Uutiset

Press release, General Affairs and External Relations, Competitiveness (Internal market, Industry and Research), Transport, Telecommunications and Energy

15 Nov 2006, 13:40 en fr de fi sv

Finland, the current holder of the EU Presidency, will organise the EU-Russia Summit in Helsinki on Friday, 24 November. The EU delegation will be led by Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and the Russian delegation by President Vladimir Putin. The EU will also be represented by President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso and High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana. The summit will focus on cooperation between the European Union and Russia in areas such as energy, the environment, education, culture and justice and home affairs. Key international issues, such as the situation in Iran, the Middle East, the Western Balkans and North Korea will also be discussed. A concrete aim of the summit is to agree to launch negotiations for a new framework agreement between the EU and Russia. The agreement is to include wide-ranging trade and energy policy issues. The summit has been prepared in several Permanent Partnership Council meetings during Finland’s EU Presidency. The EU-Russia Summit will be paralleled with a separate high-level Northern Dimension meeting. The EU, Russia, Norway and Iceland, the partners of the Northern Dimension, will attend the meeting. The aim is to adopt a new Northern Dimension Framework Document to replace the current Northern Dimension Action Plans. The framework document will turn the Northern Dimension into a common policy, to be pursued by all Northern Dimension parties as of the beginning of 2007. Programme N.B. Accreditation is required for media representatives on the Presidency website at www.eu2006.fi/accreditation. More information on media arrangements and, in particular, on photo opportunities is available on the Presidency website at www.eu2006.fi/calendar/vko47/en_GB/1159261767620. Friday, 24 November 10.00 EU-Russia Summit, House of the Estates 12.15 Family photo 12.30 Lunch hosted by Prime Minister Vanhanen 14.30 High-level Northern Dimension meeting together with the Prime Ministers of Norway and Iceland, House of the Estates 15.15 Family photo for the Northern Dimension meeting, House of the Estates 15.30 Press conference of the EU-Russia Summit and the Northern Dimension meeting, Helsinki City Hall. Media representatives are requested to arrive at the City Hall for security check by 15 at the latest. A webcast of the press conference can be followed live on the website of Finland’s EU Presidency at www.eu2006.fi/webcasts. Further information: Johan Schalin, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, tel. +358 9 1602 2068; Päivi Laine, Counsellor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5616; Sanna Kangasharju, Deputy Head of Information, Government Communications Unit, tel. +358 9 1602 2175 or +358 40 731 9915; and on media arrangements Johanna Eskola, Press Attaché, Secretariat for Finland’s EU Presidency, tel. +358 40 779 9613 La Finlande, qui assure la présidence de l’Union européenne, organisera, le vendredi 24 novembre, le sommet entre l’Union européenne et la Russie. La délégation de l’UE sera conduite par le Premier ministre, Matti Vanhanen, et la délégation russe sera conduite par le président de la Fédération de Russie, Vladimir Poutine. L’Union sera également représentée par le président de la Commission européenne, José Manuel Barroso, et par le Haut représentant pour la politique étrangère de l’Union, Javier Solana. Les thèmes du sommet d’Helsinki sont la coopération entre l’Union et la Russie, notamment dans les domaines de l’énergie et de l’environnement, de l’éducation et de la culture, et aussi en ce qui concerne les questions juridiques et les affaires intérieures. Seront également abordées les questions internationales actuelles, telles que la situation en Iran, au Proche-Orient, dans les Balkans occidentaux et en Corée du Nord. Le but concret est de définir un nouveau début des négociations relatives à l’accord cadre entre l’UE et la Russie. L’accord prévoit de couvrir à grande échelle également la politique commerciale et énergétique. Pendant la présidence finlandaise de l’Union européenne, le sommet a été préparé au cours de diverses réunions du Conseil permanent de partenariat. Une réunion de haut niveau sur la dimension septentrionale sera organisée séparément dans le cadre du sommet. Y participeront les partenaires de la dimension septentrionale : l’UE, la Russie, la Norvège et l’Islande. Le but est d’adopter un nouveau document cadre, qui remplacera les programmes d’action actuels de la dimension septentrionale. Avec ce document cadre, la dimension septentrionale se transforme en une politique commune dès le début de l’année 2007. Calendrier ATTENTION : Les représentants des médias qui viennent suivre la réunion, sont priés de s’accréditer sur le site Internet de la présidence de l’UE à l’adresse www.eu2006.fi/accreditation. Pour en savoir