Overview and policy priorities

Priorities for the UK Presidency of the European Union

The UK will hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU from 1 July to 31 December 2005. The UK will represent the Council (Member States) in its dealings with other EU institutions such as the Commission and the European Parliament and in its relations with countries and organisations outside the EU. We will look to deliver progress across the EU agenda by running an effective, impartial and business-like Presidency. 

We are working closely with Luxembourg, who held the Presidency during the first half of 2005, and Austria, who take on the Presidency after the UK, to ensure continuity in addressing the key challenges that face Europe today. We are also working closely with the European Commission, the European Parliament, the other Member States and Civil Society. 

• More on how we work with the EU.

We will focus first and foremost on the EU agenda we inherited from the Luxembourg Presidency. We have played a key part in shaping this agenda and it is positive for the UK. The EU is moving in the right direction, reforming and delivering on the issues that matter to people – jobs, security, promoting peace and prosperity globally, as well as at home. 

The Prime Minister is committed to using the opportunity offered by our twin Presidencies of the EU and the G8 to make real progress on climate change and Africa. These are priorities for both our Presidencies and we will work with our G8 and EU partners to ensure complementary action wherever possible. 

• More on how we work with G8.

Inevitably the Presidency will raise the profile of the EU domestically. We will use this opportunity to explain the breadth and depth of UK interdependence with the rest of the EU and the practical benefits that this brings to the UK. 

Development Priorities

During the UK Presidency, Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for International Development, will chair meetings of EU Development Ministers. 

Our priority is to secure decisions related to poverty reduction, AIDS, development in Africa and revision of the EC’s Development Policy that ensure that the EU provides more and better aid that maximises its contribution to the fight against poverty. We will also continue to work towards an ambitious outcome to the Doha Development Round that makes trade work for developing countries and strive to ensure that greater account is taken of developing countries in EU Trade policies, including in negotiations for Economic Partnership Agreements. We will also take forward work in a number of other areas. These include untying regulation, migration and illegal logging.

Relevant documents

• UK Presidency conclusions from tsunami follow-up event, 20 December 2005, Brussels
• Discussion paper for UK Presidency and European Commission event in Brussels on 20 December on the EU's contribution to the international response to the 2004 Asian Tsunami - achievements, next steps and lessons learned(67 kb).
• EU Statement on HIV prevention for an AIDS-Free generation(48 KB) (1 Dec, 2005) Statement by members of the European Union, reaffirming their commitment to tackle the AIDS pandemic in a comprehensive and integrated way, including treatment, care and research, and in particular to address the HIV prevention gap.
• European Consensus in Development:(142 kb) Joint Statement by the Council and Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, The European Parliament and the Commission. Agreed on 22 November at the General Affairs and External Relations Council in Brussels.
• DFID – EU Presidency booklet - The UK Presidency of the European Union: July – December 2005 - Working together in the Fight Against Poverty (177 kb)
• The Multi-Annual Strategic Programme (243 kb) – this is a programme to steer the Council’s work during the period 2004 to 2006. This has been prepared jointly by the six presidencies (Ireland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, Austria and Finland). They are collectively responsible for seeing that the Council delivers on its agreed priorities up to 2006.  
• Luxembourg/UK work programme – The operational programme of the Council for 2005 submitted by the Luxembourg and UK presidencies. 
• Search for EU News articles 
• Search EU Publications 

Links to other sites

• UK Presidency Website
• Gateway to the European Union
• European Parliament
• BOND
• EC Commission Representation in the UK 

Priority events/documents/statements

Key Development events

During the UK Presidency key development events due to take place include:

• Millennium Review Summit in New York, 14-16 September
• Informal meeting of EU Development Ministers in Leeds, 24-25 October
  • Press Release
• Formal meeting of EU Development Ministers in Brussels, 22 November
• World AIDS day Ministerial meeting, London, 30 November
• World Trade Organisation Ministerial meeting in Hong Kong, 13-18 December:

  • World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial in Hong Kong – Outcomes
  • World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial in Hong Kong – Managing our expectations for a successful round

Press Releases

• Europe agrees common vision for development
• EU confirms its leadership in the fight against major poverty diseases

Statements

• Committee on Development Cooperation, European Parliament: Statement by Gareth Thomas MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development(22 kb) (24 January 2006)
• ACP-EC Joint Parliamentary Assembly: Statement by Gareth Thomas, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development(278 kb) (23 November 2005)
• European Union Development Ministers Informal Meeting 24-25 October 2005: Summary of Discussions
• Joint Statement of the Eighth China-EU Summit, Beijing (5 September 2005)
• Statement by the Presidency(40 kb) on behalf of the European Union concerning the EU Contribution to the Global Fund to fight HIV & AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Replenishment Conference (Summary: 6 September 2005)
• India-EU Strategic Partnership: Joint Action Plan (7 September 2005)
• Statement of the European Union to the General Debate of the 60th Session of the General Assembly, United Nations (17 September 2005)
• Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union following Tropical Storm Stan (11 October 2005)
• Further Declaration by the Presidency of the European Union on the earthquake in South Asia (13 October 2005)

Speeches

• Closing Statement at the European Parliament Plenary debate on Africa, Globalisation and Poverty, Strasbourg (6 July 2005)
• Speech to European Parliament Development Committee, Brussels (12 July 2005)