Spanish EU Council Presidency 2010

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Spanish EU Presidency 2010 logo
logo
country SpainSpain Spain
Term of office January 1, 2010 - June 30, 2010
Chair Miguel Ángel Moratinos
Web presence http://eu2010.es/
trio
SpainSpain Spain , Belgium , HungaryBelgiumBelgium HungaryHungary 
chronology
◀   Sweden Belgium   ▶

The Spanish EU Council Presidency in the first half of 2010 designated Spain's presidency of the Council of the European Union . The Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos held the post of President of the Council of the European Union from January 1 to June 30, 2010 . The third triple presidency began with Spain , which also includes the following Belgian and Hungarian EU presidencies . The Spanish Council Presidency was also the first in which the innovations of the Lisbon Treaty applied from the start . For this reason, it was not the Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero who took the presidency of the European Council , but the Belgian Herman Van Rompuy , who had previously been appointed the first full-time Council President .

subjects

One of the issues facing the European Union during the Spanish Presidency was the appointment of the Barroso II Commission . Its members were nominated at the end of 2009, but had to be confirmed by the European Parliament before they could take office on February 10, 2010.

The implementation of the innovations of the Lisbon Treaty also played an important role. The European External Action Service should be set up and the regulations on the European Citizens' Initiative adopted. The Spanish government announced a “cautious” action in order not to damage the newly created European leadership positions of the Council President Herman Van Rompuy and the High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Catherine Ashton . At the foreign ministers' summit in early March, however, Ashton was criticized for not taking sufficient account of the interests of the member states. Ultimately, an agreement on the EEAS was only reached shortly before the end of the Spanish Council Presidency; the actual implementation, as well as that of the European Citizens' Initiative, was left to the later Belgian Council Presidency .

Furthermore, overcoming the global economic crisis was the focus of the Spanish Presidency. On the one hand, the Europe 2020 program was developed, which succeeded the Lisbon strategy . On the other hand, at the beginning of 2010 some countries in the euro zone , especially Greece , came under severe financial pressure, so that the stability of the currency was seen as endangered. In order to mitigate this Greek financial crisis , the European heads of state and government announced at the European Council on February 11, 2010 that they would provide financial support if necessary. Before that, however, Greece itself must take steps to reduce its debt. At the European Council in March, an agreement was finally reached that provided for support from the International Monetary Fund and bilateral aid from the other EU member states. After the pressure on Greece, but also on other countries, especially Portugal and Spain itself, increased again at the beginning of May , emergency aid for Greece was finally adopted. In order to overcome the euro crisis , the European stabilization mechanism was also agreed at a special summit of the European Council on the night of May 7th and 8th .

At the beginning of March, the Union for the Mediterranean Secretariat, based in Barcelona and established two years earlier, started its work. A summit meeting planned for June 2010 was postponed, however, as the tensions in the Middle East conflict showed little prospect of success. Transatlantic relations with the USA and Latin America should also be a topic of the Council Presidency; however, an EU-US summit scheduled for May was canceled by US President Barack Obama in February after no agreement on the venue was reached. Spain proposed Madrid, while the EU institutions proposed Brussels. An EU-Latin America summit took place in Madrid on May 18th and 19th .

On Europe Day , May 9th, the reflection group on the future of Europe , led by Felipe González , presented its work results.

Spain also proposed that counterterrorism to improve the EU by addition to the existing Office of the anti-terrorism coordinator , an anti-terrorism committee would be created that would intensify the exchange of information between Member States. However, this proposal was rejected by the anti-terror coordinator Gilles de Kerchove and not followed up.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ EurActiv , Dec 8, 2009: Spanish EU Presidency agenda 'rather undirected' .
  2. ↑ EurActiv , December 19, 2009: Spain announces role in the background for EU presidency .
  3. ↑ Der Standard , March 5, 2010: Head washing for Ashton by EU Foreign Minister .
  4. ↑ EurActiv 22/06/2010 : Spanish Presidency seals EAD deal .
  5. ↑ Just don't set a precedent. Süddeutsche Zeitung , May 17, 2010, accessed on August 14, 2020 . .
  6. ^ Süddeutsche Zeitung , March 26, 2010: Europe wants to assist Athens .
  7. ↑ Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , May 8, 2010: The final for the euro .
  8. ^ EurActiv 5 March 2010: Union for the Mediterranean opens office .
  9. ^ Der Standard , May 21, 2010: Spain postpones summit of the Mediterranean Union .
  10. ↑ EurActiv , February 2, 2010: Flop for Spain: No EU-US summit without Obama .
  11. ↑ Tagesspiegel , May 18, 2010: With roles reversed .
  12. ↑ EurActiv , 7 May 2010: Council of the Wise Men: EU threatens irrelevance .
  13. ↑ Focus, January 2, 2010: Spain: Europe unites against terror .
  14. ↑ Focus, January 8, 2010: Anti-terror coordinator speaks out against naked scanners .

Web links

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January 1, 2010 - June 30, 2010 		Belgian EU Council Presidency