plus sur les arrangements pour les médias et notamment sur les possibilités de prendre des photos veuillez visiter le site www.eu2006.fi/calendar/vko47/en_GB/1159261767620. Vendredi 24 novembre 10.00 Sommet UE-Russie, Säätytalo 12.15 Photo de famille 12.30 Déjeuner présidé par le Premier ministre Matti Vanhanen 14.30 Réunion de haut niveau sur la dimension septentrionale avec les Premiers ministres de Norvège et d’Islande, Säätytalo 15.15 Photo de famille de la réunion sur la dimension septentrionale, Säätytalo 15.30 La conférence de presse commune pour le sommet UE-Russie et la réunion sur la dimension septentrionale, la mairie. Nous demandons aux journalistes venant assister à la conférence de presse, d’arriver sur place au plus tard à 15h00 en raison des contrôles de sécurité. La conférence sera diffusée en ligne sur le site de la Présidence de l’UE, à l’adresse www.eu2006.fi/webcasts. Pour en savoir plus : Johan Schalin, conseiller technique auprès du Premier ministre, secrétariat général du gouvernement, tél. +358 9 1602 2068, Päivi Laine, conseillère, ministère des Affaires étrangères, tél. +358 9 1605 5616 et Sanna Kangasharju, chef adjoint de la communication, service de communication du gouvernement, tél. +358 9 1602 2175 ou +358 40 731 9915 et arrangements pour les médias Johanna Eskola, attachée de presse, secrétariat pour la Présidence finlandaise de l’UE, tél. +358 40 779 9613 Der EU-Ratspräsident Finnland organisiert am Freitag dem 24. November in Helsinki ein Gipfeltreffen zwischen der Europäischen Union und Russland. Die EU-Delegation wird geleitet von Finnlands Ministerpräsident Matti Vanhanen, die Delegation Russlands von Präsident Wladimir Putin. Von Seiten der Union nehmen außerdem der Vorsitzende der Europäischen Kommission José Manuel Barroso und der außenpolitische Repräsentant der EU Javier Solana teil. Thema des Gipfels ist die Zusammenarbeit zwischen der Union und Russland u.a. in den Bereichen Energie und Umwelt, Bildung und Kultur sowie Justiz und Inneres. Zur Sprache kommen auch aktuellen internationale Fragen wie die Lage in Iran, im Nahen Osten, im Westbalkan und in Nordkorea. Ein konkretes Ziel ist eine Vereinbarung über die Aufnahme von Verhandlungen über einen Rahmenvertrag zwischen der EU und Russland. Der Vertrag soll auch weite Bereiche der Handels- und Energiepolitik umfassen. Das Gipfeltreffen ist während der finnischen Ratspräsidentschaft bei mehreren Tagungen des ständigen Partnerschaftsrats vorbereitet worden. In Verbindung mit dem Gipfel findet auch eine separate hochrangige Konferenz zur Nördlichen Dimension (ND) statt. An ihr nehmen die ND-Partner EU, Russland, Norwegen und Island teil. Es ist beabsichtig, während der Konferenz ein neues Rahmendokument anzunehmen, das Anfang 2007 die ND-Aktionsprogramme ablösen soll und der Nördlichen Dimension den Status einer gemeinsamen Politik der ND-Partner verleiht. Zeitplan BEACHTEN! Vertreter der Medien, die das Treffen verfolgen wollen, werden gebeten, sich auf der Website der Ratspräsidentschaft zu akkreditieren: www.eu2006.fi/accreditation. Nähere Informationen über die Arrangements für die Medien, vor allem über Fototermine, finden sich auf der Website der Präsidentschaft unter der Adresse www.eu2006.fi/calendar/vko47/en_GB/1159261767620. Freitag 24.11. 10.00 Gipfeltreffen EU-Russland, Ständehaus 12.15 Familienfoto 12.30 Mittagessen, Gastgeber Ministerpräsident Vanhanen 14.30 Hochrangige Konferenz zur Nördlichen Dimension mit Einbeziehung der Ministerpräsidenten Norwegens und Islands, Ständehaus 15.15 Familienfoto der Konferenz zur Nördlichen Dimension, Ständehaus 15.30 Gemeinsamen Pressekonferenz des Gipfeltreffens EU-Russland und der Konferenz zur Nördlichen Dimension, Stadthaus. Aufgrund der Sicherheitskontrollen werden die teilnehmenden Vertreter der Medien gebeten, sich spätestens um 15 Uhr einzufinden. Die Pressekonferenz kann auch als Live-Übertragung auf der Website der Ratspräsidentschaft – www.eu2006.fi/webcasts – verfolgt werden. Nähere Auskunft erteilen: Johan Schalin, persönlicher Referent für internationale Angelegenheiten, Staatskanzlei, Tel. +358 9 1602 2068, Botschaftsrat Päivi Laine, Ministerium für auswärtige Angelegenheiten, Tel. +358 9 1605 5616 und Sanna Kangasharju, Leitende Referentin, Information und Kommunikation, Referat für Regierungskommunikation, Tel. +358 9 1602 2175 oder +358 40 731 9915, sowie zu Pressearrangements Presseassistent Johanna Eskola, Sekretariat für die finnische EU-Präsidentschaft Tel. +358 40 779 9613 EU-puheenjohtajamaa Suomi järjestää Helsingissä perjantaina 24. marraskuuta Euroopan unionin ja Venäjän välisen huippukokouksen. EU:n valtuuskuntaa johtaa pääministeri Matti Vanhanen ja Venäjän valtuuskuntaa presidentti Vladimir Putin. Unionia edustavat myös Euroopan komission puheenjohtaja José Manuel Barroso ja EU:n ulkopoliittinen edustaja Javier Solana. Helsingin huippukokouksen aiheita ovat unionin ja Venäjän välinen yhteistyö muun muassa energia- ja ympäristöasioissa, koulutus- ja kulttuurisektoreilla sekä oikeus- ja sisäasioissa. Esillä