislative proposals 

Cohesion Policy Package


None

Presidency Outlook Following the agreement reached between the Council and Parliament on the Multiannual Financial Framework, the financial envelope for cohesion funding has been decided. It will remain the task of the Greeks to oversee formal adoption of the package.


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 Council: Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Subject areas: Justice – Home Affairs Competitiveness - Economic and Financial Affairs - Education, Youth, Culture and Sport - Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumers Environment - Foreign Affairs - General Affairs - Justice and Home Affairs - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy

Justice Key pending legislative proposals




Data protection Regulation



Legislative proposal for e-Justice



Establishing a public prosecutor's office



Regulation on EU hotlines for missing children



European account preservation order



Insolvency Regulation

Presidency Outlook In addition to outlining a strategy for the post-Stockholm period, another priority of the Greek Presidency will be to make progress on the reform of data protection rules. The Ministry of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights has also expressed a desire to reach a final agreement on the revision of the Insolvency Regulation. Reaching a first reading agreement on the Regulation creating a European Account Preservation Order (EAPO) is also a top priority, as is reaching final agreement on the proposed Directive against fraud to the Union’s financial interests by means of criminal law, and adopting the Directive on the protection of the Euro and other currencies against counterfeiting. Other priorities include the Regulation on the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, combined with the proposal for a Regulation on the reform of the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation ("Eurojust").

Home Affairs Key pending legislative proposals




Directive on intra-corporate transfers



Communication on countering violent extremism



Directive on the conditions of entry and residence of thirdcountry national researchers and students



Communication on future priorities in the area of justice and home affairs



“Smart borders” package

Presidency Outlook In terms of on-going legislation, the Presidency will prioritise all dossiers relating to legal migration, in particular it will work to secure political agreement on the proposal for a Directive on intra-corporate transfers. In terms of migration, the Greek Presidency has stated that it will attempt to adopt a holistic approach to migration policy. Issues of particular importance include increasing EU funding to address migration flows and for the return/readmission of third-country nationals, and to encourage burden-sharing and cooperation among Member States. It also intends to update the "EU Action Plan on tackling migration pressure – Strategic response" to tackle illegal immigration and human trafficking, and to implement the Common European Asylum System. The Presidency also aims to advance discussions on the proposal for a Directive on the conditions of entry and residence of thirdcountry national researchers, students, pupils, remunerated and unremunerated trainees, volunteers and au pairs.


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 Council: Transport, Telecommunications and Energy (TTE) Subject areas: Digital Agenda – Energy – Telecommunications - Transport Competitiveness - Economic and Financial Affairs - Education, Youth, Culture and Sport - Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumers Environment - Foreign Affairs - General Affairs - Justice and Home Affairs - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy

Digital Agenda Key pending legislative proposals




Network and information security





Regulation on electronic identification and trust services



Accessibility of public sector bodies’ websites

Recommendation on specific aspects of transparency, traffic management and switching in an open internet Recommendation on the governance of the internet of things

Presidency Outlook Greece has confirmed that its priority in this field is the proposal on the Regulation on electronic identification and trust services. Other files such as the Directive on the accessibility of public sector bodies’ websites will also be part of the work programme.

Energy Key pending legislative proposals




Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure



ILUC Directive



Repeal of Community targets for a reduction in the consumption of primary sources of energy in the event of difficulties in the supply of crude oil and petroleum products



Unconventional hydrocarbon extraction (shale gas)

Presidency Outlook In the first months of the Presidency, agreement will be sought with the Parliament on the Directive on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure. Greece will also continue work to secure agreement on the ILUC Directive, after a compromise of a 7% threshold for conventional biofuels was rejected by energy ministers during their meeting in December 2013.

Telecommunications Key pending legislative proposals




Reducing the costs of broadband deployment





Laying down measures to achieve a Connected Continent

Council Decision on the EU's role within the International Telecommunications Union

Presidency Outlook Greece has announced that it intends to produce a Presidency text on a Directive on reducing the costs of broadband deployment at the beginning of its term in office. Progress will also be made on the proposal on network and information security and the proposal laying down measures to achieve a Connected Continent.

