Date of release : 05-01-2005

Policy area : General Affairs and External Relations

Event : Visit of the European Commission to the Luxembourg Presidency

On Monday 10 January 2005, the government of Luxembourg will receive a visit from the European Commission on the occasion of the start of the Luxembourg Presidency.

The members of the Commission will be welcomed by the government, led by Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, in the Centre administratif Pierre Werner in Luxembourg-Kirchberg. This reception will be followed by bilateral talks between the members of the government and the representatives of the European Commission. A meeting in a plenary session will close the discussions.

A joined press conference will be given by José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, and Jean-Claude Juncker, new president of the Council of the European Union, in the Centre de conférence Kiem in Luxembourg at 12.15 am.

Information for the media, not intended for publication

1. Media programme

10.00 am	Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker welcomes the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, in the Centre administratif Pierre Werner. In presence of the visual media*.
10.15 am	Thematic talks between President José Manuel Barroso, Vice-President Margot Wallström and Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker. In presence of the visual media*.
11.30 am	Final plenary meeting (room C1). Tour de table at the beginning of the meeting.*
12.15 am	Centre de conférence Kiem. Family photo. In presence of the visual media.
12.25 am	Joined press conference given by the President of the Commission and the Prime Minister of Luxembourg.  In presence of the media.
1.15 pm	Lunch
2.50 pm	Group photo.  In presence of the visual media.
3.00 pm	End of the programme of the visit.

* Visual media pool

Depending on the quantity of requests for visual coverage of the events, pool systems may be operating.

Photographers and cameramen wishing to cover the different events taking place in the Centre administratif Pierre Werner are asked to register at the information desk "Info-média" immediately after their arrival.

2. Press centre

The press centre has been set up in the Centre de conférence Kiem.

Entrance: on the side of the Circuit de la Foire internationale
Address: 5, rue Carlo Hemmer, L-1734 Luxembourg-Kirchberg
Opening hours of the press centre: from 7.30 am to 6 pm
Parking: Please note that it is not possible to park your car in front of the Centre de conférence Kiem, except for media transmission vehicles (SNG). These vehicles may park in front of the media entrance at the Centre de conférence, on the side of the Circuit de la Foire internationale.

The press is kindly asked to use the car park of the shopping centre (Auchan), situated very close to the Centre de conférence. Parking spaces for the press are available on level -3. This car park is accessible via the Avenue J. F. Kennedy. Please take a ticket upon entering the parking lot and hold on to it as it will be exchanged for a validated ticket at the information desk "Info-média" of the Centre de conférence Kiem. Parking is therefore free of charge for the media.

Access to the parking:

-Coming from the Grande-Duchesse Charlotte bridge:
Avenue J. F. Kennedy – Kirchberg roundabout – Circuit de la Foire internationale – direction shopping centre Auchan
-Coming from the motorway: exit no. 8 "Kirchberg/FIL", direction "Luxembourg-centre" – Kirchberg roundabout – direction shopping centre Auchan

3. Accreditation

Media accreditation is compulsory for this meeting. Access will only be granted to media representatives who are duly accredited.
Accreditation desk: You can collect your badge at the accreditation desk which you will find in hall 3, at the entrance of the Centre de conférence Kiem. You have access to the accreditation desk via the Circuit de la Foire Internationale.
Opening hours of the accreditation desk: from 7.30 am to 12.30 am

Withdrawal of the badge: to withdraw your badge (yellow), please present yourself at the accreditation desk. Accreditation badges must be collected personally and are non-transferable.
The identification badge will only be issued on presentation of:

-a valid passport or national identity card (with a photograph)
-a valid press card or ORIGINAL letter from the newspaper’s editorial office signed by the editor-in-chief, stating the professional status of those persons who do not have a press card.

Accreditation badges must be worn visibly throughout the meeting. The accreditation desk must be notified immediately of any loss of a badge.

4. Transport for the visual media

Members of the visual media have access to the Centre administratif Pierre Werner and the Grand-Ducal Palace only if they travel on the official bus, organized by the Presidency. The schedule is as follows:

• 9.15 am  Transport from the CCKiem to the Centre administratif Pierre Werner

• 10.20 am Return from the Centre administraif Pierre Werner to the CCKiem

• 11.10 am Transport from the CCKiem to the Centre administratif Pierre Werner

• 11.40 am Return from the Centre administratif Pierre Werner to the CCKiem

• 2.15 pm Transport from the CCKiem to the Grand-Ducal Palace

• 3.05 pm Return from the Grand-Ducal Palace to the CCKiem

5.     Information desk "Info-média"

Do not hesitate to consult the information desk "Info-média" in the big workroom for any further information.
Tel.: (+352) 4302-1

6. Working area

The workroom offers 400 working spaces with free Internet access, PCs, printers, telephones (with connection to analogue and digital modem) and photocopiers. The wireless lan is another service provided by the Presidency.

Phone instructions:

• Incoming calls:
  To call the press centre from outside, please dial the number (+352) 4302 followed by the telephone or fax extension (five-figure number).

• Outgoing calls:
  To obtain an outside line, please dial "9" followed by the telephone extension of your correspondent.

• Internal calls:
  To call an internal number from an internal phone, dial only the five-digit extension of the telephone.

7.    TV and radio

Broadcasting Centre Europe (BCE) is the host broadcaster of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union and provides technical services for TV and radio, production and distribution of pool signals. In collaboration with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), BCE provides multi- and unilateral transmissions. The European Broadcasting Union is responsible for the reservations of editing rooms, stand up positions and the feed.

Television/Radio editing rooms are situated in the halls 3 and 4 of the press centre. They are equipped with an analogue telephone line, ISDN line, television sets and are able to receive the television signal of the host broadcaster.

You will also find injection points for the European Broadcasting Union, SNG connections, 2 equipped stand up positions as well as 2 editing rooms with editors.

Contact persons:

UER-EBU booking

Television:  Rosa Moreno
Tel.: (+352) 437 467 / 406
Fax: (+352) 437 389
GSM: (+41) 79 213 4885
E-mail: moreno@eurovision.net

Radio:   Julia Loncier
Tel.: (+41) 22 717 2607
GSM: (+41) 79 230 1508
E-mail: loncier@ebu.ch

Host broadcaster of the Presidency

BCE – technical disposition for TV and radio / parking spaces for SNG and editing vehicles
Nico Raths
Tel.: (+352) 2480 70 16
GSM: (+352) 021 193 887
GSM: (+352) 021 148 100
E-mail: nico_raths@bce.lu

8.     Photo service

The Presidency provides photo coverage of the meeting. Photos can be downloaded from the website of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union: http://www.eu2005.lu.

9.    Catering

Refreshments: Refreshments (coffee, tea, cold drinks, Danish pastry…) are served continuously at the press bar situated in hall 3 of the press centre.
Lunch: The bar of the press centre (hall 3) features a buffet lunch, from 12.30 am to 2.30 pm.

10.    Contacts

Do not hesitate to contact the Presidency by sending an e-mail to the following address: media@eu2005.lu.