ovat myös ajankohtaiset kansainväliset kysymykset kuten tilanne Iranissa, Lähi-idässä, Länsi-Balkanilla ja Pohjois-Koreassa. Konkreettinen tavoite on sopia uutta EU:n ja Venäjän välistä kehyssopimusta koskevien neuvottelujen aloittamisesta. Sopimuksen on määrä kattaa laajasti myös kauppa- ja energiapolitiikka. Huippukokousta on Suomen EU-puheenjohtajakaudella valmisteltu useassa pysyvän kumppanuusneuvoston kokouksessa. Huippukokouksen yhteydessä järjestetään erillinen korkean tason kokous pohjoisesta ulottuvuudesta. Kokoukseen osallistuvat pohjoisen ulottuvuuden kumppanit EU, Venäjä, Norja ja Islanti. Tarkoituksena on hyväksyä uusi kehysasiakirja, joka korvaa pohjoisen ulottuvuuden toimintaohjelmat. Kehysasiakirjan myötä pohjoinen ulottuvuus muuttuu kumppaneiden yhteiseksi politiikaksi vuoden 2007 alusta lähtien. Aikataulu HUOM! Kokousta seuraamaan tulevia tiedotusvälineiden edustajia pyydetään akkreditoitumaan EU-puheenjohtajakauden verkkosivuilla osoitteessa www.eu2006.fi/accreditation. Lisätietoa mediajärjestelyistä ja etenkin kuvausmahdollisuuksista on EU-puheenjohtajakauden verkkosivuilla osoitteessa www.eu2006.fi/calendar/vko47/en_GB/1159261767620. Perjantai 24.11. 10.00 EU-Venäjä-huippukokous, Säätytalo 12.15 Perhekuva 12.30 Pääministeri Vanhasen isännöimä lounas 14.30 Korkean tason kokous pohjoisesta ulottuvuudesta Norjan ja Islannin pääministerien kanssa, Säätytalo 15.15 Pohjoisen ulottuvuuden kokouksen perhekuva, Säätytalo 15.30 EU-Venäjä-huippukokouksen ja pohjoisen ulottuvuuden kokouksen yhteinen tiedotustilaisuus, kaupungintalo. Pyydämme tiedotustilaisuutta seuraamaan tulevia toimittajia saapumaan paikalle viimeistään klo 15 turvatarkastusten vuoksi. Tilaisuus on katseltavissa suorana lähetyksenä EU-puheenjohtajakauden verkkosivuilla osoitteessa www.eu2006.fi/webcasts. Lisätietoja: kansainvälisten asioiden erityisavustaja Johan Schalin, valtioneuvoston kanslia, p. (09) 1602 2068, lähetystöneuvos Päivi Laine, ulkoasiainministeriö, p. (09) 1605 5616 ja apulaistiedotuspäällikkö Sanna Kangasharju, valtioneuvoston viestintäyksikkö, p. (09) 1602 2175 tai 040 731 9915 sekä mediajärjestelyistä lehdistöavustaja Johanna Eskola, EU-puheenjohtajuussihteeristö, p. 040 779 9613 EU-ordförandelandet Finland arrangerar ett toppmöte mellan Europeiska unionen och Ryssland i Helsingfors fredagen den 24 november. EU:s delegation leds av statsminister Matti Vanhanen och den ryska delegationen av president Vladimir Putin. Unionen företräds också av Europeiska kommissionens ordförande José Manuel Barroso och EU:s utrikespolitiske talesman Javier Solana. Teman för toppmötet i Helsingfors är samarbetet mellan unionen och Ryssland bl.a. i energi- och miljöfrågor, inom utbildnings- och kultursektorn samt i rättsliga och inrikes frågor. Vid mötet diskuteras även aktuella internationella frågor, t.ex. situationen i Iran, Mellanöstern, på västra Balkan och i Nordkorea. En konkret målsättning är att avtala om inledandet av förhandlingar om ett nytt ramavtal mellan EU och Ryssland. Avsikten är att avtalet i så stor utsträckning som möjligt skall täcka även handels- och energipolitiken. Under Finlands EU-ordförandeskap har toppmötet beretts ett flertal gånger vid ständiga partnerskapsrådets möten. I samband med toppmötet arrangeras ett separat möte på hög nivå om den nordliga dimensionen. I mötet deltar partnerna inom den nordliga dimensionen, dvs. EU, Ryssland, Norge och Island. Avsikten är att anta ett nytt ramdokument som ersätter handlingsprogrammen för den nordliga dimensionen. Genom ramdokumentet blir den nordliga dimensionen fr.o.m. ingången av år 2007 en gemensam politik för partnerna. Program OBS! Redaktörer som önskar bevaka mötet ombeds ackreditera sig via EU-ordförandeskapets webbsidor under adressen www.eu2006.fi/accreditation. Ytterligare information om mediearrangemangen och framför allt om fototillfällena finns på EU-ordförandeskapets webbsidor under adressen www.eu2006.fi/calendar/vko47/en_GB/1159261767620. Fredag 24.11 10.00 Toppmöte mellan EU och Ryssland, Ständerhuset 12.15 Familjeporträtt 12.30 Lunch med statsminister Vanhanen som värd 14.30 Möte på hög nivå om den nordliga dimensionen med Norges och Islands statsministrar, Ständerhuset 15.15 Familjeporträtt från mötet om den nordliga dimensionen 15.30 Gemensam presskonferens för toppmötet mellan EU och Ryssland och toppmötet om den nordliga dimensionen, stadshuset. Redaktörer som önskar bevaka presskonferensen ombeds vara på plats senast kl. 15 p.g.a. säkerhetskontrollerna. Presskonferensen kan ses som direktsändning via EU-ordförandeskapets webbsidor under adressen www.eu2006.fi/webcasts. Ytterligare information: specialmedarbetaren i internationella frågor Johan Schalin, statsrådets kansli, tfn (09) 1602 2068, ambassadrådet Päivi Laine, utrikesministeriet, tfn (09) 1605 5616, och biträdande informationschef Sanna Kangasharju, statsrådets kommunikationsenhet, tfn (09) 1602 2175 eller 040 731 9915, samt när det gäller mediearrangemangen pressattaché Johanna Eskola, sekretariatet för EU-ordförandeskapet, tfn 040 779 9613 Back

