Minister for EU Affairs Cecilia Malmström on the Ratification of the Lisbon Treaty
The Swedish Riksdag voted to ratify the EU Lisbon Treaty on Thursday 20 November. The vote was preceded by a nine-hour debate involving members of the Riksdag and Minister for EU Affairs Cecilia Malmström.
"I am delighted that the Riksdag has voted to ratify the Lisbon Treaty by a large majority and across party political lines", says Cecilia Malmström.
Meetings of the Council of Ministers in Sweden during the Swedish Presidency
The majority of the thousands of meetings that will be held during the Swedish Presidency of the EU in autumn 2009 will take place in Brussels and Luxembourg, but a small number will be held in the country holding the Presidency.
Other meetings in Sweden during the EU Presidency
The meetings in Sweden to be included in the official calendar during the Swedish EU Presidency in autumn 2009 have now been confirmed. A total of 101 other meetings will be held in addition to the informal ministerial meetings presented in January 2008. Work on deciding when and where these meetings are to take place is now under way. Seminars, conferences and meetings with countries outside the EU will be held in addition to some 50 council working group meetings and other senior official meetings. A Summit in Sweden between the EU and Russia is another meeting planned during the Presidency.
Coordination of Sweden's EU policy
The Prime Minister's Office has overall responsibility for coordinating Sweden's EU policy. Coordination in this context means determining the overall political priorities for Sweden's action in the EU and coordinating the work of the ministries in the EU Councils of Ministers according to these priorities. The EU Department at the Prime Ministers Office directs the political coordination of EU-related matters in the Government Offices.
The Secretariat for EU Meetings in Sweden in 2009
On 1 January 2008, a special Secretariat was set up to be responsible for planning and coordinating the administration, procurement and logistics related to meetings in Sweden during its Presidency of the EU in autumn 2009.
