15 Eu Finance Ministers example essay topic
Germany is urging Ecofin to refuse to endorse such recommendation, arguing that it is already doing its best to co-operate. France is adopting a less confrontational stance, signalling it is prepared to take its punishment provided the Commission's recommendation is watered down. If the Ecofin meeting ends in stalemate, finance ministers could request that the matter is referred up to heads of government at the EU summit in Brussels next month. Monday also sees the visit of Joschka Fischer, German foreign minister, to Turkey amid growing debate inside the EU about the Muslim country's membership bid. Some German opposition MPs believe last week's terrorist attacks in Istanbul have damaged Turkey's application, while others insist the EU should accelerate the approval of its bid. Wednesday sees the publication of the report on employment in the EU by Wim Kok, former Dutch prime minister, as requested by European leaders.
Mr Kok's report will be submitted to the European Commission, and is likely to be discussed at the Brussels summit next month. It is expected to give backing to reforms of labour markets currently being undertaken by countries like Germany and France, but will say the reforms must go further. On Thursday industry and science ministers are expected to make a highly sensitive decision on whether France or Spain should be the site for a proposed research centre into nuclear fusion. Jos'e Mar " ia Aznar, Spanish prime minister, is offering to double his country's support for the project to over E 800 m if it is successful. The EU candidate must also overcome international competition from Japan and Canada.
On Thursday and Friday the EU's justice and home affairs council will hold further talks on harmonizing asylum and immigration rules, including the idea of creating a designated list of "safe" third countries, to which asylum seekers can be returned. Next weekend the focus switches to Naples, for the most serious talks yet on the new EU constitution. Foreign ministers will meet for a "conclave" to sort out much of the detail in the new text, based on a draft treaty drawn up by the Italian EU presidency. However a lot of the toughest negotiations are likely to be conducted on the last night of next month's Brussels summit, scheduled to finish on December 13 but in practice likely to last considerably longer.