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Press release, Transport, Telecommunications and Energy, Environment

22 Nov 2006, 10:14 en fi

The European Parliament and Council reached agreement last night on the contents of the proposed INSPIRE Directive, which aims to harmonise spatial information across Europe. Key points resolved during the final stages of the discussions between the institutions included the principles according to which citizens should be allowed to examine the official maps and other spatial data covered by the directive, and rules for granting authorities access to data held by other authorities. Copyright issues were also dicussed in detail. The directive will oblige EU member states to improve the administration of their map services and other spatial data services according to common principles. This will give Europe’s citizens better opportunities to find useful information about the environment and other issues from the internet. It will also enable the authorities to benefit more from information compiled by other official organisations. Data search services designed for the public will generally be free of charge, although the directive allows fees to be charged for access to data that has to be updated frequently, such as weather reports. ”I’m very satisfied that a solution has now been found,” said Finnish Environment Minister Jan-Erik Enestam. ”I believe that the new directive will create a solid basis for the future development of spatial data infrastructures at national and European level, and also enable high quality data bases and information services to be run in the member states.” The INSPIRE Directive is now likely to be enforced from summer 2007. The directive has been designed to control various aspects of the spatial data in the possession of authorities around Europe, including: 1. the creation of metadata, 2. technical developments promoting interoperability, 3. the use of data services, 4. principles on access to data and the related charges, and 5. national co-ordination. The implementation of the directive will be a considerable challenge for the authorities who maintain electronic maps and spatial data bases on the themes specified in the annexes to the directive. Metadata will have to be regularly updated, and existing information should be made more widely available through harmonised electronic data services, although the directive does not require any new data to be collected. To implement the directive, interest groups will have to collaborate closely on the development of common official practices. This will affect the work of the authorities at many levels, right down to municipal administrators. The European Commission has estimated that the measures needed to implement the new directive will cost member states a total of around 3-5 million euros a year over a period of about ten years. Background to the INSPIRE Directive In July 2004 the European Commission submitted a proposal for an INSPIRE Directive, after three years of preparatory work. The name ”INSPIRE” is an abbreviation for ’Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community’. The directive aims to improve the usability of the spatial data compiled by the member states’ authorities. A key objective of the directive is to establish an effective basis for a Europe-wide network of spatial information services, which could help to replace other processes such as the national reporting currently required for the EU environmental administration. The Environment Council reached political agreement on the new directive in June 2005 during Luxemburg’s EU Presidency, and a common position was officially approved on 23.1.2006. During a second reading of the proposed directive on 13th June 2006 the European Parliament adopted 36 amendments to the common position. The Council was not able to approve all of these amendments, so the conciliation process was continued through informal discussions held during Finland’s EU Presidency, culminating in the establishment of a conciliation committee made up of representatives of the European Parliament and Council, who have now reached agreement on the draft directive. For more information: Ms Tuija Talsi, Environmental Expert, Finland’s Permanent Representation, Brussels; Tel. +32 476 762 428 Mr Antti Vertanen, Senior Inspector, Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Tel. +358 40 720 4001 Euroopan parlamentti ja neuvosto saavuttivat viime yönä yhteisymmärrykseen paikkatietoja koskevan INSPIRE-direktiivin sisällöstä. Käsittelyn loppuvaiheeseen kuuluvassa sovittelussa tärkeimpiä keskustelunaiheita olivat periaatteet, joilla viranomaiset ja EU-elimet voivat saada käyttöönsä toisten viranomaisten hallussa olevia direktiivin alaan kuuluvia kartta- ja muita paikkatietoaineistoja sekä periaatteet, joilla kansalaiset voivat päästä tarkastelemaan näitä aineistoja. Lisäksi keskusteltiin vielä tekijänoikeuksiin liittyvistä yksityiskohdista. Direktiivi edellyttää, että jäsenmaat kehittävät julkisten kartta- ja muiden paikkatietojen hallintaa ja tietopalveluja yhteisten periaatteiden mukaisesti. Kansalaisille muun muassa tarjotaan entistä parempi mahdollisuus tarkastella ympäristöä kuvaavia tietoja verkkopalveluiden avulla. Viranomaiset taas voivat aikaisempaa tehokkaammin hyödyntää toistansa keräämiä tietovarantoja. Kansalaisille suunnatut ns. selailupalvelut olisivat pääsääntöisesti maksuttomia. Direktiivi kuitenkin sallii maksujen perimisen kansalaisilta niissä tapauksissa, joissa aineistot ovat nopeasti muuttuvia. Tällaisia ovat esimerkiksi tietyt säätietopalvelut. ”Olen erittäin tyytyväinen, että ratkaisu lopulta saavutettiin”, toteaa ympäristöministeri Jan-Erik Enestam. ”Uskon, että direktiivi luo hyvän ja toimivan pohjan sekä kansallisten että Euroopan yhteisön paikkatietoinfrastruktuurien kehittämiselle sekä mahdollistaa laadukkaiden tietoaineistojen ja -palveluiden ylläpidon jäsenmaissa”, toteaa Enestam. Näillä näkymin direktiivi tulee voimaan kesällä 2007. Se sisältää perusteet viranomaisten hallussa olevien paikkatietoaineistojen 1. kuvailutietojen (metatietojen) tuottamiseen,2. yhteiskäytön tekniseen kehittämiseen,3. tietopalveluiden käyttöönottoon,4. saatavuutta ja maksullisuutta koskeviin periaatteisiin sekä5. kansallisen koordinaation järjestämiseen. Direktiivin toimeenpano tulee olemaan haaste niille viranomaisille, jotka ylläpitävät direktiivin liitteissä määriteltyihin teemoihin liittyviä sähköisiä kartta- ja paikkatietoaineistoja. Aineistojen metatiedot tulee laittaa ajan tasalle ja tietoaineistojen tulee olla saatavissa yhteisen mallin mukaisina sähköisten tietopalvelujen kautta. Uutta tietoa ei direktiivin takia kuitenkaan tarvitse kerätä. Toimeenpano edellyttää myös eri intressitahojen yhteistoiminnan kehittämistä ja virallistamista. Toimeenpanon vaikutukset kohdistuvat laajasti eri viranomaisiin aina paikallishallintoon saakka.Euroopan komissio on arvioinut toimeenpanon edellyttämien toimien kansallisiksi kustannuksiksi noin 3-5 miljoonaa euroa vuodessa seuraavien noin kymmenen vuoden aikana. INSPIRE-direktiivin taustaa Heinäkuussa 2004 Euroopan komissio antoi ehdotuksen INSPIRE-direktiiviksi kolme vuotta kestäneen valmistelutyön päätteeksi. INSPIRE on lyhenne sanoista ’Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community’ ja tarkoittaa eurooppalaista paikkatietojen käyttöä tukevaa infrastruktuuria. Direktiivin tarkoituksena on tehostaa viranomaisten hallussa olevien paikkatietojen käyttöä ja parantaa niiden käytettävyyttä. Konkreettisena tavoitteena on luoda edellytyksiä koko Euroopan kattavalle tietopalveluverkostolle, jonka avulla voidaan korvata mm. EU:n ympäristöhallintoon liittyvää kansallista raportointia. Neuvostossa poliittinen yhteisymmärrys direktiivistä saavutettiin kesäkuussa 2005 Luxemburgin puheenjohtajakaudella ja yhteinen kanta hyväksyttiin virallisesti 23.1.2006. Euroopan parlamentti teki 13.6. toisessa lukemisessaan direktiiviin yhteensä 36 muutosedotusta. Neuvosto ei voinut hyväksyä näitä kaikkia, joten asian käsittelyä jatkettiin Suomen puheenjohtajakaudella epävirallisissa neuvotteluissa ja lopulta Euroopan parlamentin ja neuvoston välisessä sovittelukomiteassa. Lisätietoja: Ympäristöalan erityisasiantuntija Tuija Talsi, EUE, Bryssel, puh. +32 476 762 428 Ylitarkastaja Antti Vertanen, maa- ja metsätalousministeriö, puh. +358 40 720 4001 Back

