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Beskæftigelsesudvalget 2014-15 (1. samling)
BEU Alm.del Bilag 69
Offentligt

Latvian Presidency

of the Council of the

European Union

The programme of the Latvian

Presidency of the Council

of the European Union

1 January–30 June 2015

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CONTENTS

1. Inspiring Europe: Strategic section and presidency priorities

A Europe for its People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

a. Competitive Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

b. Digital Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

c. Engaged Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

2. Integrating Europe: The programme for Council conﬁgurations

a. General Aﬀairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

b. Foreign Aﬀairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

c. Economic and Financial Aﬀairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

d. Justice and Home Aﬀairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

e. Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Aﬀairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

f. Competitiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

g. Transport, Telecommunications and Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

h. Agriculture and Fisheries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

i. Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

j. Education, Youth, Culture, Sport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

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1. Inspiring Europe:

STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK AND

PRESIDENCY PRIORITIES

A EUROPE FOR ITS PEOPLE

In the ﬁrst half of 2015 Latvia will assume the

Presidency of the Council of the European

Union. It is a time when the European

Union continues to face both long-term and

immediate challenges to meet the needs of

its citizens. The European Union must work

for the best interests of its people, to promote

their

well-being and safety.

It is our collective task to develop a Union

built on the shared

values

of peace, freedom,

democracy, human rights, the rule of law,

and solidarity. Europe must be a source of

inspiration not only for Europeans, but also for

societies outside the EU. Latvia’s commitment

to strengthening the EU, its institutions and

its policies is rooted in these common values,

the preservation of European identity, and an

acknowledgement of the EU’s shared future.

Latvia is determined to preside over the work

of the Council professionally and

honestly.

Because only through a collective eﬀort and by

combining resources can Europe live up to the

opportunities and challenges of the modern

world.

The EU has undergone changes throughout

its history, becoming ever stronger and

more prosperous, providing its citizens and

businesses with

a secure, predictable and

just

political and economic environment.

Today Europe has to act wisely to return to

economic

growth,

facilitate

investment

and

deliver on

jobs.

The EU must seize

digital opportunities, promote sustainable

energy and environmental policies, and

strengthen the Single Market and industrial

sector. Finally, Europe should work to ensure

the safety of its citizens and to contribute to

peace and prosperity within and beyond the

EU’s borders.

Therefore, as the holder of the Presidency

Latvia will ensure that the Council does its

part to facilitate achieving the ambitions

set out in the June 2014 European Council

Strategic Agenda for the Union in Times of

Change.

With respect to the Trio presidency

programme, the Latvian Presidency will focus

on three overarching priorities: Competitive

Europe, Digital Europe and Engaged Europe.

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1. Inspiring Europe:

STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK AND

PRESIDENCY PRIORITIES

A. COMPETITIVE EUROPE

Europe needs to enhance its entrepreneurial

capacity by promoting investment in new

and competitive products and services.

Only by developing competitive industry

and service sectors can Europe facilitate

job creation, and thus also promote social

cohesion. Based on Latvia’s own experience

we know that this is possible through

eﬃcient structural reforms and growth-

stimulating investment measures. Hence,

Latvia commits to fast-tracking procedures

in the Council on the

Investment plan for

Europe,

aimed at unlocking public and

private investments in the real economy. The

Presidency will also continue work on the

reduction of administrative obstacles and

the continued development of the Single

Market in order to enhance entrepreneurial

activity. This will allow Europe to truly beneﬁt

from the multiplication eﬀect of investment.

The Presidency is fully committed to facilitating

the well-coordinated and eﬃcient conduct of

the

European Semester

based on the goals

of the renewed

Europe 2020 Strategy,

and

will work to ensure that the Council plays its

role in the multilateral process. The Presidency

welcomes the Commission’s ideas for a more

streamlined European Semester process to

secure the proper involvement of all Member

States, as well as national parliaments and

stakeholders, in the discussions on Country

Speciﬁc Recommendations.

The Presidency will prioritise work on

strengthening the

Single Market

through

progress on the remaining Single Market Act

II proposals while maintaining and promoting

the four freedoms. The Presidency intends to

launch discussions on the expected Internal

Market Strategy for goods and services,

therefore contributing to enhancing the

competitiveness of industry and related service

sectors. The Presidency’s guiding principle will

Better Regulation

and the wider use of

competitiveness prooﬁng. More eﬃcient and

targeted regulation means focusing human

and ﬁnancial resources towards the main

objectives – growth, jobs and competitiveness.

The need to establish an

Energy Union

has

been evident for many years, and the EU must

make this vision a reality. There needs to be

an energy policy built on solidarity, trust and

security. The EU would beneﬁt from a better

integrated energy infrastructure grid and

improved governance, in particular, better

exploiting regional governance across the

European Union. The EU also needs solid Energy

diplomacy with external suppliers, increased

use of renewables, and the implementation of

energy eﬃciency measures.

B. DIGITAL EUROPE

Rapidly growing information technologies are

providing unprecedented opportunities that

have the potential to boost smart, sustainable

and inclusive growth for the EU. They also

present challenges that need to be addressed

in order to properly seize these opportunities.

By trading goods and services online Europe

can also beneﬁt economically, including

through job creation. The Presidency’s priority

is the development of a true digital Euro-

pe via devoting attention to building trust

in the Digital Single Market, digitalisation

of the public sector, and increasing safety

and security in the digital environment.

Streamlined and enhanced use of the

EU’s digital capacities must continue. The

Presidency will seek to conclude negotiations

and reach an agreement on legislative

proposals currently under discussion.

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1. Inspiring Europe:

STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK AND

PRESIDENCY PRIORITIES

The Presidency will focus on building a

stronger and more coherent

data protection

framework. Seeking agreement on the Gene-

ral Data Protection Regulation and Directive

will be a priority. Safety in its widest sense will

also be enhanced with the implementation

of the EU Cyber Security Strategy and by

ﬁnalising negotiations on the Network and

Information Security Directive (NIS).

The Presidency is looking forward to the timely

publication of the

Digital Single Market

Strategy

and will devote particular attention to

it by holding proper discussions in the Council,

as well as informal events. The elimination of

online borders and swift introduction of more

favourable conditions for online services, such

as payments and data management, will in

turn spur cross-border digital trade.

The Presidency will also seek an overall

compromise on the

Telecommunications

market package.

The guiding principle will

be to ﬁnd a balance between high-quality

services and a reasonable cost for consumers.

In order to advance the digitalisation of

Europe, the EU must become

digital by

default.

The Presidency will highlight discus-

sions on digital skills and the next steps

regarding the promotion of eGovernment.

Attention will be also devoted to aspects of

interoperability, web accessibility and the

digital transformation of the public sector in

order to make it eﬃcient and innovative.

the eﬀorts of the High Representative of the

Union for Foreign Aﬀairs and Security Policy and

the European External Action Service (EEAS).

The

European Neighbourhood Policy

(ENP),

with its Eastern and Southern dimensions,

is a policy of continuous engagement and

is a priority of the EU’s external relations.

The ENP should be strengthened through a

comprehensive forthcoming review process.

During the Riga Eastern Partnership Summit, a

strong signal reaﬃrming long-term EU strategic

support for the ENP should be sent. The review

process should allow the EU to develop more

ﬂexible and inclusive approaches to all its

partner countries based on diﬀerentiation and

an emphasis on joint ownership.

The EU’s external engagement also includes

a commitment towards strengthening the

transatlantic partnership,

notably by making

all eﬀorts to conclude negotiations on an

ambitious, comprehensive and mutually be-

neﬁcial Transatlantic Trade and Investment

Partnership (TTIP) agreement by the end

of 2015, and enhancing relations towards

other strategic partners. The Presidency looks

forward to the conclusion of the EU-Canada

Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agree-

ment, and the advancement of the EU-Japan

Free Trade Agreement negotiations, as well as

proceeding with the implementation of Deep

and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements

(DCFTAs) with Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

Latvia also looks forward to the review of the

EU-Central Asia Strategy.

EU engagement

with the region can be enhanced by

discussions on security, border management,

energy supply, and educational exchange,

while keeping civil society interests and

human rights on the table.

C. ENGAGED EUROPE

The European Union has the responsibility to

assume a full and active role on the global stage.

With conﬂict on EU’s doorstep, the situation in

our neighbourhood is as challenging as ever.

Therefore, as Presidency, Latvia will fully support

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1. Inspiring Europe:

STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK AND

PRESIDENCY PRIORITIES

The year 2015 oﬀers a unique opportunity for

the EU and its Member States to promote an

ambitious, transformative and inclusive post-

2015 development agenda. The EU is now

entering a new intergovernmental negotiations

phase on a follow-up of

Sustainable

Development Goals and ﬁnancing for

development.

Gender equality and women’s

empowerment will be highlighted as a

thematic issue for development cooperation.

The Presidency will remain committed to

an EU enlargement policy that continues to

contribute to the mutual beneﬁts of peace,

democracy, security and prosperity in Europe.

Citizens expect improvements in what the

EU is doing. To meet their expectations, the

Presidency is fully committed to strengthening

the decision-making process within the EU and

to improving inter-institutional cooperation

within the existing treaties.

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A. General Aﬀairs

The EU has multiple challenges in reacting to current domestic political, economic and

international developments. An economic recovery should go hand in hand with increased

competitiveness and more jobs in the whole EU. To this end it will be of utmost importance to

start implementing cohesion policy instruments in 2015 as the main drivers for investment and

for strengthening economic, social and territorial cohesion in Europe. The European Semester,

the Europe 2020 Strategy, and macro-regional strategies are important tools in the post-crisis

economic revival. Therefore, the Presidency will ensure that the EU enlargement policy continues

to contribute to political stability and economic prosperity in Europe. The Presidency will work

to ensure cybersecurity for maintaining safe and open information networks that allow for a

thriving digital environment in Europe.

