Date of release : 21-02-2005

Policy area : General Affairs and External Relations

Event : General Affairs and External Relations Council

At the end of the discussions of the "General Affairs" Council of 21 February 2005, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and current President of the Council of the European Union, Jean Asselborn, made the following statement on the financial perspectives for 2007-2013:

"Our debate this morning on the new ‘heading 1a’, dedicated to the "Competitiveness" aspect of the European economy, took place, as did the one in January on the cohesion policy, in the framework of the firm objective to reach a political agreement on the financial perspectives in June."

During this meeting, the Presidency distributed a brief questionnaire aimed at giving direction to the ministerial debate of 21 February.

The Minister expressed his "satisfaction with the content of the debate", which he described as "very useful and constructive". "With this debate, we have concluded the phase devoted to the individual examination of the headings. The more serious business will begin in a few weeks."

Jean Asselborn added that "the Presidency will take inspiration from the different views of January and 21 February in order to set up the "negotiating forum" which, after March, will become the preferred instrument in seeking a political agreement on the financial perspectives prior to the June European Council. The continuation of the negotiations at ministerial level will take on a global and more complex nature with this instrument".

The Council agreed on the annotated agenda draft of the European Council. As for the Member States who considered that the social and environmental aspects should be situated in the mid-term review of the Lisbon Strategy, the ministers explained that these aspects will have a good place in the concluding projects of the spring European Council on 22 and 23 March 2005.