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Press release, General Affairs and External Relations

05 Aug 2006, 18:48 en

The Prime Minister of Finland, Mr Matti Vanhanen, holding the Presidency of the European Union, welcomes the appointment of the Prime Minister of Ukraine and wishes success to Prime Minister Victor Janukovich and the Government of Ukraine in their important tasks. ”The free and fair elections of 26 March 2006 were a significant step in Ukraine’s democratic development. The contributions of the free media and active civil society to this achievement cannot be underestimated. We hope that the difficult process of Government formation after the March elections will be followed by good and transparent cooperation between the Government, the Parliament and the office of the President of Ukraine according to democratic practises and Ukraine’s Constitution. We look forward to working closely with the Government of Ukraine in the future on relations between the European Union and Ukraine.” Back

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Date:

04.12.2006

Date finale: Date: 04 Dec 2006 – 05 Dec 2006 Lieu: 

Hilton Helsinki Kalastajatorppa, Helsinki

Type d’événement: Réunions ministérielles informelles
Domaine politique:  Éducation, jeunesse et culture

Il s’agit de la deuxième réunion de suivi du Processus de Copenhague relatif à la formation professionnelle. Les ministres de ces trois secteurs se penchent sur les moyens d’augmenter l’attrait du travail et d’améliorer tant la qualité de la vie professionnelle que le bien-être au travail, l’idée étant de prolonger la carrière professionnelle et de rendre plus compatibles travail et vie familiale. La réunion ministérielle qui a lieu à Helsinki a pour objet d’évaluer les progrès du Processus de Copenhague et d’adopter le Communiqué d’Helsinki sur les objectifs du processus pour la prochaine période biennale.

