June European Council to discuss institutional issues, the economic and financial situation and preparation of the Copenhagen Conference on climate change

Government Communications Unit
Press release 190/2009

11.6.2009

The European Council will convene in Brussels on 18 and 19 June. Main topics of the meeting will include guarantees for Ireland on the Lisbon Treaty, current economic and financial situation, financial supervision and climate change.

Representatives from Finland will include Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, assisted by Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb and Minister of Migration and European Affairs Astrid Thors, and the President of the Republic Tarja Halonen when the meeting is dealing with matters within the president’s purview.

The December 2008 European Council decided that Ireland will get sufficient guarantees answering to the concerns that came up in the referendum in association with, for example, Ireland’s traditional non-alignment policy and competences in relation to taxation. The guarantees will not change the Treaty of Lisbon.

The European Council is to decide on the new President of the European Commission. Finland supports the re-election of the current President José Manuel Barroso.

The EU leaders will discuss the current economic and financial situation and financial supervision at European level, focusing particularly on the establishment of new financial supervision authorities. The European Council is also to discuss climate change and the building of a coherent EU-wide approach for the Climate Summit to be held in Copenhagen in December 2009. Attention will be paid, for example, to the financing mechanisms of the fight against climate change.

External relations issues, such as Afghanistan and Pakistan, the situation in the Middle East and European security arrangements, will be discussed by the Foreign Ministers over dinner.

Further information: Kare Halonen, State Secretary for EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2180 and Sanna Ek, Counsellor, EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2150, Government Secretariat for EU Affairs