Minister for Trade and Investment Pia Olsen Dyhr will be chairing the Foreign Affairs Council’s discussion among trade ministers Thursday. On the agenda are key issues for the Danish EU Presidency with regards to promoting growth and jobs in the EU.
On 30-31 May, the Danish EU Presidency will host its second and last formal Competitiveness Council meeting about growth in the Single Market and the EU’s coming framework programme on research and innovation.
Minister for European Affairs, Nicolai Wammen, chairs negotiations on the multiannual budget of the EU in the General Affairs Council on Tuesday 29 May.
Today, Monday 28 May, Prime Minster Helle Thorning-Schmidt and President of the Danish Parliament Mogens Lykketoft welcomed politicians from 78 developing countries as well as from the European Parliament in Horsens.
The establishment of the Single Market in 1992 has had a massive impact on the everyday life of EU citizens. Every time you buy a new mobile phone, have steak for dinner or watch TV with your family, the EU’s Single Market has played its part.
On 24-25 May 2012, the Danish EU Presidency and the European Commission will open the doors for a conference in Copenhagen on financing and organising large transport infrastructure projects.
Today, the Danish Presidency has reached agreement with the European Parliament on a regulation on the Internal Market Information System (the IMI-system). The agreement ensures that Member States’ authorities are able to cooperate more effectively across borders. The Danish Minister for Business and Growth sees the agreement as a considerable result for the Danish Presidency.
The Danish Presidency has secured an ambitious agreement between the institutions of EU. The new requirements will dramatically reduce the harmful smoke from ships.
Today, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament agreed to initiate a pilot phase on European project bonds in 2012-13. This remains an important milestone, and the Danish presidency has therefore played an important role in the efforts towards strengthening European infrastructure. Concretely, the project will contribute to enhancing Europe’s competitiveness and thereby enhance the prospects for economic growth. The pilot phase on project bonds makes cooperation between private stakeholders and the European Investment Bank (EIB), EU and the member states on infrastructure projects within transport, energy, and information- and communication technology easier.
Today Nicolai Wammen will discuss ways to generate investment, growth and jobs in the EU with the parliamentarians. The debate takes place ahead of the informal meeting among the Heads of State or Government in Brussels 23 May. Wammen will also participate in debate specifically about ways to improve the conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME).
Today the Danish Presidency gained support from member states for an agreement that will strengthen the regulation of credit rating agencies.
The Danish Presidency is working to promote the transition to a green economy with a greater focus on sustainability. One of the most important initiatives taken at EU level is the EU's Energy Efficiency Directive, which was proposed by the Commission in June 2011. The EU Member States have agreed that the negotiations of the Directive should be completed by the end of June 2012.
On Monday 21 May 2012, The Danish Ministry of the Environment, the city of Aalborg and the European Commission host the 20-year anniversary of one of Europe’s key pieces of nature legislation, the Habitats Directive, and of LIFE, the EU funding instrument for the Environment in the raised bog habitat of Lille Vildmose.
At today's ECOFIN EU’s finance and economy ministers reached agreement on the Danish Presidency's compromise proposal on new EU rules on capital requirements for banks. Now the Council can begin negotiations with the European Parliament for a final agreement. The ministers also adopted Council conclusions about the economic challenges of an ageing population ("2012 Ageing Report"). Additionally, the ministers had their annual dialogue with EU accession and candidate countries.