The Presidency is committed to making every

eﬀort to take a path towards boosting jobs and

growth and remain ambitious in achieving the

Europe 2020 Strategy

targets. There is a clear

need to bridge the implementation gap and

this will require eﬀorts from everyone involved.

The

European Semester

will have its ﬁfth cycle

during the Latvian Presidency. It has proven its

importance in enhancing economic and ﬁscal

policy coordination in the EU. The Presidency

has presented a roadmap that covers both

the European Semester and the Europe 2020

mid-term review. Hence, the Presidency will

act to facilitate the well-organised conduct

of the European Semester and make sure

the Council plays its role in the multilateral

process. Achieving the targets of the Europe

2020 Strategy – which aim to build a smart,

sustainable, and inclusive economy – and

consolidating policies is essential to overcome

the economic and ﬁnancial crisis and boost

the Union’s growth, to strengthen the Union’s

capacity to deliver more jobs and to seize digital

opportunities, to safeguard fundamental rights,

and to fully play its role in a rapidly changing

world. To this end the Presidency will continue

working towards a review of the strategy that

is to be decided by the European Council in

March on the basis of proposals made by the

Commission, which are expected early in 2015.

Recognising the importance of the

cohesion

policy

in reducing social and economic

disparities and contributing to growth and

employment, it will be one of Presidency’s

priorities to ensure that all the preconditions

are there to pave the way for the smooth

start of new operational programmes.

The Presidency will also have follow up

discussions and stock-taking on the latest

outcomes of programming for 2014-2020.

The mid-term review of the European

Union’s

Territorial Agenda 2020

will serve

as the framework for the agenda in the area

of territorial policy. The Presidency will pay

particular attention to strengthening the

role of small- and medium-sized urban areas

in the framework of an EU Urban Agenda.

The debate will be organised on the basis

of an integrated approach to addressing

speciﬁc challenges and actions in order to

progress towards the objectives set by the

Europe 2020 Strategy.

Recognising the added value that

macro-

regional strategies

can provide, the Presi-

dency is committed to continuing work on

the macro-regional strategy initiatives. The

VI Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the

Baltic Sea Region will be held in Jūrmala in

Latvia in June 2015, with an emphasis on

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digital interconnectivity, culture, health,

spatial planning, and energy eﬃciency in the

Baltic Sea region. Implementation of the EU

Strategy for the Danube Region and the EU

Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region

will also be followed, while a proposal from

the European Commission on EU Strategy for

the Alpine Region is expected by June 2015.

The EU’s

institutional

transition was

successfully completed in 2014. The new

legislative cycle is being implemented.

Now the Presidency will work actively

to promote constructive cooperation

between the institutions within the existing

treaty framework. The Presidency, in close

cooperation with the new High Representative

and the European External Action Service

(EEAS), will closely follow the implementation

of reforms that have been identiﬁed within

the EEAS review process. The Presidency will

also continue work towards completing the

process of the EU’s accession to the European

Convention for the Protection of Human Rights,

as well as do its utmost to advance the Reform

of the General Court of the European Union,

aimed at speeding up court proceedings and

reducing the backlog of pending cases.

While noting the strategic importance

of the

enlargement

policy in promoting

political stability and economic prosperity

in Europe, the Presidency is committed

to moving forward with the ongoing

accession negotiations with Montenegro,

Serbia, and Turkey with a view to achieving

further sustained progress. The Presidency

will pursue an enlargement policy that is

based on principle of conditionality and

the countries’ own merits in meeting the

set criteria. This principle will also guide

the Presidency’s work in advancing the

European perspective of other Western

Balkan countries according to the respective

stages of their integration, with European

Union membership as the ultimate goal.

The Presidency will work on strengthening

relations with the

European Economic Area

(EEA)/ European Free Trade Association

(EFTA) countries

in areas of common

interest, and in ensuring the homogeneity

of the internal market. Discussions will

proceed on the future ﬁnancial contributions

of Norway, Iceland, and Lichtenstein,

which are aimed at reducing social and

economic disparities in the European

Economic Area. In close cooperation with

the EEAS, particular attention will be given

to EU-Switzerland relations. Furthermore,

discussions on EU relations with Andorra,

Monaco and San Marino will advance,

notably on negotiations over one or several

Association agreements.

Cybersecurity

is critical for maintaining safe

and open information networks that allow for a

thriving digital environment in Europe. The lack

of suﬃcient and integrated eﬀorts to protect

data, information and networks undermines

trust in online activities, hinders the evolution

of the Digital Single Market, and increases

threats to critical infrastructure. Common

eﬀorts to combat cybercrime and preserve

the privacy of citizens should be reinforced

by individual responsibility in building a safe

and secure cyberspace. The Presidency will

seek to strengthen European cross-border

cooperation to protect the public and private

sectors from intrusion and fraud by pursuing

the goals of the EU Strategy on Cybersecurity.

While recognising the importance of

radiation protection and nuclear safety,

the Presidency will support initiatives

and actions towards strengthening these

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measures at an international and European

level. The Presidency will dedicate eﬀorts

to the elaboration of the EU position for the

Diplomatic Conference of the Convention on

Nuclear Safety, and the 5th Review Meeting

of the Joint Convention on the Safety of

Spent Fuel Management, and on the Safety

of Radioactive Waste Management. Lessons

learned from the Fukushima nuclear accident

and the ﬁndings of the stress tests performed

on European nuclear power plants will be

taken into account in this work.

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B. Foreign Aﬀairs

The Presidency will fully support the High Representative in her role as President of the Foreign

Aﬀairs Council and in her function of conducting the Common Foreign and Security Policy

and coordinating the EU’s external action. The Presidency will continue to support all eﬀorts

to further strengthen cooperation between the EU and its strategic partners, particularly

the United States and other like-minded countries, both in trade and security matters. It will

contribute in particular to enhancing EU cooperation with the Eastern Partnership and Central

Asian countries, and will work on the post-2015 sustainable development agenda.

The

European Neighbourhood Policy

will

remain a key EU policy when it comes to framing

its relationship with neighbouring countries.

Ongoing conﬂicts and instability in the broader

neighbourhood are a cause for great concern.

More than ever before the ‘neighbourhood’

countries need EU attention and support.

Latvia will support the High Representative in

the eﬀorts of the EU and its member states to

enhance the eﬀectiveness of the EU policy in

addressing political and security challenges

in the Eastern and Southern neighbourhood.

Latvia will support a comprehensive review

of the ENP which should enable the ENP to be

more eﬀective, putting an increased emphasis

on diﬀerentiation in approaching the partner

countries.

In close cooperation with its partners,

Latvia will continue to contribute to the

strengthening of the

Eastern Partnership

as an inclusive platform and to promoting a

more individual and diﬀerentiated approach

in cooperation with each of the Eastern

Partnership countries in accordance with

their own ambitions. As appropriate, ties will

be strengthened by ensuring closer political

association, economic integration, enhanced

trade, improved mobility, people-to-people

contacts, better education, and engagement

with civil societies. In cooperation with the

President of the European Council and other

EU institutions, Latvia will host the 4th Eastern

Partnership Summit in Riga on 21–22 May

2015. The summit will provide an opportunity

to review the progress that has been achieved

since the Vilnius Summit and set the way ahead

for the partnership. Latvia will support the

EEAS in further developing the relationship

with the Southern Neighbourhood region,

thereby contributing to the stability and

security of the region based on the principles

of democracy, human rights, freedom of

speech, and the rule of law.

Latvia will also support the High

Representative’s eﬀorts in strengthening EU

engagement in

Central Asia,

as it sees a need

to increase EU visibility in the region. Latvia

will contribute to all plans to help to further

promote the EU-Central Asia dialogue and

cooperation in those areas that are of high

importance: energy, transport, sustainable

development, the rule of law, and education.

In this regard the revision of the EU-Central

Asia Strategy in early 2015 will be of the

utmost importance. The scaling-down of the

international security presence in Afghanistan

in 2015 also requires greater EU attention

towards Central Asia in meeting common

challenges such as terrorism, border security

and drug traﬃcking. The implementation

of regional cooperation programmes (the

Border Management Programme in Central

Asia and also the Central Asia Drug Action

Programme) will be crucial in this respect.

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Latvia will support eﬀorts to increase the

eﬀectiveness and visibility of the

Common

Security and Defence Policy

(CSDP). Tackling

global factors that directly or indirectly aﬀect

international peace and security and the

stability of states has become an even more

pressing priority. Latvia will contribute to the

preparations for the European Council of June

2015 and will underline the importance of

continued progress on security and defence

issues. In this regard, Latvia deems it important

to move forward the work towards better,

more eﬃcient civilian and military capabilities,

including the EU Battlegroups, and better

civil-military cooperation in addressing the

Union’s maritime security risks and threats,

and will also support enhanced civil-military

cooperation when it comes to improving cyber

defence awareness and protection. Latvia will

also draw attention to the challenges faced

by and opportunities that are open to the

European defence industry.

Latvia will highlight the crucial nature of

cooperation with partners and organisations,

particularly the North Atlantic Treaty

Organization (NATO), the United Nations and

the United States (US). Close cooperation

with NATO in areas such as capability

development, military rapid response, and

training and exercises in a way that is both

coordinated and complementary requires

particular attention. Latvia will emphasise

the strengthening of the partnership and

promote cooperation on emerging security

challenges between the EU and the US.

Latvia will also call attention to the dialogue

and cooperation with the Eastern Partners in

the context of the CSDP.

Regarding external aspects of

counter-

terrorism,

the Presidency will particularly

engage in addressing the issues of foreign

ﬁghters, the ﬁnancing of terrorism,

radicalisation, and recruitment for terrorism.

