Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Our Presidency is starting to take shape and the time has now come to talk about our ambitions. At a press conference on Friday 25 June at the Justus Lipsius – the building in Brussels where the 27 Member States negotiate day after day to take Europe forward - the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for European Affairs and I formally presented the Presidency’s programme.

This weekend it was time to take these contacts further, and with all the Belgian Ministers involved in the Presidency we met a group of European and international press correspondents.

Our aim was to improve understanding of our priorities and beliefs for the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. On Sunday evening, with Prime Minister Yves Leterme, we received the press at a dinner at the Palais d’Egmont. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of hosting several dozen journalists at the Château de la Hulpe. Each Belgian Minister (whether federal, regional or community) chairing a configuration of the Council of Ministers of the European Union has thus been able to exchange ideas with the press and answer specific questions.

I have noticed that the European press is interested in the Belgian Presidency. The press was present in large numbers and asked a great number of questions. I especially wanted to stress, above all, that our Presidency has been very well prepared (more than two years of work), and that the preparations have extended to the smallest details. Our programme will guide the entire team of Ministers who are to chair configurations of the Council, and it is based on a very wide consensus between the great majority of political parties. Although we are dealing with current affairs, there is no hesitation regarding our philosophy and the consistency of our approach.

You will not have immediately seen the reflection of this informal meeting in the press: first of all, we want to make the press understand our approach, and we hope to give press conferences and interviews once results can be announced.
 

Steven Vanackere