In the presence of Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and of José Sócrates and Janez Jansa the Prime Ministers of Portugal and Slovenia, the programme of the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union was presented to the European Parliament on 17 January 2007.
For the first time a ''team presidency'' programme has been presented, devised by Germany, Portugal and Slovenia, the three countries holding the Presidency between January 2007 and June 2008. It is hoped that this ''team presidency'' programme will ensure continuity and consistency in the work done by the EU Presidencies in what Angela Merkel describes in her speech as ''a move away from the short-term approach of six-month Presidencies''.
The Presidency programme includes the following measures with implications at sectoral level:
- the revision of the regulatory framework for telecommunications on the basis of a Commission proposal expected at the beginning of 2007;
- proposal on international roaming charges to be finalised during the first half of 2007;
- the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting;
- radio spectrum policy review and the extension of the scope of universal services;
- the proposal for a Directive on the full accomplishment of the Internal Market for postal services;
- preparation of an Action Plan on eInclusion and follow up of the i2010 Strategic Framework, the Action Plan on eGovernment, the Directive on the re-use of public sector information, the eContent Plus Programme and the Safer Internet Plus Programme and e-Health.
- discussion about the future mandate and new legal base of the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA);
implementation and follow-up of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) commitments undertaken in Tunis in November 2005; and - revision of the Television without Frontiers Directive.
Further information:
- Programa das Presidências alemã, portuguesa e eslovena (18 meses) http://www.eu2007.de/includes/Download_Dokumente/Trio-Programm/trioenglish.pdf
- European Parliament (PE): MEPs debate German Presidency with Chancellor Merkel http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/008-2174-015-01-03-901-20070117IPR02173-15-01-2007-2007-true/default_en.htm
- German Presidency of EU http://www.eu2007.de/en/
Related information on ANACOM's website:
- German Presidency of the Council of the EU https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=435034
- EU - European Union https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=66653