Open and fair

external trade

is a key

instrument when it comes to stimulating

economic growth, competitiveness and

employment. Greater market openness, as

well as increasing trade and investment ﬂows,

are all essential for promoting growth and

economic recovery across the whole of the EU,

in line with the needs of industrial and other EU

policies. In full support of a strong, rules-based

multilateral trading system, the Presidency will

contribute to achieving further progress on the

World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) multilateral

negotiations. In order to strengthen the

multilateral trading system, the Presidency will

provide continuous support to make progress

on the Doha Development Agenda (DDA).

It will pursue a swift implementation of the

Trade Facilitation Agreement and other Bali

decisions, as well as promote discussions on

post-Bali deliverables. In order to widen the

multilateral trading system, the Presidency

will encourage the ongoing WTO accession

negotiations, including but not limited to

Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina,

Kazakhstan, and Serbia. It will support the

preparations for the upcoming WTO Ministerial

Conference (MC10) in 2015. In addition to the

WTO’s multilateral negotiations, the Presidency

favours the conclusion of the Trade in Services

Agreement (TiSA), the Environmental

Goods Agreement, and the ﬁnalisation of

the Ministerial Declaration on Information

Technology Agreement (ITA).

The Presidency will continue to support the

ongoing work on bilateral trade agreements

that have the potential to further open external

markets and provide new opportunities for

European businesses. Latvia considers TTIP

and Free Trade Agreement negotiations with

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Japan and Vietnam as the top priorities for its

Presidency in the area of the EU’s bilateral trade.

It will also be important to proceed with the

implementation of Deep and Comprehensive

Free Trade Agreements (DCFTAs) with Georgia,

Moldova, and Ukraine, and to support the

necessary procedures regarding approval

of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade

Agreement with Canada (CETA) and the

Bilateral Trade Agreement with Singapore.

The Presidency will continue to monitor the

eﬃcient implementation of the EU Generalised

Scheme of Preferences (GSP), in particular with

regard to the GSP+. The Presidency considers

that EU trade policy should continue to ensure

the enforcement of the EU’s rights under

existing rules and promote enhanced access to

world markets. Therefore, as regards legislative

initiatives, the Presidency will work for the

beneﬁt of all EU stakeholders.

The year 2015 will be crucial when it comes

to arriving at a universal post-2015 agenda for

sustainable

development

and the eradication

of poverty. The Presidency will work to

advance a comprehensive EU contribution to

the international negotiations that will lead

up to the UN Summit in September 2015,

facilitating the adoption of a new framework,

including a set of globally-applicable

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which

will succeed the Millennium Development

Goals (MDGs). The Presidency sees gender

equality and women’s empowerment, good

governance, the rule of law, human rights,

and inclusive, sustainable growth to be of

particular importance, including in relation to

the European Year for Development 2015 (EYD

2015). The Presidency will also contribute to

preparations that lead to a united EU position

for the Third International Conference on

Financing for Development in July 2015. The

Partnership Agreement between

the group

of African, Caribbean and Paciﬁc countries

(ACP)

and the EU also is due to expire in 2020.

Therefore, the Presidency will work with the

EEAS and the Commission to advance EU

reﬂection on future relations with the ACP

countries against the background of the EU’s

role as a global player.

Together with the EEAS and the Commission,

the Presidency will closely monitor ongoing

and emerging humanitarian crises that have

been caused by natural and man-made

disasters, as well as disease outbreaks, of

which addressing the Ebola epidemic will be

of paramount importance. The Presidency

will help to further improve the eﬃciency

and eﬀectiveness of

EU humanitarian aid

and to advance EU humanitarian advocacy

vis-à-vis third countries and international

organisations. The Presidency will support the

necessary follow-up for preparations for the

2016 World Humanitarian Summit. It will seek

to follow up on the implementation of the

European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid,

the EU resilience agenda, as well as the EU

comprehensive approach to external conﬂict

and crises.

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C. Economic and Financial Aﬀairs

The Presidency is committed to working towards promoting economic recovery, investment and

growth enhancing initiatives, therefore it will spare no eﬀort to facilitate the implementation

of December 2014 European Council decisions on an Investment Plan for Europe, including the

adoption of respective legislative acts. As macroeconomic stability is a precondition for attracting

investment and achieving growth, the emphasis on the implementation of structural reforms and

sound ﬁscal policies will guide Economic and Financial Aﬀairs Council work during the Presidency.

Furthermore, the Presidency will continue discussions and foster follow-up on the Economic Go-

vernance Review. While the Presidency welcomes the Commission’s proposals to improve the

European Semester, the Presidency will endeavour to implement the current cycle eﬀectively.

Following the guidance from the December 2014 European Council, the Presidency is looking

forward to proposals on deepening the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). The Presidency will

also continue the work on ﬁnancial sector regulation and on tackling tax fraud and evasion.

Following the initiative of the President of the

European Commission to mobilise up to 315

billion euros of additional ﬁnancing for the

European economy and the task given by the

December European Council, the Presidency

is looking forward to the timely publication

of the legislative proposal by the Commission

on setting up a European Fund for Strategic

Investment. The Presidency stands ready to

launch and take forward the discussions on the

proposal, with the aim to reach an agreement

by June 2015. In order to ensure more

comprehensive discussions on investment in

the Council, a regular exchange of views on the

broader aspects of the

Investment plan for

Europe

will be held at a political level.

The Presidency will implement the streamlined

European Semester.

It has proven its

importance in terms of enhancing economic

and ﬁscal policy coordination in the EU and

stimulating structural reforms. The Presidency

will take stock of the implementation of the

economic and ﬁscal policy framework and

intends to enhance the policy debate through

the facilitation of horizontal discussions on

key structural reforms, challenges in their

implementation, and best practices. Subject

to the Commission’s proposal, the Presidency

will ensure the renewal of the Broad Economic

Policy Guidelines.

Regarding

Economic and ﬁscal governance

legislation,

the ‘Six-Pack’ and ‘Two-Pack’

entered into force on 13 December 2011 and

30 May 2013, respectively. The new framework

has helped to better address the problems

of high debt and deﬁcit in Member States, as

well as foster a structural reform agenda. After

the publication of the Economic governance

review by the Commission and the ﬁrst

exchange of views among Member States

thereafter, the Presidency will ensure the

continuation of thorough political discussions

with the view to adopt Council conclusions.

Following the proposals from the European

Commission, the Presidency will also ensure the

implementation of the

Stability and Growth

Pact

and the

Macroeconomic Imbalances

Procedure.

Recognising the importance

of stronger

economic governance within

the Economic and Monetary Union,

the

Presidency will support the ongoing work on

better economic governance in the euro area,

ensuring appropriate follow-up to the issue at

the Council level.

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Anticipating the submission of a contribution

from the Commission towards the

Capital

Market Union

later in the year, the Presidency

is ready to ensure a broad exchange of views

on the issue. The Presidency will continue

the work that is taking place on the ﬁnancial

sector regulatory reform in order to improve

the resilience, transparency and supervision

of the ﬁnancial sector. The proper and timely

implementation of requisite measures, both

legal and political, that are aimed at ensuring

the smooth functioning of newly operational

Banking Union

mechanisms will be

among the Presidency’s priorities. With the

assistance of supranational institutions and

the Commission, the Presidency will monitor

developments and facilitate political

discussions where these are appropriate.

Regarding the

Banking Structural Reform,

as a matter of priority the Presidency will

further the discussion on the reform of the

banking structures, which is aimed at fostering

ﬁnancial stability and resolving problems that

are associated with the biggest and most

complex banks. The Presidency believes

that strengthening the resilience of the EU’s

banking sector should be achieved through

the appropriate calibration of proposed

measures while ensuring that banks continue

to ﬁnance economic activities and growth.

The Presidency will strive for substantial

progress as regards the legislative work on

this reform. The accompanying measures that

are aimed at increasing the transparency of

certain transactions, which complement the

overarching reforms that have already been

undertaken in order to strengthen the EU

ﬁnancial sector, will also be addressed.

In order to allow businesses, consumers

and undertakings the enjoyment of the full

range of beneﬁts of the EU internal market,

including e-commerce, and in line with the

Europe 2020 and the Digital Agenda, as

well as to restore conﬁdence in

ﬁnancial

markets,

the Presidency will work towards

the ﬁnalisation of discussions on the

revised Payments Services Directive (PSD2).

The successful adoption of this proposal

will improve the payments framework

so that it better serves the needs of an

eﬀective European payments market, fully

contributing to a payments environment

that facilitates stronger competition,

innovation and security to the beneﬁt of all

stakeholders, and consumers in particular.

The Presidency aims at ﬁnalising discussions

and reaching agreement with the European

Parliament on the Benchmarks regulation,

thereby restoring conﬁdence in the integrity

of benchmarks. It is crucial to ﬁnd the right

approach to the regulation in order to

enhance the reliability of benchmarks and

indexes, to facilitate the prevention and

detection of their manipulation, and to

clarify responsibility and the supervision of

benchmarks by the authorities.

In the area of

insurance,

the Presidency

will take forward the work on the Insurance

Distribution Directive, aiming to reach an

agreement with the European Parliament.

The new rules on insurance distribution

will enhance transparency, improve the

information provided to the insurance

policy holder and further clarify passporting

rules and easier market access for insurance

distributors in the EU. The Directive will

also aim to ensure consistency with other

ﬁnancial services ﬁles, especially as regards

the sale of those insurance products that

have an investment element.

Regarding the

EU budget,

the Presidency’s

priorities include the budgetary discharge

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procedure for 2013, the adoption of budget

guidelines for 2016, and the revision of the

Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF),

following the late adoption of new rules or

programmes under shared management. Due

attention will be given to MFF revision and

Investment plan-related amendments to the

EU budget for 2015, with the view to strive for

the timely adoption of both. The Presidency

will also continue work on the revision of

the ﬁnancial regulation to align it with the

new public procurement Directive. The

Presidency will follow the progress and the

ﬁrst assessment carried out by the High Level

Group on EU ‘Own Resources’ (HLGOR). It will

also aim to make progress on the expected

Commission’s proposal to amend Council

regulation on methods and the procedure for

making available the traditional, VAT and GNI-

based own resources, and on the measures to

meet cash requirements.