Transport Key pending legislative proposals 

Air Passenger Rights Regulation



Type-approval requirements for eCall in-vehicle system



Marine Equipment Directive



e-Freight package

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Greek Council Presidency 2014 Presidency Outlook In terms of transport policy, Greece will devote particular attention to the competitiveness of European shipping and will aim to facilitate maritime traffic within the EU single market. As such, the Greek Presidency is expected to assign particular importance to concluding an agreement with the Parliament on the Marine Equipment Directive. Progress will also be sought within the Council on the draft Regulation establishing a framework on market access to port services and financial transparency of ports. In addition, the Greek Presidency has outlined its intention to work on the Airport Package, while agreement will be sought within the Council on a proposal on the deployment of the interoperable EU-wide eCall.


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 7.0 Greek Presidency Council Meeting Dates

January

February

March

April

May

June

20: FAC

10: FAC

3: ENVI

1-2: Informal ECOFIN

5: Eurogroup

5: TTE (Transport)

21: GAC

11: GAC

4: TTE (Energy)

4 - 5: Informal FAC

5 - 6: Informal AGRIFISH

5 - 6: JHA

6 - 7: JHA

14: GAC

6: ECOFIN

6: TTE (Telecoms)

10: EPSCO

14: FAC

7: Informal TTE (Maritime)

12: TTE (Energy)

8: FAC (Trade)

13: ENVI

23 - 24: Informal JHA

27: Eurogroup

13 -14: European Council 17: Eurogroup 17 - 18:

28: ECOFIN

10: Eurogroup

AGRIFISH

14 - 15: AGRIFISH

18: ECOFIN

11: ECOFIN

15: FAC (Defence)

8: TTE (Transport)

16 - 17: AGRIFISH

20 - 21: Informal FAC (Defence)

14: TTE (Transport)

24 - 25: Informal GAC (Cohesion)

12: FAC

19: EPSCO

20 -21: COMPET

17: FAC

28 - 30: Informal EPSCO

12: FAC (Development)

19: Eurogroup

24: EYCS

18: GAC

28: Informal FAC (Trade)

European Council

12 - 13:

20: ECOFIN

Informal COMPET

20 – 21:

13: GAC

23: FAC

14 - 15:

24 -25: AGRIFISH

24: GAC

Informal ENVI 15 - 16: Informal TTE (Energy)

27: European Council

19 - 20: AGRIFISH

20 - 21: EYCS

26 - 27: COMPET

Legend AGRIFISH

Agriculture & Fisheries

EYCS

Education, Youth, Culture & Sport

COMPET

Competitiveness

FAC

Foreign Affairs

ECOFIN

Economic & Financial Affairs

GAC

General Affairs

Environment

JHA

Justice & Home Affairs

Employment, Health, Social Affairs & Consumers

TTE

Transport, Telecoms & Energy

ENVI EPSCO


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 8.0 Upcoming Council Presidencies The Presidency of the Council rotates among the EU’s Member States on a six-monthly basis. Below is the current rotation order until 2020.

Year

Semester

Member State

January to June

Ireland

July to December

Lithuania

January to June

Greece

July to December

Italy

January to June

Latvia

July to December

Luxembourg

January to June

The Netherlands

July to December

Slovakia

January to June

Malta

July to December

United Kingdom

January to June

Estonia

July to December

Bulgaria

January to June

Austria

July to December

Romania

January to June

Finland

Presidency trios

2013 Presidency trio

2014

Presidency trio

2015

2016 Presidency trio

2017

Presidency trio

2018

2019

2020


Presidency trio

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Greek Council Presidency 2014 9.0 Key Presidency events In addition to chairing formal meeting of the Council of the EU, Greece will also host a range of other topical conferences. A list of selected key events is provided below. Policy area

Date

Key events

Aviation

9 April

''Use of RPAS Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems for Surveillance in the Framework of CSDP'' Conference

