The General Affairs Council looks at the priorities for the six-month Spanish Presidency

The European Union General Affairs Council, chaired by the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miguel Angel Moratinos, meets this Monday in Brussels to examine the priorities for the six-month Spanish Presidency.

Implementing the Treaty of Lisbon, economic recovery and sustainable growth –in particular the launch of the 2020 Strategy– strengthening the role of Europe in the world and broadening citizens' rights and freedoms are the objectives the Spanish Presidency has set itself.

The Spanish Presidency is the first rotating Presidency taking office under the Treaty of Lisbon to create new permanent posts and a new distribution of responsibilities among the institutions. The Presidency has thus given top priority to taking responsibility for ensuring that the Treaty is fully and rigourously implemented.

As regards economic issues, the Spanish Presidency proposes increasing coordination between Member States, in preparation for the 2020 Strategy for growth and employment. It will also put forward measures for enabling recovery across the whole of the EU by fostering growth that is both sustainable and aimed at job creation.

In the area of foreign policy, the Spanish Presidency will be collaborating closely with the permanent President of the Council, Hermann van Rompuy, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, in order to make the most of the opportunities created by the new Treaty. The objective is for the EU to undertake its appropriate role on the international stage in order to promote its interests and values.

For this to happen, the Union has to obtain greater support and commitment from European citizens. To achieve this, the Spanish Presidency proposes strengthening the rights, civil liberties and security of EU citizens and promote equality between men and women.

At the Foreign Affairs Council the same day in Brussels, Moratinos will be presenting a proposal for accelerating the processes already underway for adopting Haitian children.

Spain will also propose international measures for the assistance and protection of non-accompanied minors or those who have been orphaned, through cooperation programmes run by each country and in coordination with UNICEF and the Red Cross.

The 27 Member States have already approved 430 million euros of aid for humanitarian supplies and medium-term reconstruction.

The First Deputy Prime Minister of the Spanish government, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, will attend, on behalf of Spain and the European Union (EU),  the international conference to lay the foundations for the reconstruction of Haiti which takes place in Montreal (Canada) also on Monday .

The Montreal meeting will focus on coordinating the influx of humanitarian aid being sent to Haiti to answer the most pressing needs of the hundreds of thousands of victims, and also prepare a summit meeting to discuss the reconstruction of the Caribbean country.