With the aim of establishing eﬀective rules,

which complement other actions in respect to

the

ﬁght against crime, corruption and tax

evasion,

the main priority of the Presidency

will be the ﬁnalisation of negotiations with the

European Parliament on the new legislative

framework that is designed to protect the

ﬁnancial system against money laundering

and terrorist ﬁnancing (AMLD/AMLR). The

importance of this work has been recognised

by the European Council and is crucial in

order to ensure that the EU remains at the

forefront of international eﬀorts to combat

the laundering of the proceeds of crime.

In the area of

direct taxation,

the Presidency

is ready to proceed with the proposal that has

been made to amend the Interest/Royalties

Directive. The Presidency will also continue

work on the proposal for a Council Directive

on a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax

Base (CCCTB). Taking into account recent

international developments, the Presidency

will take the necessary steps in order to

initiate discussions to commence the work on

Base Erosion and Proﬁt Shifting (BEPS) issues

in the EU dimension (including the expected

Commission’s proposal on the automatic

exchange of information on tax rulings in the

EU).

As regards

indirect taxation,

the Presidency

will seek progress on the rules that govern

VAT treatment on vouchers, and will continue

to work on a proposal aimed at reducing the

administrative burden and increasing tax

compliance in the form of the Standardised

VAT Return. The Presidency will support the

work on the proposal for a Council Directive

that will implement enhanced cooperation in

the area of ﬁnancial transaction tax (FTT).

In the ﬁeld of

statistics,

the Presidency will

continue to focus on economic governance

and quality issues in the area of statistics. The

Presidency will open discussions on a proposal

on harmonised indices of consumer prices

regulation. It will strive to achieve progress in

the balance of payments, international trade

in services, and foreign direct investment

regulation, and will also align the legal

framework to the new institutional context.

In the context of

climate ﬁnancing,

the

Presidency will facilitate the preparations for a

2015 agreement on a climate change regime

for the post-2020 period, to be concluded in

Paris at the 21st Conference of Parties of the

United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change (UNFCCC).

In December 2014, Turkey assumed the

Presidency of the

G-20.

The Latvian Presidency

for its part will do its utmost to ensure the

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appropriate representation of EU interests at

the G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank

Governors meetings, as well as meetings

involving their deputies. The Presidency will

contribute to the coordination and presentation

of the EU position on developments in the

global economy, investment and growth,

ﬁnancial market regulation, the reform of the

International Monetary System, and on other

relevant issues.

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D. Justice and Home Aﬀairs

The Presidency will focus on the implementation of the Strategic Guidelines in the area of

freedom, security and justice as adopted in June 2014 by the European Council, as well as on

the respective follow-up initiatives. Whilst addressing security concerns, the Presidency will

also dedicate particular attention to increased competitiveness in Europe by making progress

with measures and initiatives that contribute to the Justice for Growth agenda, to a well-

managed migration policy, and to internal security. In addition, the Presidency will focus on a

data protection package, thereby contributing to trust building in the Digital Single Market. The

Presidency will also pursue eﬀorts towards strengthening dialogue and practical cooperation

with the Eastern Partnership countries, especially regarding visa dialogues.

In the ﬁeld of fundamental rights, the

data

protection

package, which is aimed at

reinforcing the rights of citizens regarding

the processing of personal data in the rapidly

changing world, will be pursued as a high

priority for the Presidency. In light of the

completion of the Digital Single Market by

2015, the Presidency will actively be seeking

agreement on proposals for a regulation

for data protection and a Directive for the

protection of personal data by competent

authorities for the purposes of the prevention,

investigation, detection or prosecution of

criminal oﬀences, or the execution of criminal

penalties.

The Presidency will also focus on the protection

of the EU’s ﬁnancial interests by enhancing

certain institutional and operational aspects.

In this regard, the Presidency will work on

making further progress on a draft regulation

for the establishment of the

European Public

Prosecutor’s Oﬃce.

Moreover, an agreement

will actively be sought on the Directive on the

ﬁght against

fraud to the Union’s ﬁnancial

interests

by means of criminal law (PIF), as

well as on a regulation in relation to Eurojust.

In the context of

justice for growth,

the

Presidency will dedicate particular attention

to concluding the review of the European

small claims procedure regulation, aiming

at enhancing the eﬃciency of this ﬁeld. The

Presidency will also focus on reaching an

agreement in the Council on the proposal for a

regulation that aims to simplify the acceptance

of certain public documents in the EU and

abolishes the authentication requirements

that are related to these documents.

In the ﬁeld of

criminal law,

the Presidency

will focus on strengthening procedural rights

in criminal proceedings. In this regard, and

with a view to adoption, the Presidency will

pursue negotiations on the draft Directives

for procedural safeguards for children who

are under suspicion or who are accused in

criminal proceedings, on the presumption of

innocence and on the provision of legal aid.

As regards the better functioning of the

Schengen area,

the Presidency will continue

work on the Smart Borders Package. The

Presidency will also work towards an agree-

ment on the revised Visa Code, which is aimed

at simplifying the procedure for short stays,

taking into account the economic dimension

of the visa policy. In addition, the Presidency

will promote ongoing visa dialogues with

third world countries. Work will also continue

towards the successful enlargement of the

Schengen area.

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In the context of an eﬃcient and well-mana-

ged

migration, asylum and border policy,

the Presidency will work on making further

progress with measures and initiatives that

are aimed at optimising the beneﬁts of legal

migration and oﬀer protection to those

who are in need, whilst tackling irregular

migration and managing the EU’s external

border eﬃciently. Regarding these issues,

the Presidency’s work will be guided by the

principle of solidarity and taking up a fair share

of responsibility. Well-managed migration,

while addressing the root causes of irregular

migration ﬂows, is an essential part of EU

migration policy and, simultaneously, can be

used as a signiﬁcant tool for an increase in

competitiveness. In this light, the Presidency

will continue negotiations on the proposal

where it relates to the conditions of entry

and residence for researchers, students and

other categories of third country nationals.

Amendments in the Dublin regulation related

to unaccompanied minors will be dealt with

properly. The Presidency will also work on the

external dimension of migration by pursuing

further work in the diﬀerent processes and

dialogues in line with the Global Approach to

Migration and Mobility. Particular attention

will be dedicated to further strengthening

practical cooperation with the Eastern

Partnership countries.

The Presidency will continue work on enhan-

cing cooperation in the area of

internal securi-

ty,

including through the review and updating

of the new Internal Security Strategy. The EU

policy cycle will continue to serve as the main

basis for coordinating operational cooperation

between the Member States in the area of

serious and organised crime. The ﬁght against

terrorism and action that should be taken to

address the phenomenon of foreign ﬁghters

will also be one of the Presidency priorities.

In this regard, the Presidency emphasizes

the need to make progress on the European

Passenger Name Record (PNR) system. An

especial eﬀort will be devoted to advancing

work on the new legal basis both for Europol

and for CEPOL.

In addition, the Presidency will make an eﬀort

to seek an agreement in the Council in terms

of the new legislation for the control of

new

psychoactive substances.

The Presidency

will also strive towards the timely preparation

of the EU and Member States’ position for the

2016 UN General Assembly Special Session on

Drugs.

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E. Employment, Social Policy, Health and

Consumer Aﬀairs

Inclusive growth must allow everyone to take up employment, education or training, ensuring

that everyone has an equal opportunity to beneﬁt from eﬃcient and eﬀective social protection

systems that provide both adequacy and sustainability. The Presidency will emphasise inclusive

and sustainable labour market participation, with increased attention being paid to job quality

and long-term unemployment, and will also highlight the situation of persons with disabilities,

as well as the fundamental value of a healthy lifestyle. This can be facilitated by the improved

competitiveness of the EU, as, in a knowledge economy, the position of competitiveness is driven

to a large extent by the quality of human resources.

Emphasis will be placed on the ongoing mid-

term review of

the Europe 2020 Strategy

with particular attention being devoted to

the implementation of structural reforms

that are embedded in the country-speciﬁc

recommendations and ensuring progress

towards the achievement of employment

and social targets. The Employment, Social

Policy, Health and Consumer Aﬀairs Council

(EPSCO) and its preparatory committees –

the Employment Committee (EMCO) and the

Social Protection Committee (SPC) – will play

a crucial role in the European Semester by

supporting smart, sustainable and inclusive

growth and by emphasising the role of social

dialogue.

The Presidency will place emphasis on

inclusive and sustainable labour market

participation

and will pay attention to the

situation of the long-term unemployed, along

with that of young people and persons with

disabilities. Furthermore, the Presidency will

invite the EMCO and SPC to devote part of

their eﬀorts to exploring in greater depth some

of the features inherent in inclusive labour

markets and related support systems, therefore

contributing to the preparation of a Council

conclusion on inclusive labour markets in the

EU. The renewed Employment guidelines will

play an important role in the stepped-up eﬀorts

to implement the Europe 2020 Strategy. The

Presidency will continue work with ongoing

initiatives to improve the situation of youth

employment. The ﬁrst results of the Youth

Guarantee and the enhanced co-operation

of public employment services will be on the

Presidency’s agenda. The board of the Network

of Public Employment Services will hold a

meeting in Riga in June 2015 focusing on the

delivery of employment services.

As regards strengthening

the social dimen-

sion of the EMU,

the Presidency will emphasise

the role of social dialogue. The involvement

of social partners, while taking into account

the national circumstances in this regard,

is important for the successful and smooth

implementation of reforms.

Regarding

labour legislation,

the Presidency

will attach priority to the proposal on the

Undeclared Work platform and aims to reach

a ﬁrst reading agreement with the European

Parliament. The Presidency will seek progress

with a view to reaching an agreement with the

European Parliament on the EURES regulation

and intends to look into the potential side

eﬀects of enhanced mobility. The Presidency

also will continue work on the seafarers’

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Directive with a view to launch negotiations

with the European Parliament, seeking an

agreement.

