Live blogging: EU Competitiveness Council, 9-10 March 2011 [Day 1]

Today and tomorrow, in a pilot project, we will be covering the EU Council on Competitiveness as bloggers. As a preparation, you can read this post on how to find documents related to the meeting. You can also have a look into the background note prepared by the Council press team and this memo written by the EU Commission ahead of the Council. We’ll be live-blogging here, so feel free to use the comments to ask questions, criticise, make suggestions what we should cover, which information we should get out etc. The hashtag on Twitter is #EUpilot.

---

Thursday, 10 March 2011 (written by @europasionaria and @ronpatz)

Follow this link to get to the live-blogging on the Competitiveness Council (day 2) and the informal foreign ministers Council on Libya and the events in Northern Africa.

Wed, 9 March 2011 (today written by @ronpatz)

• Official results of the Council meeting (research part): here. (via @dana_council)

Quick conclusions of day 1:

Got to know the Council press area and the way (some of the) things work here. Being here on the ground definitely gives you additional access to information that are shared by others who are here (officials, diplomats, journalists) and who may not necessarily share them on Twitter, on blogs.

The (political) question is how much of this could actually be more public so that you could have access to that from outside this building (e.g. some of the briefings).

17.06

Our coverage of the first day of the Competitiveness Council ends here. Ministers will continue their debates behind closed doors, but from the preparatory documents one could see that all the conclusions that will be adopted today have been already agreed on the level of EU ambassadors (in COREPER) or even on the working level, so no big controversy expected. I’ll link these conclusions later on or tomorrow.

17.00

The cameras have been switched off now, the Council went dark and the intransparent part of this institution has taken over.

16.54

The third agenda item is ended. The Hungarian minister chairing this meeting calls it a discussion. I call it not a discussion. And now the minister reads the meeting conclusions which also seem to be fully prepared ahead. Why have a meeting (‘discussion’) then?

16.52

In case you ever have to pretend you were at the Council doorsteps during the Hungarian Presidency, you can use the photo below to edit yourself in (remark: all pictures in this post except those that include faces are Creative Commens BY 2.0, so you can use and edit them freely as long as you refer to Bloggingportal.eu as the source).

16.45

Wow, the Greek minister has actually made a reference to someone who spoke before. It proves they have actually are able to react to each other. Why not have a real debate? The Commissioner said that discussions over lunch were very lively. I would prefer to see these. One journalist just said to me: “C’est pénible!” How right he is.

16.38

Have updated the post with a number of photos from the audiovisual unit (see below).

In parallel, I’m listening to ministers reading out statements. Why don’t they record them in their home countries and then they are cut together in a nice video? The interpretation will then be done ex post. That would be innovation. And would save a lot of money – just the interpretation of a half day Council meeting costs 450€ x 66 (3 interpreters for 22 languages) = 29,700 Euros. That’s 30,000 Euros for people reading mostly prepared statements.

Also, while uploading the pictures from the audiovisual unit, I wonder why the ministers are talking about innovation upstairs instead of inviting those people from the institutions who actually understand how to work with new technologies. My impression is always that the least innovative people talk about innovation.

16.26

The Netherlands thinks that the Commissions innovation indicators could be implemented much quicker than waiting two years. I think the Netherlands should propose a plan how to implement their proposal within the next 24 months.

16.16

Portugal wants a clear and confident message from the Spring European Council that researchers stay in Europe.

16.09

The video of the press conference reported earlier can be found here. My question and the answer by Commissioner Geoghegan-Guinn can be found from minute 23 (that’s what I just read on Twitter; not checked myself). [Update: The question and answer has also been made available as a separate 3 min video)

16.06

Interesting project from Czech Republic mentioned by their Council representative: In one of their regions, they give out "innovation vouchers" to small and medium size enterprises that these can invest in research at a university. Would be interesting to see whether this works. Sounds promising.

15.58

Sitting in a journalists' room of the press centre of the Council listening to quite boring declarations of ministers/state secretaries on Europe 2020 and the research angle therein. First thing learned: Having a sandwich at the press bar of the Council is way cheaper than eating outside. After lunch, I went downstairs to the audiovisual centre of the Council to see those people who, inter alia, are behind these websites: http://video.consilium.europa.eu & http://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu

Council TV studio

Council radio studio

Council audiovisual control room

Council tech room, currently preparing for the extraordinary European Council on Friday

Council officials working in the audiovisual team

15.06

Now the Council meets in an open debate. I will grab something to eat, you can watch it here. [Update: The Council meeting, not me eating.]