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Ministère de l’Éducation : Helsinki VET Meeting 2006 (en anglais)

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Date:

27.11.2006

Date finale: Date: 27 Nov 2006 – 28 Nov 2006 Lieu: 

Bruxelles

Type d’événement: Réunions ministérielles informelles
Domaine politique:  Éducation, jeunesse et culture

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This section introduces the work programme for Finland’s EU Presidency and its main objectives. The section also provides information on the cultural programme, the Presidency logo, and the Presidency arrangement.

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The operational programme of the Austrian and Finnish Presidencies was drawn up on the basis of the Council’s first three-year strategic programme which covers the period between 2004 and 2006. The multiannual programme was prepared by the six countries holding the EU Presidency during the period between 2004 and 2006 and it was adopted by the European Council.

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Date:

27.11.2006

Date finale: Date: 27 Nov 2006 – 28 Nov 2006 Lieu: 

Le Tampere Hall, Tampere

Type d’événement: Réunions ministérielles informelles
Domaine politique:  Affaires générales et relations extérieures

L’institution la plus importante de ce qu’il est convenu d’appeler le « processus de Barcelone », c’est-à-dire du partenariat euroméditerranéen, est la conférence euroméditerranéenne des ministres des Affaires étrangères (ou conférence EuroMed) qui se réunit tous les dix-huit mois. La conférence EuroMed des ministres des Affaires étrangères qui se tiendra à Tampere les 27 et 28 novembre prochains est la huitième du nom et, parallèlement, la plus vaste réunion à être organisée par la Présidence finlandaise de l’UE dans le cadre du partenariat euroméditerranéen. Réunissant les ministres des Affaires étrangères de l’Union européenne et leurs homologues des dix partenaires du bassin méditerranéen (Algérie, Égypte, Israël, Jordanie, Liban, Maroc, Syrie, Tunisie, Turquie et Autorité palestinienne), ainsi que des représentants des institutions européennes et des observateurs du processus de Barcelone, elle sera l’occasion de débattre des questions d’actualité pour le partenariat euroméditerranéen.  Le ministre finlandais des Affaires étrangères, Erkki Tuomioja, en assurera la présidence.

Les ministres des Affaires étrangères examineront l’état de mise en œuvre du plan d’action quinquennal commun adopté en novembre 2005 au titre du processus de Barcelone et fixeront des orientations pour les travaux à conduire l’année prochaine. Leur dîner de travail sera consacré à la situation au Proche-Orient. En séance plénière, il sera notamment question du dialogue interculturel, de la nouvelle politique européenne de voisinage et de l’instrument financier qui s’y rattache, des modalités de mise en œuvre – en termes tant de financements que de méthodes de travail – du partenariat euroméditerranéen et de la manière de donner à celui-ci une plus grande visibilité. Les ministres des Affaires étrangères évalueront en outre les résultats des autres réunions ministérielles qui ont eu lieu dans le courant de l’année. Néanmoins, l’ordre du jour définitif restera largement tributaire de l’actualité internationale.

Pour en savoir plus

• Autre document, 28 Nov 2006, 15:16 en
  Summary of the address by EU HR Javier SOLANA to the Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs
• Autre document, 28 Nov 2006, 15:09 en fr fi
  Les ministres des affaires étrangères Euro-Méditerranéens s’accordent sur les conclusions de Tampere
• Autre document, 28 Nov 2006, 14:23 en
  8th Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs,“Tampere conclusions”
• Discours, 28 Nov 2006, 10:46 en
  Opening statement by Foreign Minister Tuomioja at the Euromed plenary
• Autre document, 27 Nov 2006, 20:04 en fr fi
  L’UE et les Ministres des affaires étrangères des pays arabes abordent les prochaines étapes du processus de paix au Moyen-Orient
• Autre document, 27 Nov 2006, 18:06 en fr fi
  Le cessez-le-feu à Gaza accueilli positivement par l’UE et Israël
• Autre document, 27 Nov 2006, 15:34 en fr fi sv
  Tuomioja : L’UE entrevoit l’espoir d’un retour au processus de paix au Moyen-Orient
• Communiqué de presse, 27 Nov 2006, 12:45 en fr fi
  Question Turquie-Chypre suite aux discussions de Tampere du 27 novembre 2006
• Communiqué de presse, 21 Nov 2006, 15:26 en fi sv
  The foreign ministers of the EU and the Mediterranean Countries to convene at Tampere
• Autre document, 15 Nov 2006, 16:52 en
  Letter of invitation to the Foreign Ministers’ follow-up meeting of the Barcelona Process (EUROMED)

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Prime Minister’s Office, FinlandGovernment Communications UnitSnellmaninkatu 1FI-00023 GovernmentTel. +358 9 16 001

E-mail: webmaster@eu2006.fi

© Prime Minister’s Office, Finland

General

This website of Finland’s EU Presidency is available at www.eu2006.fi and www.ue2006.fi. Finland holds the six-month Presidency of the European Union between 1 July and 31 December.

The website is published in English and French. Certain Presidency material will also be published in other official EU languages. 

During the Presidency the website will be updated daily. After the Presidency, the website will no longer be updated but will still be available for reference at the aforementioned address. 

The website is designed and maintained, in cooperation with other partners, by the EU Presidency Web Team at the Prime Minister’s Office. The Team consists of a editor-in-chief, two editors and two specialists who are responsible for the website and its maintenance during the Presidency. The contact details of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Web Team are available under Contact us.