The Presidency stresses the need to improve

health and safety at work

and to reduce

the number of accidents in the workplace,

emphasising the necessity of implementing

the new EU Strategic Framework on Health

and Safety at Work (2014-2020). The

Presidency will prepare a Council conclusion

in this respect. To strengthen the eﬀorts of

Member States, the Presidency will organise

a conference on health and safety at work in

April 2015 and a meeting of the Senior Labour

Inspectors Committee in May 2015.

Attention will also be paid to the monitoring

and development of

social protection

policies

and the issue of deinstitutionalisation

in the EU Member States. Building upon

previous discussions at the EU level on high-

quality social services and social inclusion, a

conference on deinstitutionalisation practices

and the further development of the social

care policy in Europe will be organised in Riga

in June 2015. A meeting of the EU’s Mutual

Information System on Social Protection will

take place in Riga in May 2015.

In the area of

equal treatment,

the Presidency

will pay attention to challenges raised in

regard to the approach to disability – from the

medical model to the social model. A high-

level meeting on disability with its main focus

on the rights of children with disabilities and

labour market participation will take place in

Riga in May 2015, thereby contributing to the

implementation of the EU Disability Strategy

(2010-2020). The Presidency will continue the

examination of the proposal for a Directive

on equal treatment, irrespective of religion or

belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation.

As regards

equality between men and

women,

female labour market participation

is of particular importance in order to face the

challenges of ageing societies and old-age

poverty, to tackle gender inequalities, and to

achieve the employment and social targets

of the Europe 2020 Strategy. Combined with

the global issues of gender equality, it will

be on the agenda of the high-level group on

gender mainstreaming that will take place in

Riga in January 2015. Taking into account the

Commission’s work on a report on old-age

pension adequacy, the Presidency will prepare

Council conclusions on the gender gap in

pensions. The Presidency will also continue

working on the Commission’s proposal for a

Directive to improve the gender balance on

company boards.

As regards the

external dimension,

the

Presidency will ensure the EU’s presence

and position at the 59th Session of the UN

Commission on the Status of Women, which is

scheduled to take place in New York in March

2015. The Presidency will also coordinate

the positions of Member States during the

International Labour Conference, which is

scheduled to take place in Geneva in June

2015, and will work on the guidelines for

the G-20 Labour and Employment Ministers

Meeting. The Presidency will also advance

the work on a set of proposals for Council

decisions on the EU’s position to be taken

in Association Councils with regard to the

coordination of social security systems.

In regard to

pharmaceuticals and medical

devices,

the Presidency will seek a Council

mandate in order to negotiate and reach an

agreement with the European Parliament on

the proposal for medical devices and

in vitro

medical devices. A robust, transparent and

sustainable regulatory framework to support

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innovation and the competitiveness of the

medical device industry and to allow rapid

and cost-eﬃcient market access for innovative

medical devices is necessary for the beneﬁt of

patients and healthcare professionals alike.

In the area of

health,

the Presidency plans

to focus on the individual by highlighting a

healthy lifestyle in childhood and empowering

each individual to take responsibility for

their own health, and paying attention to

patient-centred health care when coming to

the treatment phase. The Presidency plans

to continue discussions on a healthy lifestyle

during the high level conference in Riga in

February 2015 and other informal events,

including the role of healthy nutrition, physical

activity and sport in reducing childhood

obesity, the importance of school meals and

an enabling environment in health promotion,

as well as the role of modern technologies and

innovative approaches in the education of

children and adolescents. The Presidency will

follow the work of the Committee on National

Alcohol Policy and Action, and is in the process

of developing a scoping paper on the vision

of future actions to be taken in the area of an

alcohol policy in the EU. The Presidency will put

in the eﬀort required to bring the attention of

EU health ministers to issues regarding alcohol

and nutrition during the informal meeting of

health ministers.

As regards patient-centred health care, the

Presidency will pay attention to this issue

during the Chief Medical Oﬃcers, Chief

Medical Nurses and Chief Dental Oﬃcers’ joint

meeting. Particular attention will be given to

health at work, the integration of health care

and public care services as well as to cancer

screening programmes within the EU.

A focus on the individual along with patient-

centred health care will also be promoted

during the annual eHealth Week in Riga

in May 2015. Rapidly growing information

technologies provide both opportunities

that boost smart, sustainable and inclusive

growth for the EU and challenges that need

to be addressed in a timely manner in order

to seize opportunities for the EU health

sector. Therefore, the Presidency will attach

importance to the empowerment of patients,

using technologies to improve the quality of

healthcare, innovations in eHealth/mHealth,

the cross-border exchange of health data, and

patient data protection.

Issues related to the risks of tuberculosis

spreading and, in particular, multi-drug

resistant tuberculosis will be among the

Presidency’s priorities in the health area.

The Presidency intends to organise the 1st

Eastern Partnership ministerial conference on

tuberculosis and its multi-drug resistance in

Riga in March 2015, paying particular attention

to tuberculosis as a signiﬁcant public health

issue in Europe and its neighbouring countries.

During the conference, the sustainability of the

systems and their ability to respond to global

threats, as well as a multi-sector approach, will

be especially highlighted.

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F. Competitiveness

Competitiveness is the driving force for the EU’s economic growth and development, and the main

source for new workplaces. In order to ensure long-term economic development, the Presidency’s

eﬀorts will be dedicated towards those policy areas which have a signiﬁcant impact on the EU’s

competitiveness: strengthening the Single Market, fostering industrial competitiveness and

better regulation of and support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Research

and innovation are of pivotal importance for European competitiveness and employment as

providers for new sources for growth. These policy issues also go hand-in-hand with the review

of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the European Semester process, where EU competitiveness

and growth are in the spotlight. The Presidency will advocate measures that facilitate trust and

conﬁdence in the Digital Single Market and in cross-border electronic activities.

Within the Council, the Presidency will hold

a discussion and seek the adoption of the

Council conclusions drawing up further

directions and priorities for the

EU Single

Market policy.

In this regard, ensuring a Single

Market-friendly regulatory framework and the

better functioning of the principle of mutual

recognition, the further development of the

Single Market for goods and services, the

Digital Single Market, and also Single Market

governance issues will be addressed. In the

context of ongoing work on the Digital Single

Market Strategy, the Presidency is planning

to hold a political discussion on Digital Single

Market issues. The Presidency will also prioritise

work on the pending proposals under the

Single Market Act II. The Presidency will keep

a focus on further enhancing the Single Market

of services, including possible discussions

on services at the High-Level Group for

Competitiveness and Growth. The Presidency

will encourage the use of competitiveness-

prooﬁng, making it possible for policy-

makers to see the well-grounded impact of

the proposal on business competitiveness

and allowing it to take further decisions. The

Presidency has attached signiﬁcance to the

governance of the Single Market.

Particular

focus will be devoted to the adoption of

purposeful and high-quality EU legislation, to

quality and timely transposition, as well as to

the rigorous and uniform enforcement of EU

harmonisation legislation on the ground.

Industrial policy

will play an important role

in enhancing European competitiveness

in building on the identiﬁed strengths and

upgrading the competitiveness of European

industry. Fostering industrial competitiveness

will be at the centre of the Presidency’s

activities, including the ensuring of a

further integration of the Single Market, the

development of industrial cooperation, and

improving the overall business environment

for European companies. The Presidency

will work on the development of a proactive

and integrated industrial policy in Europe

which aims at responding to the needs

of the changing economic situation and

strengthening a coordinated approach

for industrial competitiveness through all

relevant EU policies. Work will be carried out

in the industrial policy area in the context of

the activities planned within the Commission

Work Programme 2015. In this regard, the

Presidency will particularly emphasise the

digitalisation aspects of EU industry.

Regarding the general framework for

SMEs,

the Presidency will continue to monitor the

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actions carried out during the review of the

Small Business Act (SBA). Access to funding

is one of the major problems that SMEs have

faced in recent years and it is one that they

are still facing. The narrow set of ﬁnancing

resources that are typically available to

SMEs makes them more vulnerable to the

changing conditions in credit markets.

Therefore the Presidency acknowledges

that EU instruments such as COSME and

Horizon 2020 should operate in conjunction

in facilitating and improving access to

ﬁnance for SMEs. Emphasising the topical

nature of access to funding for SMEs, for the

ﬁrst time the Presidency plans to organise

‘Innovative Enterprise Week’, which will serve

to raise awareness of the available ﬁnancial

instruments, facilities, and accompanying

measures that were launched under Horizon

2020 to enhance access to ﬁnance for

research, innovation, and SMEs.

A more competitive Europe will be the

guiding principle in the context of the

Europe 2020 Strategy mid-term review.

The Presidency will seek to ensure the role of

the Competitiveness Council in reacting to

the Commission’s proposals and facilitating

discussions to refocus policies that foster

growth and competitiveness.

In the ﬁeld of

consumer protection,

the

Presidency will seek to reach an agreement

with the European Parliament on the Package

Travel Directive, which aims at strengthening

consumer protection in the tourism sector.

The Presidency will also seek progress in terms

of reaching an agreement in the Council and

entering into negotiations with the European

Parliament on the Product Safety and Market

Surveillance Package, which aims to improve

the functioning of the Single Market through

simpliﬁed, more uniform and eﬃcient safety

rules.