Competition

10 April

European Competition DAY event

Consumer Affairs

17 March

“Getting Consumers Digital” Conference

20 February

“Financing Creativity” event

6 March

“Heritage First” event

10 March

European Youth Conference

6 March

"Cyber Space" Conference

26 March

Conference on Vocational Training

19 May

U-Multirank Conference

7 April

Conference on Small and Medium Size Businesses

9 April

Industrial Technologies event

25 February

Nutrition and Physical Activity Conference

4 June

Meeting of Heads of European Food Safety Agencies

Foreign Affairs

2 April

4th EU-AFRICA Summit

Health

19 June

Conference on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Challenges and Opportunities in the Time of Economic Crisis

21 January

Workshop: Enhance the European disaster response capacity: multinational modules

2 June

CEPOL Conference on combating illegal immigration

8 January

Opening Ceremony

11 April

“Archimedes” Conference

11 June

Meeting and conference of members of the Document Lifecycle Management (DLM) forum

30 June

Closing Ceremony

6 June

Intellectual Property and Digital Agenda in Europe

18 June

Conference on Trade Marks and Measures against Counterfeiting

12 March

Civil Justice Conference

3 April

Criminal Justice Conference

4 April

Women’s Fundamental Rights Conference

6 February

Conference on the EU Strategy for the Adriatic Ionian Region

14 March

High Level Conference on Maritime and Coastal Tourism

7 March

6th European Summit of Regions and Cities

3 February

Conference on Broadband Internet Infrastructure

14 April

Conference on Audiovisual Affairs "Protection of minors in the digital era"

Culture

Digital Agenda Education

Enterprise & Industry

Food

Home Affairs

Institutional

Intellectual Property

Justice

Maritime Affairs Regional Policy Telecommunications


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Greek Council Presidency 2014 10.0 Contacts st

th

From January 1 until June 30 , Council meetings will be chaired by the relevant Greek Minister. The list below indicates which Council configuration each Minister will preside over. Premium clients can access a full list of all Greek ministers along with their biographical and contact details here. Council

Policy area

Name

European Council

-

Samaras, Antonis

Prime Minister

General Affairs

-

Venizelos, Evangelos

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Foreign Affairs



Defence

Avramopoulos, Dimitris

Minister of National Defence

Trade



-

Stournaras, Yiannis

Minister of Finance

Home Affairs

Michelakis, Yannis

Minister of the Interior

Justice

Athanasiou, Charalambos

Minister for Justice, Transparency and Human Rights

Agriculture

Tsaftaris, Athanasios

Minister of Rural Development and Food

Fisheries

Varvitsiotis, Miltiadis

Minister of Shipping and the Aegean

-

Maniatis, Giannis

Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change

Energy

Maniatis, Giannis

Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change

Transport & Telecommunications

Chrisochoidis, Michalis

Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Networks

Kefalogianni, Olga

Minister of Tourism

Single Market & Industry

Chatzidakis, Kostis

Minister of Development and Competitiveness

Research & Space

Chatzidakis, Kostis

Minister of Development and Competitiveness

Health

Georgiades, Adonis

Minister for Health

Employment & Social Affairs

Vroutsis, Giannis

Minister of Labour, Social Security and Welfare

Youth, Culture & Sport

Panagiotopoulos, Panos

Minister of Culture and Sports

Education

Arvanitopoulos, Konstantinos

Minister of Education and Religious Affairs

Foreign Affairs

Economic & Financial Affairs

Justice & Home Affairs

Agriculture & Fisheries

Environment

Transport, Telecommunications & Energy

Competitiveness

Employment, Social Affairs, Consumers & Health

Education, Youth, Culture & Sport


Position

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Greek Council Presidency 2014 11.0 Concluding remarks The Greek Presidency comes at a challenging time for both Greece and the EU. In order to achieve its priorities in the areas of jobs and growth, economic integration, and migration and maritime policy, Greece will need to confront several challenges such as its own political and economic difficulties and a restricted timeframe and budget. Tools are at its disposal to enable it to forge agreement among Member States on key dossiers, but these significant obstacles are likely to hinder much of what Greece can achieve.

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