The following is a summary of the priorities of the Lithuanian Council Presidency outlined to the different parliamentary committees by Lithuanian ministers this week, from 8 to 12 July. This text is going to be updated daily
Culture and Education Committee
Putting in place all the multi-annual programmes in the field of culture, education, youth and sport is the Presidency's key priority, Culture Minister Šarūnas Birutis and Education and Science Minister Dainius Pavalkis told the Culture and Education Committee on Wednesday. Digitisation and technological convergence are also priorities in the cultural field, whereas high-quality education, in accord with the labour market and open to international exchanges, is the key education and training aim, they added.
Social Security and Labour (youth policy) Minister Algimanta Pabedinskiené, stressed that improved social inclusion and jobs for young people will be the Presidency's priorities. As to sport, the emphasis will be on encouraging physical activity in order to improve public health and on measures to combat doping and match fixing, said Home Affairs Minister (sports and leisure policy) Dailis Alfonsas Barakauskas.
In the chair: Doris PACK (EPP, DE)
International Trade Committee
The Presidency's trade priorities will be to make the best use of two historic opportunities, Foreign Minister Linas Antanas Linkevičius told Trade MEPs on Tuesday. The first is to press ahead with talks on a ground-breaking Transatlantic Trade and investment partnership with the US, and the second, to bring the EU's eastern neighbours as closer to it, by initialling free trade deals with Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia before the November summit of Eastern Parnership leaders in Vilnius.
Other priorities include concluding trade talks on free trade deals with Canada and India - but "not at any cost", he said. The Presidency also hopes to see progress in trade talks with Japan, where key will be the "parallelism" in opening up markets, and in talks on a bilateral investment deal with China.
In the Chair: Vital Moreira
Legal Affairs Committee
Common European Sales Law, the European Account Preservation Order, audit reform and gender balance were among the priorities presented by Juozas Bernatonis, Lithuanian Minister of Justice, and Šarūnas Birutis, Lithuanian Minister of Culture on Tuesday. They recognized the need for in-depth discussion on these matters to achieve progress towards common agreement. They also mentioned the challenges of the digital market and collective management of copyrights and private copying levies as topics on which a balance needs to be struck between the interests of various different stakeholders.
In the chair: Klaus-Heiner Lehne (EPP, DE)
Industry, Research and Energy Committee
The completion of the EU's internal energy market, strengthening the external dimension of EU energy policy, completing discussions on the draft directive on biofuels, setting the 2030 framework for energy and climate policies and facilitating discussions on the update of the nuclear safety directive are some of the main priorities for the next six months, Jaroslav Neverovič, Lithuanian Minister of Energy, told the Industry, Research and Energy Committee on Monday..
Achieving a dynamic Single European Digital Market and a deal on the Trans-European Telecommunication Guidelines and moving ahead with the e-signatures directive were some priorities outlined on Tuesday, by Rimantas Sinkevičius, Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications. MEPs also quizzed Evaldas Gustas, Minister of Economy, about his plans for the emissions trading system, energy islands, public procurement, the earth observation programme Copernicus, the satellite navigation system Galileo and EU relations with Russia. The main topics in the debate with Dainius Pavalkis, Minister of Education and Science, were the EU research programme Horizon 2020 and its budget, the brain drain versus mobility and promoting entrepreneurship.
In the chair on Monday: Evžen Tošenovský (ECR, CZ)
In the chair on Tuesday: Amalia Sartori (EPP, IT)
Internal Market Committee
Improving the functioning of the internal market, creating a genuine digital single market, consumer safety and market surveillance will be key priorities for the Lithuanian Presidency, Evaldas Gustas, Lithuanian Minister of the Economy, told the Internal Market Committee on 8 July. MEPs welcomed the first Lithuanian presidency of the EU Council and supported its commitment to make every effort to enforce the proper implementation of services directive and to strive for a consumer and SME-friendly regulatory environment.
In the chair: Malcolm Harbour (ECR, UK)
Development Committee
Starting and concluding negotiations on the EU Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps, the effectiveness and coherence of EU humanitarian action and the resilience agenda are the priorities of the Lithuanian presidency in the field of development policy, Rolandas Kriščiūnas, Lithuanian Deputy Foreign Minister (responsible for humanitarian aid Policy), told the Development Committee on Tuesday. During the debate, MEPs asked questions about the Lithuanian Presidency position on topics including the post-2015 agenda for the Millennium Development Goals, the Development Cooperation Instrument, gendercide and donors' coordination.
In the chair: Michèle Striffler (EPP, FR)
Constitutional Affairs Committee
Preparations for the European elections in May 2014, the EU's accession to the European Convention on Human Rights, and the need to make progress on new rules on the statute and funding of European political parties and on committees of inquiry were some of the issues raised by MEPs on the Constitutional Affairs Committee with Vytautas Leškevičius, Lithuanian Deputy Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, on Tuesday. Some Members also mentioned the need to start discussions in the Council on the seat of the European Parliament.