Improved legal instruments in the ﬁeld of

intellectual property

are essential for a

positive business environment, the promotion

of creativity and safeguarding European

cultural diversity. The Presidency will focus

on ﬁnalising negotiations with the European

Parliament on the trade mark package,

aimed at making the trademark system in

Europe more eﬃcient and coherent. The

Presidency will also work towards reaching an

agreement with the European Parliament on

the Trade Secret Directive, aimed at boosting

technological cooperation and the exchange

of know-how across national borders. Upon

the publication of a legislation proposal on

the revision of the EU copyright framework,

the Presidency will initiate discussions

seeking to facilitate creativity, innovation

and the completion of the Digital Single

Market. The Presidency will also contribute to

advancing the ratiﬁcation of the Marrakesh

Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works

for persons who are Blind, Visually Impaired,

or Otherwise Print Disabled.

In the area of

the harmonisation of technical

speciﬁcations

for motor vehicles, in order

to make the internal market function better

whilst maintaining a high level of safety and

environmental protection, the Presidency

will continue work on the proposal relating

to emission limits and type-approval for

non-road machinery, and additionally the

Presidency will start to examine the proposal

for a review of the Framework Directive on

the approval type of motor vehicles and their

components. In addition, the Presidency will

resume the examination of the proposal for

the simpliﬁcation of the transfer of motor

vehicles that have been registered in another

Member State.

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The Presidency will also seek to close

negotiations with the European Parliament

on the proposal for Cableways, which aims

to promote the internal market for safety

equipment and subsystems while increasing

safety requirements, the proposal for Gas

Appliances, which addresses issues that are

related to the reliability of equipment during

its cycle of use, as well as the proposal for

Personal Protective Equipment, which will

increase the level of equipment safety in

order to reduce the number of accidents in

the workplace and increase productivity.

The Presidency will continue work on the

company law

and corporate governance

package. As regards the revision of the Share-

holders’ Rights Directive, aimed at enhancing

shareholder’s rights over companies, the Presi-

dency will seek a Council mandate to engage

in trilogues with the European Parliament.

The Presidency will work towards reaching a

compromise in the Council also on the Single-

Member Company Directive, designed to

tackle obstacles that hamper the economic

activities of companies (SMEs in particular)

within the Single Market.

The Presidency will support the initiatives

undertaken by the trio in view of further

enhancing the functioning of the

Customs

Union,

including in the ﬁeld of governance of

the customs-related Council Working Parties.

With regard to the legislative proposals, due

consideration will be given to the thematic

examination of the Union legal framework for

customs infringements and sanctions, and,

once issued, to the pending proposal on the

implementation of the FCTC Protocol. The

Presidency will highlight matters relating to

the management of the EU external border.

Namely, with regard to international aﬀairs,

special attention will be devoted to relations

with EU neighbouring countries, major

trading partners and the coordination of

the EU position to be taken in bilateral and

multilateral fora.

In order to provide a contribution to the

Europe 2020 Strategy, there is a need to

bridge

research and innovation

through

fostering networks without barriers and the

full exploitation of the potential of national

research and innovation systems. In this

context, building strong links between

the Innovation Union and the European

Research Area is essential. The Presidency

will place an emphasis on the enhancement

of the European Research Area (ERA) through

the ERA Roadmap and improved ERA

governance. In this regard, the Presidency

will focus on ERA implementation aspects,

EU added value and the optimal use of public

investments in research. The Presidency will

facilitate the implementation of the European

Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures

(ESFRI) Roadmap and the European Research

Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) instrument,

and will contribute to a better consistency

between these instruments and smart

specialisation strategies as well as regional

and macro-regional policies.

The Presidency will work to unlock the EU’s

digital potential towards achieving a thriving

data-driven economy.

Recognising that

data is at the centre of the future knowledge

economy and society, the Presidency will

work on raising awareness of the importance

of framework conditions, including fostering

the open data policies and e-infrastructure

that encompass the needs of research and

innovation communities. The Presidency will

explore ways of achieving faster and wider

innovation through open, networked and

data-intensive research.

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Global societal challenges require responsible

and reliable

science

which is aligned

with values and needs of the European

society. The Presidency will therefore raise

awareness of the concept of Open Science

(Science 2.0) with an aim of contributing

to the wider debate on fostering the

quality and excellence of European science,

including through the digital dimension.

The Presidency will advance the dossiers

on scientiﬁc and technological research in

speciﬁc regions, notably in the Baltic Sea Area

with a particular reference to joint research

programmes that have been undertaken

by several Member States, whilst taking

into account the forthcoming evaluation of

the Baltic Sea Research and Development

Programme (BONUS). The Presidency will

also facilitate work on the ﬁnal evaluation of

the Seventh Framework Programme and will

closely monitor the results of the initial phase

of the framework programme, Horizon 2020,

to ensure the exploitation of the full potential

of the programme in terms of the scientiﬁc,

industrial and social growth of the EU,

including the appropriate synergies with the

European Structural and Investment Funds.

In the ﬁeld of

space policy,

the Presidency

will follow the evolution of discussions in the

Council on future relations between the EU

and the European Space Agency (ESA), and

possible lines of action on the way forward.

The Presidency will also welcome broader

discussions on the future development of

an integrated and comprehensive EU Space

Strategy, bringing together the eﬀorts of

individual Member States and EU policy

instruments. The Presidency recalls that

the Galileo and Copernicus Programmes

are expected to create substantial market

opportunities

for

European

industry

and SMEs through the development of

downstream services and applications, which

require continuous and sustained access to

data. Therefore, a further discussion is needed

regarding high resolution Earth observation

satellite data (HRSD) in order to facilitate fair

and reliable access and free circulation of data

throughout the EU. The Presidency will follow

the implementation of the Horizon 2020 part

on space research with an objective to foster

a cost-eﬀective competitive and innovative

space industry, including SMEs. The

Presidency acknowledges the importance of

the development of Space Surveillance and

Tracking (SST) capability at the European level

to exploit existing national and European civil

and military assets, with the aim to tackle the

problem of space debris.

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G. Transport, Telecommunications and Energy

A forward-looking development of infrastructure and networks is fundamental for enhanced

European competitiveness and the well-functioning of a single market. Safe, sustainable and

user-orientated transport, telecommunications and energy connections across European

borders are necessary to encourage EU citizens and goods to travel, connect, and beneﬁt from the

Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (TTE) three sectors. EU economic growth will

gain from the TTE Council’s continuous focus on strengthening the Internal Energy Market and

energy security aspects, enhancing trust in the Digital Single Market, and the implementation

of the Europe 2020 Strategy in the context of its mid-term review. Connecting up the transport,

energy and digital networks in an eﬃcient and sustainable manner requires concerted European

eﬀorts in stimulating and mobilising investments.

The

land transport

policy objectives

are to promote eﬃcient, safe and secure

travel for passengers and goods, an area in

which citizens and enterprises participate

in facilitating these goals. Strengthening

the European railway network will be a

distinctive part of the Presidency. Progress on

the Fourth Railway Package is instrumental

for the development of the single EU

transport area, which contributes to a more

competitive and modern public transport

infrastructure across the EU. The Presidency

will continue the discussions on all parts

of the package. The Presidency will work

to ﬁnalise negotiations with the European

Parliament on the technical pillar based on

substantial progress that has been achieved

during previous presidencies. In order to

achieve further progress on the remaining

elements of the package, discussions started

by the Italian Presidency will be continued.

To maintain high levels of road safety, the

Presidency will ensure that the ﬁnal adoption

of the Cross-Border Enforcement Directive

is ensured within the time limits that have

been set out by the Court of Justice. The

Presidency will also formalise the agreement

reached on the weights and dimensions

proposal. A policy debate on the planned

interim review of the Road Safety Policy

Orientations may be envisaged, allowing

the Member States to give their input in

this crucial subject. In order to highlight

the importance of the common Trans-

European Transport Network (TEN-T) and the

established corridors, the Presidency intends

to enable a ministerial discussion that would

focus on the development, implementation

and ﬁnancing of the TEN-T transport network

infrastructure. This will be also an opportunity

to look at the practical implementation of

the Investment plan for Europe in the ﬁeld

of transport. In this context, the next TEN-T

Days will take place in Riga at the end of

June. Furthermore, given the high priority

the Presidency attaches to the development

of eﬃcient Asia-Europe transport corridors,

the Third ASEM Transport Ministers’ Meeting

will be held in Riga on 29-30 April 2015.

The

aviation

sector, which smoothly connects

the EU both internally and with the rest of the

world, is a prerequisite for a competitive and

prosperous Europe. Europe is experiencing

sustained air traﬃc growth that calls for a

reform of air traﬃc management in Europe

in order to conduct operations under the

safest, most cost-eﬃcient, ﬂight-eﬃcient, and

passenger-orientated conditions. Therefore,

the Presidency will be open to continue the

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work on the SES II+ package as well as the slots

proposal, provided that there is a solution on

the bilateral issue among the Member States

concerned. Moreover, the Presidency would

be ready to seek progress in the Council on the

proposal concerning the minimum rights for

air passengers. The Presidency believes that it

is the right time to start a political discussion

on Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS).

Therefore, the Presidency intends to devote

attention to this rapidly developing area

during the Aviation Conference in Riga.

Maritime transport

is and will be an important

long-term contributor to Europe’s economy

and the quality of life of the European people.

The Presidency will strive to secure the right

international environment for maritime

transport and intends to promote all the

initiatives facilitating growth and enhancing

competitive European shipping. As regards

the ports sector, once the European Parliament

has adopted its ﬁrst reading position, the

Presidency may seek further progress on

the Commission’s proposal to establish a

framework for market access to port services

and the ﬁnancial transparency of ports.

The EU’s

inland waterway transport

sector

is an important catalyst for the future

development of the EU internal market and

a more sustainable and eﬀective transport

network. With this in mind, the Presidency

will endeavour to start work on the revised

proposal laying down technical requirements

for inland waterway vessels.

