In the frame of the so-called “Trio-Presidency” system, Spain, Belgium and Hungary have agreed on a 18-month joint programme that has been presented at a press conference on Thursday 21 January at the French representation of the European Commission in Paris. Sustainability is at the core of the three member states’ priorities…

 

Belgium’s and Hungary’s priorities will go along the same line as the Spanish ones: they will address the issues of the 'EU 2020' strategy for growth and jobs - which is to replace the Lisbon Agenda - financial supervision, the social agenda, energy and climate change, and work on strengthening the EU's external action.

Preparation for the UN climate change summit in Mexico at the end of 2010 is among the Belgian Presidency's top priorities, Euractiv reported on 26 January. “This next major step on the international climate agenda coincides with the last month of Belgium's presidency, giving the small country a key role in representing the EU during the negotiations.”
"We want to uphold cohesion at European level in order to make the EU more audible in future international negotiations", said Baudouin de la Kethulle de Ryhove, Belgian ambassador to France.
Hungary, which will then take the Presidency of the Council for the first six months of 2011, will push a more political agenda, Hungarian Ambassador to France László Nikicser indicated. "We need to develop new common policies [such as climate, energy or innovation], and then to see how we can fund them, not vice-versa", he said to Euractiv journalists.