Belgium has taken over the Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers from Spain for the period 1 July – 31 December 2010.

Working in tandem with the eighteen-month common work programme set up as a "troika" with Spain and Hungary and following a series of meetings with citizens and civil society as a whole, Belgium has set out the priorities which it will pursue throughout its Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The Programme of the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council can be found on the following website: http://www.eutrio.be/priorities-belgian-presidency-council-eu

Our European shipowners’ association, ECSA, has highlighted some key points in relation to transport and climate. These issues are off course rather general in their nature and are not reflecting the Commission’s much more detailed agenda regarding the maritime area:

TRANSPORT

• Sustainability, innovation and safety and security of the different transport modes will be the key priorities in the field of EU Transport policy during the Belgian Presidency.

• The Council will start a policy debate regarding the new White Paper on sustainable transport for 2010-2020 when presented by the Commission. Particular attention will be paid to the interconnection between several modes of transport, the development of intelligent transport systems, high-quality public transport, logistics for goods, urban mobility, road safety and the protection of vulnerable users.

• During the Presidency, the Council will work towards further development of the TEN-T policy and of the methodology for an integrated transport network. The Presidency would like to see that every transport mode has its place, including maritime and connections between ports and their hinterland, and that adequate financial mechanisms are established.

• The Presidency intends to devote an Informal Meeting of Transport Ministers in Antwerp to the different aspects of short sea shipping, with particular attention to hinterland connections via rail or inland navigation and logistics. The full integration of shipping in the EU freight distribution network will be at the heart of discussions.

• If the publication by the Commission of a roadmap for the integration of maritime surveillance is confirmed, the Belgian Presidency will initiate a debate on the matter. Furthermore, taking into account the adoption of the ERIKA III package for maritime safety, the Presidency will put the role and competences of the EMSA agency on the table.

• The Transport Council’s meetings will be held on 15 October (Luxembourg) and on 2 and 3 December (Brussels), whereas the Informal Council meeting will be held in Antwerp on 15-16 September.

Climate change

• The Belgian Presidency will assume its role in coordinating the position of the Member States within the Council within the framework of international negotiations on climate change. The priority will be the implementation of the “Copenhagen Accord”, with a view to the 16th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Climate Change, scheduled to be held in Cancun from 29 November to 10 December 2010.

• Throughout the Belgian Presidency, the Council will devote continued attention to the implementation of the climate and energy package. Measures must be adopted to set firm European climate change targets, including the “decarbonisation” of the transport sector.

09/08/10