15.03

The press conference is over. Asked the question how satisfied the Commissioner was with the Council conclusions on this issue, which seem rather negative from what I read. She seemed pretty satisfied and speaking  with someone from her team, they seem to be quite happy with how this is going and how high level this so-called European Innovation Partnerships (EIP) is taken up. I still wonder why the Council conclusions are so hesitant then if everything seems to be working fine. Either the Council is jealous or they don’t believe the Commissioner. Or I simply misread the conclusions.

14.51

Hungarian journalist: How many countries have made sufficient committments for R&D targets?

14.50

Journalist continues to ask for the patent questions. Minister just answers that 25 countries (except Italy and Spain) will joined the enhanced cooperation.

14.45

Questions from journalist on several issues, including ITER and one on the patent issues of tomorrow. Geoghegan-Guinn doesn’t comment on the patent issues of tomorrow besides saying that she hopes to have an EU patent soon. The Hungarian minister Csefalvay says that he hopes that there will be an enhanced agreement tomorrow. Wants to close “a long story”.

14.40

The Commissioner sends out dozens of buzzwords on innovation. First meeting of high level group for the healthy ageing partnership will be in April. You don’t know what that means? Probably most wouldn’t. I wouldn’t I have prepared for this topic.

14.37

“Lively discussions over lunch and full support of the Green Paper”. (Geoghegan-Guinn) I don’t know what Green Paper is meant. Will check that later. Commissioner says that they will also use their Facebook page. Wow, Facebook. [Update: It is this Green Paper consultation on EU research and innovation.]

14.37

“Shifting budgets is easy, shifting structures takes time.” (Csefalvay)

14.35

“Research and developments is important.” (Csefalvay) The press conference starts with things politicians say for 100 years.

14.33

Press conference starts. Probably 2-3 journalists and 20 officials. Research doesn’t seem to be of high priority for the press.

14.15

Waiting. Thanks god there’s WiFi up here. BTW: You can also watch the press conference (when it starts) here.

14.05

The previous foreign policy briefing has ended and almost all journalists leave the room. The press runs after the big stories. Now waiting for the minister and the Commissioner to arrive.

13.48

You’ll be able to watch the press conference today here (~14.00). The public debate(s) of the Council meeting that starts at about 14.30 can we watched live here. So even when you are far away, you can still see stuff that is happening here in the Lipsius building. At the press conference we expect Minister Cséfalvay and EU Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn.

13.43

Just saw this “interview” with the Hungarian minister Zoltán Cséfalvay on the upcoming debate on the EU patent. I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of “interviews” done by the institutions (in this case the Presidency) themselves. It’s pretty propaganda-ish.

13.36

Ministers are still eating/working. The press conference on the research issues of the Competitiveness Council starts in about 30 minutes. If you have any questions, ask them here in the comments or through the hashtag #EUpilot on Twitter, and if there is room, I’ll try to get them in. Yet, I know, it’s not the most exiting topic compared to, let’s say the joint statement of Commission and External Action Service on democracy in the Mediterranean.

13.00

Spent an hour at the very quiet doorsteps where the ministers arrive. Not much going on there half an hour before the meeting. Most were probably already there. Nothing compared to the mess of European Councils (“Summits”), where the press is crowding the whole area. Now a briefing on the the Extraordinary Foreign affairs Council on Thursday. The room is crowded with journalists, foreign policy is probably much more interesting than research policy.

11.55

Going downstairs to the “doorsteps” to maybe get some pictures of ministers/state secretaries. Will also see whether the WiFi works down there.

11.51

The proof of my accreditation.

11.48

The Council building yesterday morning, when the sun still was shining. Today it’s grey. Probablly reflects the general interest in the research part of the Council.

11.43

The informal lunch of the ministers for research (or, as in the German case which I just happened to learn from a German official at the doorsteps, their state secretaries) will start at 12.30; a press conference is expected around 14.00. That is a press conference before the real Council meeting will start at 14.30. Lack of interest for a press conference after the real meeting…?

11:30

Arrived in the press centre of the Council and had a first walk around with @dana_council. Still rather quiet, first ministers and state secretaries arriving. One camera team at the door steps – Research doesn’ seem to attract the masses. Also met @synecdoque who works in the audiovisual team of the Council.

10:35

Live blogging to start in about 45 minutes.