Prague, January 2009 From 1 January 2009, the Czech Republic is presiding over the Council of the European Union. A specially lit giant metronome that stands on Letná Hill in Prague measures the time of the Czech Republic’s presidency and will do so until 1 July when the Czech Republic will pass the baton to Sweden. The new decoration of the metronome joins the symbolism of the European Union with that of the Czech Republic.
The main motto of the Czech presidency is “Europe without barriers”. The Prime Minister, Mirek Topolánek, has summarised its programme as 3E – Economy, Energy, External Relations. The Czech Republic wants to eliminate barriers to the free movement of labour that are still maintained by certain “old” EU countries. Also priorities are the common energy policy and negotiations for an international agreement that should take the place of the Kyoto Protocol from 2012. Regarding foreign policy, further enlargement of the EU will be supported and Euro-Atlantic cooperation will be strengthened. The latter could be reinforced by the intended informal meeting of the EU heads of state with the new president of the United States, Barack Obama.The year 2009 will be very busy: new members of the European Parliament will be elected, new commissioners will be selected, and approval of the Lisbon Treaty is anticipated (although the Czech Republic has yet not ratified it). Of course, the Czech Republic will need to tackle current problems, most notably the economic crisis and the conflict in the Middle East.
Approximately 30,000 diplomats and officials should come to the Czech Republic during the first half-year. Fourteen informal meetings of ministers will be held in Prague, Brno, Luhačovice, Hluboká nad Vltavou, Mariánské Lázně and Litoměřice. Furthermore, many other events and meetings on various topics will take place in the Czech Republic.
The total costs of preparation and for the term of the presidency have grown to CZK 3.3 billion. The ranks of administrative workers were extended by 365 persons, most of whom have their offices in Brussels.
For more information, please refer to the official website www.eu2009.cz
