Health programme for the Portuguese Presidency
| Date | Event | Place |
| 12-13 July | Round Table on Health Strategies in Europe | Lisbon |
| 19-20 September | Conference on evaluation of Policies and Programmes in the field of drugs | Lisbon |
| 27-28 September | Conference "Health and Migration in the EU - Better Health for all in an inclusive society" | Lisbon |
| 12-13 October | Meeting of the AIDS Coordinators of the EU, WHO-EURO Region and Neighbouring Countries | Lisbon |
| 5-6 November | Meeting on Health and Health Systems Impact Assessment | Lisbon |
| 19-20 November | Conference "Pharmaceutical Innovation: the need for a new R&D Strategy in the EU" | Lisbon |
Portuguese Presidency priorities
On 11 June, Álvaro Mendonça e Moura, Portugal’s Permanent Representative to the European Union, set out the main priorities of the forthcoming presidency. For the next 6 months, the Portuguese Presidency will keep three main goals in focus:
Reinforcing the EU’s political underpinnings
On the short term, the main challenge will be to reach a clear commitment from all 27 Member on the future of the EU Treaty at the June European Council.
Strengthening the EU’s economic integration.
Portugal will dedicate specific attention to small and medium-sized enterprises in order to facilitate external trade.
On the social agenda, it will launch a debate to look at ways to ensure the sustainability of the European Social Model.
As far as the transport sector is concerned, priority will be given to maritime and aviation concerns, as well as the financing of the Galileo Project.
On environment, Portugal will carefully prepare the December United Nations Conference on climate change in Bali.
Energy will also be high on the agenda.
Portugal will do its utmost to complete the enlargement of the Shengen area to the new Member States before 2009.
Turning to the ’European Space for Freedom, Security and Justice’, the Portuguese Presidency will seek to improve police cooperation, and to launch a discussion on the rights of legal migrants in order to ensure better integration.
Reinforcing Europe’s role on the international scene.
Apart from strengthening transatlantic relations, the Portuguese presidency will give a clear priority to building a strategic dialogue with emergent countries, with summits planned with Russia, China, India, and Brazil.
Whilst Germany oriented the EU’s Neighborhood Policy towards Eastern countries, Portugal will shift efforts towards the Mediterranean countries.
Africa will also remain a key focus.
Enlargement talks will be ongoing with the
Western Balkans and the Middle East.
More information on upcoming events available on the Portuguese presidency website