Recommended Finland Oy designed the graphic image of the website. Ch5 Finland Oy was responsible for the technical operation of the website. In the preparation of the website, particular attention was devoted to its ease of use. 

Contents

This website is the most important channel of public communication during Finland’s Presidency of the EU.

The calendar gives information on the meetings and events organised during the Presidency.

Press releases, background information and conclusions related to the Presidency are available under News and Documents. In addition to topical material, the website provides information on the European Union, the EU Presidency and Finland.

Media representatives can find information on accreditation, hotel reservations and travelling arrangements under Media Services. The section also offers, for use by the media, photographs, webcasts and recordings plus a newsletter and SMS service. Instructions on use of the Presidency photographs can be found under Photos. 

Copyright

The Prime Minister’s Office, or the provider of information mentioned in connection with the material, owns the copyright of the texts and photographs published on the website. For instance, the copyright of press releases and speeches is held by the Government Ministry that issues the text.

Text material can be freely used and linked provided that the user makes a reference to the original source. Use of text material for commercial purposes requires prior agreement with the Prime Minister’s Office. Use of the Presidency logo or other such symbols that appear on the website requires prior agreement with individual copyright holders. The same applies to any material linked to the website. Instructions on use of the EU Presidency logo can be found under Logo.

Technical data

Use of the website requires an Internet browser that supports JavaScript. The site is based on XHTML technique and is best viewed with the latest browser versions (for example Internet Explorer 6, Firefox 1.5 and Opera 8.5). The website can also be accessed with earlier browser versions and text-based browsers but, in that case, the pages may have a different outlook and certain services may not be fully accessible.

The site also contains PDF documents and RealMedia files. To read PDF files, the Adobe Acrobat Reader program is required. A free application for the program is available on the Adobe website at www.adobe.com.

www.adobe.com

Software, such as the RealPlayer Program, that is able to play RealMedia files (.rm), is required to view webcasts. A free application for the program can be downloaded at www.real.com.

www.real.com

Legal notice

The Government Communications Unit at the Prime Minister’s Office is responsible for maintenance of the website. The European Union and Government Ministries are responsible for the contents of the press releases and speeches on the website.

In making the contents available, every effort is made to keep information up-to-date and accurate. The Prime Minister’s Office is not responsible for any expenses or damage incurred by the user because of errors that might exist on the website. Nor is the ministry responsible for any harm caused by technical errors or by any material published by external parties and linked to the website. 

Links to other websites are carefully selected. The Prime Minister’s Office is not responsible for the availability of the linked sites, nor for the contents, topicality or accuracy of such sites. The Prime Minister’s Office is not liable for any loss or damage incurred through the use of this website or through the use of any services provided through this website.

Handling of personal data

The Prime Minister’s Office is committed, under the Personal Data Act, to protecting the privacy and personal data of visitors to the website. We do not collect data that would enable the identification of individual visitors. We only request e-mail addresses or other contact details in order to respond to questions or feedback, or to mail newsletters or press releases subscribed by users. A mobile phone number is a prerequisite for the use of the SMS news service.

No personal data about visitors to the website are collected. The information collected on the use of the website consists of general statistical data that are used for developing Internet services. Such data include:

– the user’s IP address,- time of day,- the pages viewed,

– browser type.

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Further information

For further information on the website, please contact the Government Communications Unit at webmaster@eu2006.fi. 

Prime Minister’s Office

The Presidency of the Council of the European Union rotates every six months. Finland will hold the six-month Presidency between 1 July 2006 and the end of the year.

Q: Which countries will hold the EU Presidency after Finland?

Finland assumes the EU Presidency after Austria and passes it on to Germany at the beginning of 2007. After that, it will be Portugal’s turn, followed by Slovenia in the first half of 2008. The order in which the Member States will next hold the Presidency has been settled up to 2020. Finland will next hold the EU Presidency in spring 2020.

In the spring of this year, the Member States decided to switch to 18-month work programmes. Up to now, programmes have been annual. The first 18-month programme will be drawn up by the next Presidency troika, consisting of Germany, Portugal and Slovenia.

Q: What are the most important meetings during the Presidency? 

The main events during Finland’s Presidency will include the informal meeting of Heads of State and Government in October in Lahti; the European Council meeting in Brussels in December; the ASEM 6 Summit in Helsinki in September; and the Foreign Ministers’ follow-up meeting of the Barcelona Process (EUROMED) in Tampere in November.

In addition, there will be ten informal ministerial meetings in Finland. At these, ministers will discuss topical EU-related issues, without taking any formal decisions. For details of meetings during Finland’s EU Presidency, click on “Calendar” in the main menu. The calendar provides information on the meetings organised during the Presidency.

Q: How many meetings will be held during Finland’s EU Presidency?

Around 3 300 meetings will be held during Finland’s Presidency. Most official meetings will be held in Brussels and a few in Luxembourg. The great majority of meetings in Brussels relate to the work of the committees and working groups that carry out the preparatory work for Council decisions. Around 130 of the meetings are part of Finland’s Presidency Programme. This includes meetings between the EU and non-member countries and informal meetings for ministers and civil servants.

Finland will also chair hundreds of other meetings within international organisations such as the UN or the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). At these, the EU countries discuss amongst themselves what position take on the matter in hand.

Q: What exactly are “informal ministerial meetings”?

