By H. E. Ambassador Christian Braun, Permanent Representative of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the European Union.
Although this will be Luxembourg’s 12th Presidency, by no means are we less proud of it. The 2015 Presidency comes 10 years after the previous Luxembourg Presidency in 2005.
As a founding member of the European Union, Luxembourg has witnessed all the changes and developments of the European integration process. From the initial project, which brought together 6 countries, to the Union of 28 Member States representing over 500 million citizens, Europe has evolved considerably. For Luxembourg, the 2015 Presidency will be the first one since the entry into force, on the 1st of December 2009, of the Lisbon Treaty – a treaty which changed substantially the relations between the different European institutions.
Fundamentally, it will be the job of the Presidency – as an honest broker – to continue and finish work on the files that are currently in the negotiation process by adopting Council positions and by starting negotiations with the Parliament. Furthermore, we’ll work towards substantial progress on the migration proposals currently on the table. Our Presidency will also be at the heart of a rethinking of the principles of international taxation and we want to ensure that significant progress is being made both internationally as well as inside the EU.
As an agenda-setter, it is also the job of the Presidency to put issues on the agenda whose time has come. Not because they are good for Luxembourg, but because they are good for the EU as a whole. Revitalising the European single market by focusing on its digital agenda is the perfect example of such a solution. We want to address the issue of geoblocking while defragmenting the single market and broadening its access for SMEs. And even though there won’t be any easy solutions, we will work hard on trade files, especially on TTIP negotiations but also on data protection, a file as important in the JHA-domain as it is for the development of the single market.
As Presidency of the Council, we also have to coordinate the position of the EU in a view to strengthen its presence on the global stage, which we’ll try to achieve in the ongoing climate negotiations for instance. Together with our French colleagues, we will uphold the ambitious targets the EU has defined for itself – reaffirming its leadership in climate action. The UN climate negotiation process ties in with the post-2015 development agenda, an important file for Luxembourg and a process in which our Presidency will play an equally important role as we’ll work hard to promote a strong EU position.
To conclude, let me stress that Luxembourg is proud to be able to provide its contribution. Within my government as well as within the different public administrations, there is a great willingness and eagerness to make this twelfth Luxembourg Presidency into a success both for the EU and for its citizens.