Telecommunications

is one of the fastest-

evolving sectors globally, and one in which the

Digital Single Market provides a substantial

growth potential for Europe. Communication

networks and technologies should become

a driving force for the economy and for

innovation in Europe. Through the process of

seizing and preserving these opportunities,

the EU must ensure that Europe’s citizens

and businesses are getting the most out of

digital technologies. Improving cybersecurity

is a pre-condition for the functioning of our

societies and economies. We see the Network

and Information Security Directive (NIS) as

an important tool for improving the quality

of cybersecurity, both on a national and

EU level, and for facilitating international

cooperation. Acknowledging that the NIS

Directive proposal has entered its ﬁnal phase,

the Presidency will work towards reaching an

agreement with the European Parliament.

In view of making further progress in

strengthening the Digital Single Market

and in evolving the legal framework, the

Presidency will seek an overall compromise

on the proposal for a regulation laying down

measures concerning the European single

market for electronic communications and

to achieve a Connected Continent (TSM).

The guiding principle will be to ﬁnd a

balance between a high quality of services

and a reasonable cost for European citizens.

The Presidency also intends to make an

eﬀort to ﬁnalise the work on the Web

Accessibility Directive, which aims to improve

the accessibility of public sector bodies’

websites to all users, in particular people

with functional limitations. The Presidency

aims to make signiﬁcant progress regarding

the Decision establishing a programme on

interoperability solutions for European public

administrations, businesses and citizens

(ISA

) in order to support cross-border and

cross-sector interaction for European public

administrations, enterprises and citizens.

The Presidency will facilitate the discussions

among the Member States regarding the

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Europe 2020 mid-term review and the Annual

Growth Survey in relevant Council formations,

where special attention will be paid to digital

aspects. The Presidency is planning also

to organise and host the Digital Assembly

in Riga in June 2015 to discuss emerging

challenges related to the building of a vibrant

digital economy and society in Europe.

To address additional eﬀorts needed to

advance the establishment of the

Digital

Single Market,

which would increase Euro-

pean competitiveness and respond to

existing challenges, the Presidency plans to

hold political discussions on the anticipated

Digital Single Market Strategy. In order to

advance further digitalisation, the Presidency

in general will attach great importance to

the principle of ‘digital by default’ – the

Presidency will highlight discussions on

digital skills and the next steps regarding

the promotion of eGovernment. Attention

will be also devoted to the aspects of

interoperability, web accessibility and the

digital transformation of the public sector in

order to make it eﬃcient and innovative.

In connection to the

external digital

agenda,

the main issue for the Presidency will

be internet governance. The Presidency will

closely monitor, and if necessary, act upon, the

developments in this ﬁeld, especially taking

into account the approaching announced

transition of the stewardship of the Internet

Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) function

and enhancing the accountability of the

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and

Numbers (ICANN).

Within the

energy policy

sector, the

Presidency will focus on the development

of the Energy Union concept, recognising

ﬁve pillars identiﬁed by the Commission and

following an open dialogue with the Member

States. The Presidency will devote its eﬀorts

to ensuring that the discussions on the

Energy Union concept are launched in early

February and the main principles are deﬁned

within the ﬁrst quarter of 2015. Following

the establishment of the Energy Union

process, the Presidency would work on the

implementation plan. The Presidency intends

to continue discussions on the completion

and further development of the internal

energy market. First of all, it will pay attention

to energy infrastructure, inter alia to the aim

of ending Member States’ isolation from

European networks by 2015, and to the 10%

interconnection target. The Presidency will

invite the Commission to provide monitoring

data on recently adopted projects of common

interest (PCIs), and will follow the process of

creation of the second list of PCIs. Secondly,

the Presidency will pay attention to such

crucial elements of the internal energy market

as the regulatory framework (especially

network codes for electricity and gas) and

accompanying measures on the retail markets.

Energy security is an important part of the

Presidency’s work programme. Taking into

account the October 2014 European Council

conclusions, the Presidency will continue

to follow the implementation of European

Energy Security Strategy. Assessment of the

implemented short term measures would

provide signiﬁcant input for further discus-

sions. The Presidency is also committed to

contribute towards medium and long term

actions.

Regarding the 2030 Framework for Climate

and Energy Policy, following the decisions

of the European Council in October 2014

the Presidency will work on a coherent

governance model. Complying with this

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task, as well as respecting future outcomes

of the Paris Conference, the ﬁrst elements of

the governance structure will be developed.

In this context the central issue would be

the assessment of the beneﬁts that regional

cooperation could provide.

The Presidency will continue the eﬀorts

of previous Presidencies towards the

development of a sustainable energy policy

and, in particular, will aim to reach a second

reading agreement with the European

Parliament on the Indirect Land Use Change

(ILUC) proposal. The Presidency will continue

moving towards a more energy eﬃcient

Europe. Moreover, the Presidency will

support and facilitate work that is aimed at

the improvement of the Energy Labelling

Directive and the Eco-Design regulations for

respective groups of products.

The Presidency will pay due attention to

ongoing negotiations on energy issues

within international fora, including within

the European neighbourhood, and will

further explore the modernisation of several

multilateral cooperation formats, such as the

Energy Community and the Energy Charter.

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H. Agriculture and Fisheries

The basic function of agriculture and ﬁsheries is to provide consumers with safe and healthy

food, while preserving the environment and ensuring the vitality of rural areas. The Presidency

will drive forward measures that help areas to be competitive when it comes to job creation,

qualitative and sustainable agriculture, the food industry, and the forestry and ﬁsheries sectors.

In order to enhance the competitiveness of European agricultural production, the Presidency will

continue to promote the development of sustainable, innovative and environmentally friendly

agricultural, food, and ﬁsheries sectors throughout the EU. The Presidency will also continue to

support all the eﬀorts towards ensuring that animal and plant health and food safety standards

are strengthened and enforced in the whole of the agri-food chain.

Simpliﬁcation is one of the main cornerstones

of the reformed

Common Agricultural Policy.

Therefore, the Presidency will pay particular

attention to this issue. The Presidency will

explore the possibilities to advance work on

the Commission proposals to revise the aid

schemes for the supply of fruit, vegetables

and milk to schools, thus improving healthy

eating habits amongst school children.

The simpliﬁcation of the

administrative

procedures

and the safeguarding of quality

will be considered whilst examining the

Commission’s proposal for a review of the

regulation regarding organic farming,

therefore also contributing to the eﬃciency of

checks and balances, a more reliable import

regime, and also fraud prevention.

To provide simple but eﬀective

veterinary

legislation and to assure a high level of

human and animal health protection, the

Presidency intends to work towards reaching

an agreement with the European Parliament

on the legislative proposal on animal health,

which sets out a clear and single legal

framework for the prevention and control

of animal diseases that are transmissible

between animals and to humans. As

the proposal introduces the principle of

biosecurity as one of the key tools for the

prevention of transmissible diseases that

can be spread within the animal population,

the Presidency will organise an international

seminar in Riga during spring 2015 which will

focus on the need for increased biosecurity.

In order to establish the basis for a more

integrated and horizontal approach on

oﬃcial controls

in the whole agri-food chain,

the Presidency will continue work towards

a compromise among the Member States

and intends to launch negotiations with

the European Parliament aiming to reach

an agreement on the regulation for oﬃcial

controls along the food chain. The Presidency

will continue to work also on the legislative

proposal for a regulation on the zoo-technical

and genealogical conditions for trade in

and imports into the Union of breeding

animals and their germinal products, as

well as regulations regarding the placement

on the market of veterinary medicines and

medicated feed.

Particular eﬀorts will be devoted to the

food

safety

area. In this regard the Presidency

will strive to ﬁnalise work on the legislation

on novel food and reach an agreement with

the European Parliament on caseins and

caseinates. This will contribute to ensuring

food safety and good public health, and will

secure the functioning of the internal market,

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whilst also supporting food sector innovations,

providing more uniform conditions for business

operators and aligning the EU requirements to

the relevant international standards.

When taking into account the International

Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and high-

level EU phytosanitary

standards

in health

and environmental policies, the Presidency

will continue discussions on the compromise

text on a harmonised approach to protective

measures against pests on plants as part of a

package of legislation reviews that are related

to the health of plants. The Presidency will

also start the examination of the fertilisers

regulation and will continue representing the

interests of the EU and its Members States

under the International Plant Protection

Convention, which aims to incorporate and

strengthen these interests in the area of

phytosanitary matters, on an international

basis in accordance with the Commission on

Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) 9 agenda.

The Presidency will target common eﬀorts

in order to achieve a balanced and eﬃcient

EU approach towards the implementation

of the EU Forestry Strategy. With the aim of

ensuring sustainable and responsible

forest

management,

the Presidency will continue

to promote the European model of forest

management globally. An endeavour will be

dedicated also to the elaboration of the EU

position and representation of the EU model

at the United Nations Forum on Forests in

New York, in May 2015.

In order to ensure the sustainable mana-

gement of

ﬁsheries

and the goal to achieve

Maximum Sustainable Yield for all stocks,

the Presidency will work to ensure progress

on the multi-annual management plans. A

new framework of technical measures will

be regarded as an essential element of this

eﬀort. The work on aligning various existing

regulations with the Lisbon Treaty will be

continued accordingly. A special eﬀort will

be devoted to the appropriate representation

and coordination of the EU’s position in

the negotiations on ﬁsheries partnership

agreements with third world countries and to

meetings that are planned within multilateral

organisations and with the coastal countries

on ﬁsheries issues.

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I. Environment

Action that can be taken to protect the environment and to promote the sustainable management

of natural resources covers a wide range of areas, including biodiversity, ecosystems, air quality,

waste management, water issues, and the sound management of chemicals. Based on the

progress achieved by the end of 2014, the Presidency will continue to work on those issues that

are related to the 2030 Framework for Climate and Energy Policy as necessary. As a priority

issue, the Presidency will lead the preparation of the EU contribution to international climate

negotiations with a view to reaching a new legally-binding agreement on the global climate

change regime in Paris at the end of 2015. The Presidency will pursue ongoing eﬀorts towards a

reduction of environmental pressures and will facilitate policy processes towards improving the

quality of life for EU citizens, including the improvement of air quality.

