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Timetable of the German EU-Presidency (1st Half 1999)
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January 1999 |
| 11.01. |
Joint meeting of the Federal Cabinet and the European Commission, Bonn |
| 18.01. |
Meeting of the Ministers of Finance and Economy in Brussels chaired by Oskar Lafontaine. |
| 18./19.01. |
Meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture in Brussels
According to the Federal Agricultural Minister Karl-Heinz Funke, there are slight reapprochements in the question of the EU-agriculture reform, but on some points, there are still obvious disagreements. The conflict between Germany and France concerning the question of co-financing of agriculture comes to mind. |
| 20.01. |
Joschka Fischer holds a highly acclaimed speech in front of the French National Assembly, stating his vision of Europe and the German-French friendship. |
| 25./26.01. |
The Council in Brussels meets to discuss general affairs. |
February 1999 |
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| 04./05.02: |
Informal meeting of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs, Bonn |
| 08.02. |
Meeting of the Ministers of Finance and Economy in Brussels
Main subject is the financial burden-sharing in the Union. Gerhard Schröder demands a fairer system of contributing to the EU-budget. |
| 11./12.02. |
Informal meeting of Ministers of Justice and Ministers of Home Affairs, Berlin |
| 21.02. |
Conclave EU Foreign Ministers in Luxemburg |
| 22./23.02. |
Council in Brussels meets to discuss general affairs. |
| 22./23.02. |
Meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture in Brussels, trying to reach a preliminary decision.
The aim of the German delegation is to reach a principal decision before the 26th of February. But the French Minister of Agriculture Glavany states that a decision on the agricultural reform cannot be taken until an agreement is reached on finances. The meeting is extended by two days, before it adjourns on March, 2nd. It is accompanied by farmers' demonstrations and riots. |
| 24.02. |
Meeting of the EU troika with Turkish representatives in Ankara. |
| 25.02. |
The Council in Brussels meets to discuss the Single Market. |
| 26.02. |
Informal meeting of the heads of state and government on the "Petersberg", with the aim of striking a balance on how to make progress on the negotiations concerning the Agenda 2000. Obvious disagreements over the most important aspects still remain (reform of the common agricultural policy, fairer system of contribution and structural policy). Apart from the Agenda 2000, subjects such as the situation in Kosovo and the Middle East were discussed. Furthermore, the possibility of duty-free-shopping during trips within the EU was considered. |
March 1999 |
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| 04./05.03. |
Meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture in Brussels.
The initial German position on co-financing is abandoned; the new aim of the German delegation is to reduce agricultural subsidies on an annual basis. |
| 09.03. |
Council in Brussels meets to discuss labour and social affairs. |
| 10./11.03. |
Meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture in Brussels. After 18 hours of negotiations, agreement was reached on the following measures: prices for beef and grain were reduced by 20%, prices for milk were cut by 15%. This reform will take effect in 2003/2004. Strong criticism by the German Farmers Union. |
| 11.03. |
The council in Brussels meets to discuss environmental problems. |
| 11.03. |
Resignation of German Finance-Minister Oskar Lafontaine due to differences with Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. |
| 12.03. |
Council meets to discuss justice and home affairs. |
| 13./14.03. |
Informal meeting of the EU Foreign ministers in "Schloß Reinhartshausen" in Germany, with the aim of preparing the reform of the EU. According to Joschka Fischer, the agreement on agriculture should no longer be put into question. But there is still no solution for the financial reform and there are continuing reservations concerning the agricultural agreement on the part of Germany and France. |
| 15.03. |
Joint meeting of the Ministers of Finance and Agricultue in Brussels. |
| 16.03. |
