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Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Egidijus Meilūnas invited the European Union to find a pragmatic and solidarity-based solution for the EU’s future cohesion policy.

“The cohesion policy is an important EU instrument that would help European regions to get over the crisis and to reduce in essence the disparities of economic, social and territorial development within the EU,” said E.Meilūnas at the EU’s General Affairs Council meeting on 11 October in Luxembourg.

At the meeting, the European Commission (EC) presented proposals for the money available for spending on the EU cohesion policy 2014-2020. Lithuania criticized the European Commission’s proposal to limit the EU structural support, because it would lead to a serious reduction of funding for Lithuania in 2014-2020.

On 13 September, Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian and Hungarian Prime Ministers signed a joint letter to the President of the European Commission, calling for changing the EC proposals.

The General Affairs Council was also preparing for the European Council summit on 23 October, which is expected to tackle the issues of economic policy. Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke up for initiatives of assistance aimed at ensuring economic stability and more effective regulation of financial markets, but stressed that the initiatives were important not only for the members of the euro area, but also for entire European Union.

At the meeting, Lithuania stressed that when preparing for the Durban climate change conference the EU should preserve the commitment to cut its emissions by 30% by 2020 only on condition that other countries committed to do their fair share. EU Emissions Trading Scheme has to ensure the environmental needs, but those member states that have succeeded in reducing pollution the most should not suffer.

In Luxembourg, E.Meilūnas also met with Irish Minister of State for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton and discussed cooperation when preparing for the Presidency of the European Union. Ireland, Lithuania and Greece constitute the so-called Trio Presidency of the Council and will hold the Presidency of the European Union one after another until the middle of 2012.