Countdown

The Swedish Presidency of the EU is rapidly approaching its end. We have worked intensively and made progress in a lot of important questions, but it is still to early to evaluate, sum up and relax. The climate negotiations is entering its final week in Copenhagen, with head of states and governments arriving at the end of the week.

The European Parliament is also meeting, for the last time this year. I am going there tomorrow for debates on transparency, the Middle East, Georgia, Afghanistan, Belarus and others. Wednesday, Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt will arrive in the Parliament to sum up these six months.

And in Brussels, the Council for Agriculture and Fisheries as well as for Transport and Telecommunication will be meeting.

To conclude, we have an important week ahead of us, before we can start to think about Christmas celebrations…

The upcoming week of the Swedish Presidency

The meeting of the European Parliament, starting today, dominates our work in the EU this week. Seven Swedish ministers will be in Strasbourg to participate in debates and answer questions on climate, enlargement, the Stockholm Programme, men’s violence against women and much more. For my own part, I will be representing the European Council in the Parliament’s debate.

Today, the ministers for environment also meet in Brussels at an extra Council meeting. The climate conference in Copenhagen is just a few weeks away, and Andreas Carlgren and his colleagues will conduct a final joint review of the positions and strategies.

And at the end of the week, the Education, Youth and Culture Council meet. Among the topics on the agenda are to make a contribution to the EU strategy for growth and jobs and to discuss the European year of Volunteering 2011.

In the Parliament, listening to Václav Havel

Much have been said about 1989 and the wind of democracy through Central and Eastern Europe, but few have said it with such authority as Václav Havel did in the European Parliament a few minutes ago. As one of the key persons in this shift to freedom, democracy and human rights, Havel held a powerful speech in a crowded Parliament on the fall of the iron curtain and the future of Europe.

I am representing the Council at the session today in the European Parliament and will soon be answering questions on various topics, but Havel and others at this ceremony on the 20th Anniversary of Democratic Change here in the Parliament have truly reminded us about the greater picture.