In the area of

climate change,

while taking

into account decisions made by the October

2014 European Council, the Presidency will

move forward with the legislative proposal on

the Market Stability Reserve to strengthen the

EU Emissions Trading System as a market-ba-

sed mechanism and to improve the operation

of the carbon market. The year 2015 will be a

crucial year for international climate change

negotiations. One of the most important

items on the Presidency’s agenda will be the

preparations for a global agreement on a

climate change regime for the post-2020 period,

to be concluded in Paris at the 21st Conference

of Parties of the United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The

preparation, submission, and representation of

the EU position at the UNFCCC meetings will be

crucial in advancing the negotiations towards

reaching an agreement. The political debate

within the Environmental Council and the

exchange of views during informal meetings

of Environment Ministers will provide further

guidance.

Concerning the

resource eﬃciency and

green growth

agenda, the Presidency

will organise a debate of the Environment

Ministers in March on the further integration

of environment aspects in the European

Semester process and in the Europe 2020

Strategy, in particular with regard to resource-

eﬃciency. The Presidency will also follow

closely the initiatives to promote a circular

economy and eﬃcient waste management.

In the ﬁeld of air quality, the Presidency will

continue to work towards achieving better

air quality throughout Europe, in particular

by seeking a deal on the proposal for the

Directive for Medium-sized Combustion

Plants. With a view to the Biodiversity

Strategy mid-term review, the Presidency

will organise discussions during the informal

Environment Ministers meeting as well as

expert discussions to provide input.

The Presidency aims to provide input into

numerous

international environmental

processes.

These processes range from the

sound management of chemicals to waste,

from biodiversity and species protection

to biosafety, and will require intensive and

detailed preparations within the Council

and a coordination of the EU positions for

international meetings. The Presidency will

coordinate the EU’s position and participation

at the back-to-back meetings held by the

Conference of the Parties (COP) for the three

UN Chemicals and Waste Conventions (the

Rotterdam, Stockholm and Basel Conventions),

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which will be held under the leitmotif, ‘From

science to action’ and which will be one of

the major international environmental events

held during the Presidency. Therefore, the

Presidency will facilitate, as necessary, the

EU’s input in the preparation for the entering

into force of the Minamata Convention on

Mercury. Equal importance will be given to the

preparation for the Conference of Parties to

the Convention on Wetlands of International

Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat,

known as the Ramsar Convention. In the

context of the Working Group of the Parties

on Environmental Impact Assessment and

Strategic Environmental Assessment under

the Espoo Convention and the Working

Group of the Parties under the Aarhus

Convention on the international agenda, the

Presidency will facilitate the preparation of EU

contributions as appropriate for the respective

Convention Working Groups. The year 2015 in

international fora will be crucial when it comes

to arriving at a universal post-2015 framework

for sustainable development and poverty

eradication. The Presidency will place a strong

emphasis on shaping a comprehensive EU

contribution to international negotiations

on sustainable development objectives and

sustainable development goals leading up to

the UN Summit in September 2015.

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J. Education, Youth, Culture and Sport

In the framework of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council, the Presidency will pay

particular attention to developing a closer link with the broader economic and social challenges

that the EU is facing, and to the EU growth and jobs strategy in particular. The Presidency is

committed to enhance social well-being and the quality of life of European citizens by ensuring

the full use of the potential of new digital technologies in education, culture, and the audio-visual

sector. New technologies need to be employed to a greater extent when tackling the e-skills gap

and maintaining the intrinsic values and principles of European citizens. A focus on strengthening

communities at the grassroots level, speciﬁcally addressing various issues to boost child and youth

empowerment, is essential for the further improvement of the EU’s competitiveness and the EU’s

global role.

The Presidency intends to strengthen the

important role of

education and training

promoting economic growth, investments

and well-being. In this regard the Presidency

will focus on providing a new impetus for

strengthening the education agenda in the

context of the Europe 2020 Strategy and

achieving the objectives that have been set.

This should be done through developing

a closer link between the Europe 2020

Strategy and the Strategic Framework for

European cooperation in education and

training (ET 2020). The 2015 Joint Report

of the Council and the Commission on the

implementation of ‘Education and Training

2020’ will not only assess the overall progress

of the Strategic Framework in the form of

an interim evaluation, but will have a much

more forward-looking approach by seeking

to establish priority areas and ﬁelds for

cooperation during the next work cycle.

The Presidency will facilitate discussions,

therefore contributing to the preparation of

the Joint Report 2015.

The Presidency will continue working

on enhanced cooperation in

vocational

education and training,

having regard to

both previous achievements and current

and future challenges, and will facilitate

discussions on the future of vocational

education and training. It aims to strengthen

cooperation in this sector among the EU

Member States, candidate countries, EEA

member countries, and social partners in

order to ensure that education systems are

able to provide people with the skills and

competences they need in order to be able to

succeed in the labour market.

The Presidency intends to further support

the internationalisation of higher education.

This will be achieved by strengthening

international co-operation in education

between European and Asian countries

when holding the 5th ASEM Education

Ministers’ Meeting in Riga. The discussions

will highlight the results and outcome of the

ASEM Education Process since the 4th ASEM

Education Ministers’ Meeting (ASEMME4). The

ministers will also discuss the priorities and

activities for the next years in order to ensure

closer cooperation among ASEM countries

and to improve comparability between

diﬀerent education systems in both regions.

Furthermore, an evaluation of the Bologna

process is expected in the ﬁeld of higher

education with a view to preparing for the

Bologna Ministerial Conference to be held in

Yerevan, Armenia.

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Recognising the pre-school and primary

school age as being of key importance for a

child’s personal and intellectual development,

the Presidency intends to address the role

of early childhood education and

primary

education

in fostering creativity, innovation

and digital skills. The Presidency will strive

for the adoption of the Council conclusions

on this issue. Having in mind that the EU

Member States are comprised of regions

and territories that require diﬀerent ﬁnancial

solutions in regard to ensuring access to

education and the uniformity of its levels

of quality, the Presidency intends to hold

discussions on the accessibility of education

and eﬀectiveness of investments. Last, but

not least, the Presidency intends to facilitate

discussions on issues related to transparency

and the recognition of skills and qualiﬁcations

for mobility and employability and the way

forward for EU policies.

The Presidency will work on the imple-

mentation of the EU Work Plan for

Youth

2014–2015, focusing on the development and

role of the cross-sector approach to policy-

making, especially with regard to eﬀectively

addressing the socioeconomic challenges

of young people. The Presidency will seek

to further advance the contribution of the

youth sector when it comes to achieving the

relevant Europe 2020 Strategy objectives. The

Presidency plans to propose the adoption of

the Council conclusions on this topic and it

will organise the EU Youth Conference, which

will focus on how to empower young people

in political participation in democratic life

in Europe, and will discuss the results of the

structured dialogue with young people. To

further strengthen cooperation with young

people in the Eastern Partnership countries,

the Presidency will host the second Eastern

Partnership Youth Forum.

Culture

and creativity are at the heart of

smart, sustainable and inclusive development

and growth. The Presidency will follow the

work on the Europe 2020 Strategy mid-term

review process from the cultural and creative

sector’s perspective. One of the Presidency’s

objectives will be to highlight culture not

only as a means and an instrument for

growth, but also as a development goal. The

Presidency will seek ways to further enhance

cultural accessibility and participation in

the digital age to strengthen Europe as a

creative and innovative Union in order to

address the challenges of the 21st century.

The Presidency will organise two conferences

within the framework of the annual Creativity

Week in Latvia in order to spark debate and

raise awareness on the positive contribution

and impact of cultural and creative crossovers

to other sectors. This will encourage the

development of policies for more targeted

transversal cooperation, including the

dialogue between cultural heritage, contem-

porary architecture, and high-quality design.

The Presidency will seek to adopt the Council

conclusions on cultural and creative cross-

overs to stimulate innovation, economic

sustainability and social inclusion.

The Presidency will also continue to support

work that is aimed to improve evidence-based

policy-making to demonstrate the social and

economic impact of culture. The Presidency

will also welcome a debate on reusing the

digital cultural heritage in education and

the creative industries during the Europeana

strategy meeting.

Rapid technological and market develop-

ments have predetermined the need to

rethink Europe’s approach to

audiovisual

content in the digital era. The Presidency will

follow the progress that will be made by the

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2. Integrating Europe:

THE PROGRAMME

FOR COUNCIL CONFIGURATIONS

Commission during its envisaged review (reﬁt

procedure) of the Audiovisual Media Services

(AVMS) Directive, and will be prepared to

react to any developments. The Presidency

will host an audiovisual conference that

will focus on the main issues raised by the

Commission’s Green Paper, entitled ‘Preparing

for a Fully Converged Audiovisual World:

Growth, Creation and Value’, and the report

by the High Level Group on Media Freedom

and Pluralism, ‘A free and pluralistic media to

sustain European democracy’.

In the ﬁeld of

sport,

the Presidency will work

on the implementation of the EU Work Plan

for Sport 2014-2017. Grassroots sport should

be strengthened as an instrument for the

development of European human capital,

especially among young people. It contributes

towards acquiring and developing transversal

skills that enhance employability and the

personal and professional development of

individuals. The Presidency plans to propose

that Council conclusions on this topic be

approved. The Presidency intends to continue

discussions on strengthening a healthy lifestyle

among people of all ages and encouraging

lifelong participation in sports. In this regard,

discussions and an exchange of experiences

are planned on eﬃcient models of cooperation

between public authorities and sports

movements in Member States. The Presidency

will follow the progress of the ﬁnalisation

of the Council of Europe Convention on the

Manipulation of Sports Competitions, and in

the area of anti-doping the Presidency will

continue to ensure that the EU and its Member

States cooperate and coordinate eﬀectively

in order to remain a strong voice in the World

Anti-Doping Agency.