merrion street

Minister of State Lucinda Creighton travels to Luxembourg later today to represent Ireland at tomorrow’s meeting of the General Affairs Council.

The Council will prepare the meeting of the European Council which is taking place later in the week on 23-24 June.  Ministers will also have the opportunity to discuss the handling of the agenda with the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy.

Discussion will focus on economic issues, in particular the assessment of progress on the comprehensive package of economic and financial measures adopted in March. 

Ministers will also review progress in implementing asylum and migration policies, and the issues raised by recent events in the Southern Mediterranean.

The Council may also assess informally the latest state of play in the accession negotiations of Croatia which are close to finalisation.

Poland will present the joint 18-month programme of the next Trio Presidency of Poland, Denmark and Cyprus.  Ireland will closely follow the work of the Trio, since Ireland’s own Presidency follows theirs at the start of 2013.

In commenting on the meeting Minister of State Creighton said, “Under the Lisbon Treaty the General Affairs Council is charged with the important task of preparing the meetings of the European Council. I want Ireland to be seen to make a constructive contribution to the collective response to the current financial and economic crisis and to a successful outcome of the European Council this week.”