Today, the Swedish Presidency of the EU is launched. Now Sweden is in the driving seat of the world’s largest integrated economy with nearly half a billion citizens.
“It’s going to be a very exciting six months, but the task before us is not an easy one. I’m looking forward to tackling the autumn’s challenges together,” says Sweden’s Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.
The new influenza, antibiotic resistance, prevention of alcohol-related harm and patients’ rights are some of the issues on the agenda when the EU health ministers meet in Jönköping for the first informal ministerial meeting in Sweden, 6–9 July.
”These are concrete and important issues that affect a great number of people”, says Minister for Health and Social Affairs, Göran Hägglund.
Together with Maria Larsson, Minister for Elderly Care and Public Health, he is hosting the first two days of the meeting, on 6–7 July.
Approximately 15-20.000 Swedes and Londoners spent a sunny Saturday afternoon and evening on Hampstead Heath in London where they enjoyed Sweden on Stage, the climax of the first Swedish EU Presidency week in London. A number of young Swedish artists and Benny Andersson’s Band with singers Tommy Körberg and Helen Sjöholm performed.
Over one hundred million Europeans of working age were out of work even before the financial and economic crisis struck. The fact that more and more people lose their footing on the labour market increases the risk of exclusion.
“It is important, even in times of crisis, to ensure that those previously outside the labour market are able to enter it”, says Minister for Employment Sven Otto Littorin. “These are people who want to work, and we need them in order to afford pensions and healthcare”.
At Tuesday’s Council meeting – Sweden’s first as President of Ecofin – progress was made and good discussions were held on several key issues related to countering the current economic crisis – procyclicality, a common exit strategy to restore sustainability in public finances, and G 20 coordination.
On the first day of the G8 summit, discussions have focused on the financial and economic crisis and the climate and global issues. Some 30 heads of state and government from around the world are taking part in the different meetings being held. Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, who is representing the EU at the summit, thinks that the discussions so far have been productive.
The 27 EU Member States today formally nominated José Manuel Barroso for a second term of office as President of the European Commission. The next step is for the European Parliament to approve the nomination.
Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, in his capacity as President of the Council of the European Union, will host an EU summit with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil in Stockholm on 6 October this year. This was one of the things Reinfeldt and Lula agreed on today during a meeting held in L’Aquila, Italy.
