European Union News - European Union

The Spanish Presidency's strategy to combat the economic crisis and promote new policies, in a coordinated fashion, which consolidate recovery and begin the path towards sustainable growth and job creation today received the support of its European partners and the EU institutions.

The Presidency, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, the Commission and ECHO are working together to give an urgent, coordinated and effective help to Haiti after the hearthquake that has devastated Port-au-Prince. 3 million euros have already been sent to the caribbean country.

The Spanish State Secretary for European Affairs, Diego López Garrido, stated at the close of the first day of the informal meeting of ministers for European Affairs, currently taking place in La Granja, that the Spanish presidency has received the “full support” of the 27 Member States for the promotion of the citizens’ legislative initiative. The ministers’ backing also extends to the EU’s accession to the European Convention on Human Rights and the development of the solidarity clause.

Monitoring the results of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference and international environmental governance are “the two main fields” of focus for the working sessions of the informal environment ministers' meeting, held on Saturday 16 January in Seville.

In its first meeting in 2010, the Gas Coordination Group, under the chairmanship of the Commission, has focused on the assessment of the situation on security of gas supply in the EU-27 and countries of the Energy Community and discussed priorities for the work of the Group in 2010.

Committee of the Regions President Luc Van den Brande is to voice grassroots concerns about the future of EU regional aid at the parliamentary hearing of Johannes Hahn, Commissioner-designate for Regional Policy, on Thursday 14 January in Brussels.

La Granja (Segovia) iwill host the first informal meeting of ministers for Europe of the Spanish Presidency, where the Secretary of State for the EU, Diego López Garrido will present the aims of the Spanish Presidency, along with the broad lines of the joint programme of the trio of Presidencies (Spain, Belgium and Hungary)

From today until January 19th, the European Parliament will hold a series of public hearings with the 26 candidate Commissioners put forward by the Council and Commission President José-Manuel Barroso.

Three European cities are set to kick off a year-long culture fest featuring exhibitions, music and theatre. The cities chosen to be this year's European capitals of culture are Essen and the Ruhr region of Germany, Pécs in southern Hungary and Istanbul in Turkey. Taking over from Linz (Austria) Vilnius (Lithuania), the three have put together a packed programme of events that should attract tens of thousands of visitors.

Spain has pledged to drive forward the realisation of the European Research Area (ERA) during its six-month Presidency of the Council of the EU, which started on 1 January. Innovation and equality are at the heart of the Spanish Presidency programme.

The Spanish Presidency and Ministry of Culture organize the official opening gala of the semester in which Spain will lead the EU with a dance show in Madrid's Teatro Real. The same day, Rodríguez Zapatero, Spanish prime minister, will meet Herman Van Rompuy and José Manuel Durão Barroso in the Palacio de la Moncloa, seat of the Spanish Government.