Diplomatic corps briefed on the Swedish Presidency of the EU
Minister for EU Affairs Cecilia Malmström and State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Frank Belfrage met foreign ambassadors in Stockholm on the 8th of June to brief them on the preparations and current issues ahead of the imminent Swedish Presidency of the EU.
Cecilia Malmström and Frank Belfrage presented information on the Swedish Presidency. Photo: Karin Oscarsson/MFA
It was clear that the economic and financial crisis and the climate issue will shape the six months of the Swedish Presidency. The ambition during the Swedish Presidency is for the EU to take further steps in its efforts to meet these challenges. The continued enlargement process, the Baltic Sea Strategy and asylum, migration and police cooperation were mentioned among the other important issues for the second half of this year.
A further challenge for the Swedish Presidency is the uncertainty surrounding the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon. The working hypothesis is, however, that the Treaty will be launched during the Swedish Presidency, which will therefore be responsible for initiating the implementation of major changes to the EU institutions.
"What special dimension would Sweden like to contribute in its role as holder of the Presidency of the EU?" was one of the many questions posed by the ambassadors. In response, Ms Malmström highlighted the Presidencys overall aim of transparency and accessibility. An example of this was the recently launched Presidency website, which will provide more information that previous Presidency websites.
