European Union

Place:    European Convention Centre, Luxembourg
Chairs:  Henk Kamp, Minister for Economic Affairs of the Netherlands
               Melanie Schultz van Haegen, Minister for Infrastructure and the Environment of the Netherlands

All times are approximate and subject to change

Monday 6 June - ENERGY

+/- 08.30
Doorstep by Minister Kamp

+/- 10.00
Beginning of Council meeting (roundtable)
Adoption of the agenda
Adoption of non-legislative legislative A items

+/- 10.15
Adoption of legislative A items (public session)

+/- 10.20
Intergovernmental agreements and non binding instruments between Member States and third countries in the field of energy (public session)

+/- 10.40
Measures to safeguard the security of gas supply (public session)

Messages from the Presidency on electricity market design and regional cooperation

Other business
a)    Communication from the Commission: EU Strategy for liquefied natural gas and gas storage
b)    Security of supply of medical radioisotopes
c)    External relations
d)    Work programme of the incoming Presidency
e)    SET-Plan on nuclear safety

+/- 16.30
Press conference (live streaming)

*           *           *

In the margins of the Council meeting:
09.15
Signing of a Political Declaration on energy cooperation between the North Seas countries

 

Tuesday 7 June - TRANSPORT

+/- 09.05
Doorstep by Minister Schultz van Haegen

+/- 09.30
Beginning of Council meeting (roundtable)

+/- 09.50
NOx emissions from diesel cars + AOB Implications of the emissions irregularities
(public session)

+/- 11.20
AOB - European GNSS programmes (EGNOS/Galileo)

+/- 11.30
Recognition of professional qualifications in inland navigation (public session)

+/- 11.50
AOB - Passenger ship safety package (public session)

+/- 12.05
AOB - Road safety (poss. public session)

+/- 12.15
AOB - Report on the Informal Transport and Environment Council (14-15 April 2016)
(Declaration of Amsterdam) (poss. public session)

+/- 14.30
AOB - Aviation strategy for Europe
-    Conclusions of the European Aviation Summit (Amsterdam, 20-21 January 2016) (poss. public session)

+/- 14.40
Air transport agreements with third parties
-    Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
-    Qatar
-    United Arab Emirates
-    Turkey

+/- 15.30
AOB - EASA Task Force Conflict Zones (poss. public session)

+/- 15.40
AOB - Latest developments in aviation security (public session)

+/- 15.50
Common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (public session)

+/- 16.10
Preparation of the ICAO Assembly concerning a Global Market Based Measure (Montreal, 27 September-7 October 2016) (poss. public session)

+/- 17.10
AOB - Work programme of the incoming presidency (poss. public session)

+/- 17.20
Press conference (live streaming)

Three weeks before the referendum in Britain, the EU supporters' lead in the polls is shrinking. According to a recent survey Bremain has dropped from being thirteen to five percentage points ahead of Brexit in the last week. Commentators assess the two campaigns and discuss the potential repercussions of the referendum.

After last week's massive protests the French unions are threatening among other things to strike during the Euro 2016 football championship. The government says it will hold its ground on the labour market reform. Commentators place the French citizens' rebellion in a historic context.

The Belgian unions are protesting against the austerity policy of the centre-right government under Prime Minister Charles Michel. Several thousand demonstrators have staged a protest in Brussels and public sector and transport services have been limited by strikes. How can the deadlock be broken?

The Nato heads of state and government will meet in Warsaw on July 7 and 8. One key item on the agenda is the Alliance's stance on Russia. But member states are far from seeing eye to eye on this point, commentators point out.

Employers can forbid employees from wearing headscarves provided they have a general ban on visible religious or ideological symbols, the advocate general of the European Court of Justice has said in a statement. Should the Court follow her recommendation?