European Council and Intergovernmental Conference of Brussels, 16-17/10/2003

The European Council was preceded in the morning by the second Session of the Intergovernmental Conference, which convened at the level of Heads of State and Government, assisted by their respective Foreign Ministers. The topics discussed were institutional issues related to the future European Constitution. The European Council itself began at 4 p.m., with the usual meeting of Heads of State and Government and the President of the European Parliament. The discussions, which also involved the Ministers of Economy and Finance, continued the following morning and concluded with a working lunch offered by the Italian presidency to the candidate countries. The main decisions covered were: – confirmation of the initiative aimed at revitalizing growth in Europe – creation of a European agency for the management of EU external borders – confirmation of Jean-Claude Trichet as President of the European Central Bank. The Council also examined international issues, especially the Middle East, Iraq, the World Trade Organization, as well as Iran, where the Council’s conclusions stated that: “Iran must quickly and unconditionally sign, ratify and implement the additional protocol of the International Atomic Energy Agency on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons”. Furthermore, Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic, and Gerhard Schröder, Federal Chancellor of Germany, took an unusual and highly symbolic step, as the French President spoke on behalf of the Federal Chancellor of Germany, who could not attend.