Joint resignation of the EU-Commissioners. German Foreign MinisterJoschka Fischer noted, that the German Council Presidency is strong enough, to find a solution for this "constitutional crisis". |
| 21.03. |
Conclave EU Foreign Ministers , Brussels. |
| 22./23.03. |
Council in Brussel meets to discuss general affairs. |
| 24./25.03. |
Summit of the EU-Council in Berlin. The council meeting is overshadowed by the crisis in Kosovo and the first NATO-attacks on Yugoslavia. Nevertheless the heads of state deal with two key points of the recent months: the resignation of the commission and the Agenda 2000. Former Italian Prime-Minister Romano Prodi is announced as the new president of the commission. The discussion on the Agenda 2000 last until 5.30 am on Friday morning and are dominated by strong national interests which nearly lead to an early end of the meeting. The Council finally agrees on the following reforms: the prices for beef are lowered by 20%, those for corn by 15%. The new price-table for milk products is delayed for another two years until 2005. The new agrar-budget therefore is only slightly underneath the mark of 300 Billion Euro. The regional funds are hardly touched as well, especially Spain can uphold its position. The planned gross reduction of the German payments towards the EU are only slightly reduced, not going further than 700 million Euro until 2006. |
| 28.03. |
Meeting troika EU Foreign Ministers with Japanese representatives, Berlin |
| 29./30.03. |
Council in Brussels meets to discuss transport and fisheries. |
April 1999 |
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| 07.04. |
Special conference of the Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs, Luxembourg. |
| 08.04. |
Special conference of the Ministers of Foreign Affaires, Luxembourg. |
| 13.04. |
Council meeting in Luxembourg deals with consumer protection. |
| 14.04. |
Informal Council meeting in Brussels discusses Kosovo. |
| 16.-18.04. |
Informal meeting of the ECOFIN-Council, Dresden. |
| 19./20.04. |
Meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture in Luxembourg |
| 22.04. |
Council in Luxembourg meets to discuss the telecommunications. |
| 26./27.04. |
Council in Brussels meets to discuss general affairs. |
| 27.04. |
Meeting of the associated Councils of Estonia, Romania, Slowakia and Ukraine. |
| 29.04. |
Council in Brussels meets to discuss industrial policies |
May 1999 |
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| 07.-09.05: |
Informal meeting of Environment Ministers, Weimar. |
| 10.05. |
Meeting of the Ministers of Finance and Economy in Brussels.
Informal meeting of the trade ministers, Berlin. |
| 11.05. |
Council in Brussels meets to discuss energy. |
| 13.05. |
EU-China Summit in Beijing. |
| 17./18.05. |
Meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture, Council in Brussels meets to discuss general affairs, meeting of the EEA and the associated Council of Russia. |
| 19.05. |
Informal meeting of Ministers of Culture, Weimar. |
| 20./21.05. |
Council in Brussels meets to discuss research and development. |
| 25.05. |
Meeting of the Ministers of Finance and Economy, Council meets to discuss problems with labour and with social affairs. |
| 27./28.05. |
Council in Brussels meets to discuss problems with justice, home affairs and the youth. |
| 30.05. |
Informal meeting of Ministers of Agriculture, Dresden. |
| 31.05. |
Council in Brussels meets to discuss general affairs. |
June 1999 |
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| 01.06. |
Informal meeting of Ministers of Agriculture, Dresden. |
| 03./04.06. |
Conference of the EU-Council in Cologne. |
| 07./08.06. |
Council in Luxembourg meets to discuss education and health. |
| 10.06. |
Council in Luxembourg meets to discuss fisheries. |
| 10.-13.06. |
Election of the EU-parliament. |
| 14./15.06. |
Council in Brussels meets to discuss agriculture and economy. |
| 17.06. |
EU-Canada Summit in Bonn. |
| 17./18.06. |
Council in Brussels meets to discuss transport issues. |
| 18.-20.06. |
Meeting of the G8 in Cologne. |
| 20.06. |
EU-Japan Summit in Bonn. |
| 21.06. |
EU-USA Summit in Bonn. |
| 21./22.06. |
Council in Brussels meets to discuss general affairs. |
| 24./25.06. |
Council in Brussels meets to discuss problems with the environment. |
| 28.06. |
Council in Brussels meets to discuss cultural matters. |
| 28./29.06. |
EU-Latin America Summit in Rio. |
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