IN WARSAW, REPRESENTATIVES FROM LITHUANIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES SUPPORTING STRONG EUROPEAN COHESION POLICY DISCUSSED FUTURE FINANCING OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
On 12 May at the Friends of Cohesion Policy Working Group meeting in Warsaw, Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Egidijus Meilūnas presented Lithuania’s main priorities in the field of the financing of the European Union.According to the Minister, the continuation of EU’s financial support for cohesion policy, common agricultural policy, development of energy infrastructure, closing down of the Ignalina nuclear power plant and the Special Kaliningrad Transit Programme are among Lithuania’s interests.
This Friends of Cohesion Policy Working Group meeting was initiated by Poland, which will take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in July 2011, aiming to discuss preparations of the affinity countries for the negotiations on the new EU Financial Perspectives 2014-2020.During the meeting, Vice-Minister E.Meilūnas wished success to Poland’s incoming Presidency of the Council of the EU. The Vice-Minister noted that the interests of the future Polish Presidency coincided with those of Lithuania.
At the discussions, representatives from Lithuania and other EU member states stressed the benefit of the EU’s cohesion policy to the economy of the countries and its importance for the new EU Financial Perspectives.
Cohesion Policy is an important tool for the eradication of differences in economic and social well-being within the EU, making every effort to enhance the EU’s competitive environment, especially in its less developed regions.
Participants of the meeting also discussed the initiative of current Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU to get the European Parliament more involved in the negotiations on the new EU Financial Perspectives, they were acquainted with priorities of the incoming Poland’s Presidency.
The meeting was attended by representatives from twelve EU countries that receive assistance from the Cohesion Fund and Janusz Lewandowski, the Budget and Financial Programming Commissioner.
In June, the European Commission will set out EU’s future budgetary priorities and guidelines.
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