It is customary for the country holding the EU Presidency to organise informal meetings at which ministers discuss topical EU-related issues without taking any formal decisions. The meetings enable those taking part to engage in a free exchange of ideas.

One purpose of the meetings is to create a better framework for EU decision-making on a broad range of difficult issues. Ten informal ministerial meetings will be held during Finland’s Presidency.

Most of the informal meetings will be held in Finland. The Ministers responsible for Employment, Social Affairs and Health, the Finance Ministers (Ecofin), the Education Ministers and the Equal Opportunities Ministers will hold their informal meetings in Helsinki, the Competition Ministers will meet in Jyväskylä, the Environment Ministers in Turku, the Foreign Ministers (Gymnich) in Lappeenranta, the Justice and Home Aiffairs Minister in Tampere, the Agriculture Ministers in Oulu and the Defence Ministers in Levi, Kittilä. The informal meeting of ministers responsible for sports will take place in Brussels.

Q: What are “third-country meetings”?

Third-country meetings bring together EU representatives and representatives of countries outside the EU. For instance, during Finland’s Presidency, there will be an ASEM summit, at which the leaders of EU Member States will meet their counterparts from Asian countries, and the EU-Russia summit, where the Finnish Prime Minister, representing the Council of the European Union, will meet the Russian President. The EU-Russia summit will also be attended by the Finnish Foreign Minister, the EU’s Foreign-Policy Representative from the Council Secretariat-General, and the President of the European Commission and the Members responsible for external relations. Together, the representatives of the country holding the Presidency, the Council and the European Commission form the “Troika”. Their task is to assist the Presidency country in foreign-policy matters, particularly those relating to the common foreign and security policy. The country next in turn for the Presidency also takes part in the troika, where appropriate. In most of the third-country meetings to be held during Finland’s Presidency, the EU will be represented by the Troika, with the country due to take over the Presidency after Finland. At some meetings, the EU is represented by the troika alone, while at others all the Member States are represented.  

During its Presidency, Finland will be responsible for organising over 150 third-country meetings, some of which will be for ministers and others for civil servants.

Q: Where can I find more information about the EU Presidency logo?

Information on the logo for the EU Presidency can be found by clicking on ”The Presidency” on this website. The page contains files relating to the logo and guidelines and restrictions on its use.

Q: What is the procedure for obtaining accreditation for events organised by the EU Presidency?

There is an online media-accreditation procedure for events during Finland’s Presidency. For more details and the on-line accreditation form, see under “Media Services” on this site. Accreditation is handled by the Secretariat for Finland’s EU Presidency.

Q: How can I reserve a hotel room using the press allocation?

To make a hotel reservation using the media quota, media representatives are requested to deal directly with hotels in the towns where meetings take place. More information is available under “Media Services” on this site.

Q: How can I subscribe to the e-mail news service?

To receive the latest news and a weekly newsletter by e-mail, you can subscribe to our e-mail news service. Details can be found on this site, under “Media Services”. 

News items are e-mailed to subscribers as soon as they are posted on the website. The newsletter is sent out once a week, on Monday. The newsletter will contain a short summary of news from the past week and information on forthcoming Presidency events.

Q: How can I subscribe to the text-message (SMS) news service from the website?

The Presidency’s web team can text a summary of the main stories from the past month to your mobile phone. You can also receive text messages giving details of meetings connected to the European Council (e.g. dates of press conferences). 

You can subscribe to this service using the online form under “Media Services” on this site.  With the form are detailed instructions of how to subscribe and how to cancel or change your subscription.

Q: Why are you publishing a news summary in Latin?

The Latin news-in-brief has become something of a tradition during Finland’s Presidency. It aroused interest during our last Presidency in 1999 and we received a lot of good feedback. That encouragement led us to think we should produce a Latin news-in-brief in 2006 too. Using Latin is also a way of paying tribute to European civilisation and it serves to remind people of European society’s roots, stretching back to ancient times.

We will produce two editions of the Latin news-in-brief in July and one a week from September to December. There will be a short break for the month of August. The news-in-brief will be published on Wednesdays.

Q: What are “Presidency webcasts”?

The webcasts provide coverage of the main briefings during the Presidency. Briefings can be viewed as live webcasts or downloaded afterwards from the Presidency’s website.  

Webcasts are produced by the Presidency’s webteam. After the briefings, the webcasts are stored as video files on the Presidency website. For more details on how to view webcasts, see under “Media Services” on this site.

Software, such as the RealPlayer Program, that is able to play RealMedia files (.rm), is required to view webcasts. A free application for the program can be downloaded at www.real.com.

 www.real.com

Q: Where can I find information about EU terms and abbreviations used in EU documents?

The European Union website Europa has a comprensive glossary of EU terms.

Europa: Eurojargon

Q: What is the EU troika?

The troika consists of representives of the country holding the EU Presidency, of the Secretariat-General of the Council of the European Union, and the of European Commission. The country next in turn for the Presidency also takes part in the troika, where appropriate. 

The troika assists the Presidency country in foreign-policy matters, particularly those relating to the EU’s common foreign and security policy. Its composition means that it should be able to ensure the continuity of the Presidency’s work in this field.

Q: What does “Gymnich” mean and where does the word come from?

Gymnich is the nickname for the informal meeting of Foreign Ministers. The name comes from a German castle north of Bonn, where the first such meeting was held in 1974.