GENERAL AFFAIRS COUNCIL: WHAT WILL MINISTERS DECIDE ON RUSSIA AND THE BALKANS?

The Presidency will open the meeting with a public debate on its programme, with a particular focus on security and defence policy. Security and defence will also figure in the discussions scheduled on the follow-up to the Helsinki European Council, with moves already afoot by the Presidency and the High Representative on creating interim crisis management structures in the political and military domains. These could perhaps start work as early as March, to allow a first report to the March 23/24 special EU Summit in Lisbon, and a more substantial report at the Feira European Council in June, covering definition of military capacities, the permanent structures, EU-NATO links, and the possible institutional implications which might require treaty changes.On the Inter-Governmental Conference, the Presidency will outline procedural and organisational aspects and a provisional calendar for meetings in the first half of the year. The Commission will deliver its opinion on January 26 and the Parliament before mid-February. Meanwhile, Member States will be nominating their personal representatives - in most cases, it seems at present, senior officials rather than Ministers.And on practical reform measures for the functioning of the Council, the Presidency is already pushing ahead with the December Helsinki Summit's recommendations, by limiting the number of people in the Council chamber to allow more "restricted" working sessions, and is seeking views on others, such as limiting the number of Council formations, and reorganising the format of meetings with third countries - to avoid the embarrassment created at present, when their Ministers come to Brussels to be met largely by EU Ambassadors, because EU Ministers have already left.Plans to move ahead with enlargement will be the subject of another Presidency report. The six "second-wave" countries will be invited to Ministerial meetings on February 15, for a formal opening of negotiations, and Portugal is planning the first meetings at deputy level (that is, chief negotiators and EU Ambassadors) before...