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PROVISIONAL VERSION PRESS RELEASE

Main results of the Council The Council welcomed the signature of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) and of the Interim Agreement with Serbia as an important step on the country's path towards the EU. It looked forward to intensifying co-operation with Serbia through the comprehensive framework offered by these agreements and the other mechanisms of the Stabilisation and Association Process. Recalling that full co-operation with the ICTY, including all possible efforts to arrest and transfer indictees, is an essential element of these agreements, ministers agreed to submit the SAA to their parliaments for ratification and the Community decided to implement the Interim Agreement as soon as the Council decides that Serbia fully co-operates with the ICTY. The Council and the Commission will regularly monitor that Serbia continues to fully co-operate with the ICTY. The EU and its Member States will assist Serbia in this respect. The signing of the SAA and of the Interim Agreement took place in the margins of the Council. The Council welcomed the conclusion of the first phase of the police reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the recent adoption of the two police laws. It recalled that agreement on police reform in line with the EU's three principles is one of the necessary conditions for further progress towards the conclusion of the SAA. The Council acknowledged BiH's progress on all the four conditions for the signing of the SAA as set out in the Council conclusions of 12 December 2005. While Bosnia and Herzegovina will need to undertake further efforts to address reforms, the Council expressed its readiness to sign the SAA. Technical preparations are underway.

The Council also adopted, without discussion, a regulation reforming the common organisation of the EU's wine market. The reform is aimed at increasing the competitiveness of EU wine producers, winning back markets both within and outside the EU, balancing supply and demand, simplifying rules, preserving the best traditions of European wine production, reinforcing the social fabric of rural areas and ensuring respect of the environment. It will apply as from 1 August 2008, with exceptions. It is part of the reform of the EU's common agricultural policy that started in 2003.

PARTICIPANTS

The governments of the Member States and the European Commission were represented as follows: Belgium:

Mr Karel DE GUCHT Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Olivier CHASTEL State Secretary for Foreign Affairs

Bulgaria:

Mr Ivailo KALFIN Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs

Czech Republic:

Mr Karel SCHWARZENBERG Minister for Foreign Affairs

Denmark: Mr Per Stig MøLLER Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Michael ZILMER-JOHNS State Secretary for Foreign and Security Policy, EU Policy and EU Coordination

Germany: Mr Günter GLOSER Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Estonia: Mr Urmas PAET Minister for Foreign Affairs

Ireland: Mr John McGUINNESS Minister of State with special responsibility for Trade and Commerce at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Greece: Mr Ioannis VALINAKIS State Secretary for Foreign Affairs

Spain: Mr Diego LÓPEZ GARRIDO State Secretary for European Affairs

France: Mr Jean-Pierre JOUYET Minister of State for European Affairs

Italy: Mr Rocco CANGELOSI Permanent Representative

Cyprus: Mr Markos KYPRIANOU Minister for Foreign Affairs

Latvia: Mr Māris RIEKSTIŅŠ Minister for Foreign Affairs

Lithuania: Mr Petras VAITIEKŪNAS Minister for Foreign Affairs

Luxembourg: Mr Jean ASSELBORN Deputy Prime Minister, Minister with responsibility for Foreign Affairs and Immigration Mr Nicolas SCHMIT Minister with responsibility for Foreign Affairs and Immigration

Hungary: Ms Kinga GÖNCZ Minister for Foreign Affairs

Malta: Mr Tonio BORG Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs

Netherlands: Mr Maxime VERHAGEN Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Frans TIMMERMANS Minister for European Affairs

Austria: Ms Ursula PLASSNIK Federal Minister for European and International Affairs

Poland: Mr Radosław SIKORSKI Minister for Foreign Affairs

Portugal: Mr Manuel LOBO ANTUNES State Secretary for European Affairs, attached to the Minister for Foreign Affairs

Romania: Mr Lazar COMANESCU Minister for Foreign Affairs

Slovenia: Mr Dimitrij RUPEL Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Matjaž ŠINKOVEC State Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister Mr Janez LENARČIČ State Secretary at the Government Office for European Affairs

Slovakia: Ms Diana STROFOVA State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Finland: Mr Alexander STUBB Minister for Foreign Affairs Ms Astrid THORS Minister for Migration and European Affairs

Sweden: Mr Carl BILDT Minister for Foreign Affairs

United Kingdom: Mr Jim MURPHY Minister of State for Europe

Commission: Mr Olli REHN Member Mr Louis MICHEL Member Ms Benita FERRERO-WALDNER Member

General Secretariat of the Council: Mr Javier SOLANA Secretary-General/High Representative for the CFSP

( Lire la Suite ... )