In the chair: Carlo Casini (EPP, IT)
Foreign Affairs Committee
The Lithuanian Presidency intends to be "positively constructive" in furthering ties between the EU and its neighbours, Linas Antanas Linkevičius, Lithuanian Foreign Minister, told the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday. Its main priority for enlargement and neighbourhood policy will be the Vilnius Eastern Partnership summit in November. The Presidency also aims to open accession talks with Serbia and stabilisation and association agreement talks with Kosovo before the end of the year, and to pursue dialogue with Turkey and Iceland.
In the chair: Elmar Brok (EPP, DE)
Transport and Tourism Committee
The fourth railway package, deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, the roadworthiness package and air passenger rights were some of the priorities presented by Rimantas Sinkevičius, Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications, on Tuesday. MEPs urged the incoming presidency to keep rail reform as a package and to make progress on the airport package and the implementation of the Single European Sky.
In the chair: Brian Simpson (S&D, UK)
Employment and Social Affairs Committee
Employment, especially youth employment, creating a European platform to combat undeclared work, protection of workers, particularly posted workers, and pensions portability were among the priorities of the Lithuanian Presidency, Algimanta Pabedinskienė, Lithuanian Minister for Social Security and Labour, told the Employment and Social Affairs Committee on Tuesday. MEPs stressed the need to reach agreement on the Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) and the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived so that they can be operational from the beginning of 2014. After the series of measures taken to strengthen economic and monetary governance it was time to boost the social dimension, the minister said.
In the chair: Pervenche Berès (S&D, FR)
Justice and Home Affairs Committee
The “Smart Borders” package, the EU Passenger Name Record (EU PNR) directive, cyber-security and the directive on entry conditions for foreign students and researchers were some of the Lithuanian Presidency’s key priorities in the area of home affairs, said Dailis Barakauskas, Lithuanian Interior Minister,. He also highlighted the seasonal workers and intra-corporate transferees directives, which should be adopted soon. Replying to MEPs questions, he pointed out that a majority of EU countries are against the proposed Europol-Cepol merger and said the presidency would work for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area.
Data protection reform was the key priority in the area of justice, said Justice Minister Juozas Bernatonis. The presidency would work towards an agreement, he told MEPs, adding however that "quick results should not come at the expense of the quality of the legislation". The presidency hopes to reach agreement on the directive on the confiscation of criminal assets and to make progress on files including the fight against fraud by means of criminal law, protection of the euro against counterfeiting and the European Investigation Order. The reform of Eurojust and the future proposal on the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor's Office will also be under examination.
In the chair: Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D, ES)
Agriculture committee
Conclusion of the EU farm policy reform, adoption of transitional measures for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for 2014 and progress on the animal and plant health package would be top priorities for the Lithuanian presidency, Virgilijus Jukna, Lithuanian agriculture minister, told the Agriculture Committee on Tuesday. MEPs quizzed the minister about the Council's room for manoeuvre regarding the package of still pending CAP reform issues such as capping direct payments for bigger farms, discussed the impact of free trade talks with the US on EU agriculture and raised the issue of imports of genetically modified beans.
In the chair: Paolo De Castro (S&D, IT)
Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee
Rimantas Šadžius, Lithuanian Minister of Finance, told the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee that the presidency's priorities for an "open, growing and credible Europe" could only be achieved through "effective cooperation with the European Parliament". The overarching objective was to achieve economic growth which would ensure SMEs had access to funding, jobs were created, young people could find employment and citizens could enjoy a better quality of life, he said. MEPs stressed the need to make progress on files currently on hold at the Council and asked how Mr Šadžius would inject fresh impetus into various directives, including the Deposit Guarantee Scheme, Single Resolution Mechanism, Banking Union and Mortgage Credit Instrument, as well as stepping up the fight against tax evasion. The Lithuanian Presidency would work with Parliament to create "sound, transparent and resilient financial markets" that protected both taxpayers and investors", Mr Šadžius concluded.
In the chair: Sharon Bowles (ALDE, UK)
Legal Affairs committee
Common European Sales Law, the European Account Preservation Order, audit reform and gender balance were among the priorities presented by Juozas Bernatonis, Lithuanian Minister of Justice, and Šarūnas Birutis, Lithuanian Minister of Culture on Tuesday. They recognized the need for in-depth discussion on these matters to achieve progress towards common agreement. They also mentioned the challenges of the digital market and collective management of copyrights and private copying levies as topics on which a balance needs to struck between the interests of various different stakeholders.
In the chair: Klaus-Heiner Lehne (EPP, DE)
Environment Committee
Environment Minister Valentinas Mazuronis, recognised the importance of issues,such as climate change, f-gases, indirect land use change and the Emissions Trading Scheme. He stressed the need for close cooperation with the Parliament to ensure that the EU protects its environment and maintains the world's strictest environment protection standards, of which it should be proud.
Agriculture Minister Vigilijus Jukna, listed sustainable and competitive fisheries and agriculture, food safety, animal and plant health as key Presidency priorities. Finally Health Minister Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, and MEPs discussed the Council's aims with regard to clinical trials, medical devices, the tobacco directive and the sustainability of health systems.
In the chair: Matthias Groote (S&D, DE)