General Affairs Council (12 September 2011)

Thursday 15th September 2011 Written Statements

[The Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington)]

The General Affairs Council was held on 12 September in Brussels. I represented the UK.

The agenda items covered were as follows:

General Affairs Council (GAC)

The GAC was chaired by the Polish EU presidency (Mr Mikolaj Dowgielewicz, State Secretary for European Affairs of Poland). A draft record of the meeting can be found at:

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/genaff/124579.pdf

Multiannual Financial Framework

Before the General Affairs Council I met with a group of member states that, like the UK, believe in a budget-disciplined approach to the multiannual financial framework, hosted by Sweden. Together we agreed a joint statement calling for budgetary restraint; this was reflected in a press statement released following the Council meeting, this can be found at the following internet address:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=PressS&id=654555082.

Ministers were informed of the progress of discussions at the Friends of Presidency Group. This is a Committee of officials from the member states, with attendance from the Commission, to prepare and discuss aspects of the next multiannual financial framework. The Commission proposals, which can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/budget/reform/, were published in June 2011 and are unacceptable to the UK. Discussion was guided by the document linked below, which set the framework for the discussion.

http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/11/st13/st13127.en11.pdf

During the formal, public, session of the General Affairs Council and the informal lunch following the Council meeting I took the opportunity, along with partners, to reiterate the UK demand for a smaller EU budget in the next financial framework. I also argued for greater transparency. This means bringing the budget items that the Commission has sought to move “off budget” back on to the balance sheet (an estimated €18 billion worth of measures). On flexibility (moving monies between budget envelopes after they had been agreed) I argued that this would only make sense in the context of a smaller, more tightly focused, overall budget.

October European Council

The presidency presented the draft annotated agenda of the October European Council on behalf of the President of the EU. The conclusions would cover economic policy and preparation of the EU’s position for the G20 summit and for the Durban conference on climate change. The main focus would be on economic policy and in particular external aspects of the Union’s economic policy and internal initiatives on growth and the single market.

All Ministers welcomed the draft annotated agenda and recognised that it may need to evolve in the lead up to the European Council in the middle of October. I welcomed the emphasis on economic policy but stressed the need for substantive discussion on promoting growth and jobs. I also pressed for the European Council to discuss the events in north Africa and the middle east and to discuss the evolving European neighbourhood policy. Heads of State must discuss the pressing international issues of the day.

I will deposit copies of this note in the Libraries of both Houses, and I will continue to update Parliament on the General Affairs Councils as and when future meetings are held.