On Monday, 6 February, the Presidium of the Saeima approved the Steering Committee for planning the parliamentary dimension of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU). The Committee, which includes representatives of all the parliamentary groups and the group of unaffiliated MPs, will draft a programme of parliamentary events for Latvia’s EU Presidency. 

The Committee will cooperate with the government and relevant institutions in implementing EU priorities and will contribute to making the Presidency a success. The parliamentary dimension of the Presidency will include hosting meetings of MPs from the EU member states in Latvia and shaping parliamentary cooperation among the Presidency trio, namely, Italy, Latvia and Luxemburg. The Saeima, in close cooperation with the European Parliament, will draft a schedule of events for the six-month Presidency.

Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, will chair the Steering Committee for planning the parliamentary dimension of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Chairperson of the European Affairs Committee, and Valdis Ziemelis, Deputy Director of the Chancellery of the Saeima, will be deputy chairpersons.

The Committee will consist of representatives of all the parliamentary groups: Dzintars Zaķis (Unity), Valdis Zatlers (Zaltlers’ Reform Party), Einārs Cilinskis (All for Latvia and For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK), Augusts Brigmanis (Union of Greens and Farmers), Valērijs Agešins (Concord Centre), as well as Jānis Junkurs on behalf of the group of unaffiliated MPs. The Committee will also include Āris Vīgants, Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Presidium; Lelde Rāfelde, Head of the Public Relations Department; Uģis Bambe, Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Speaker, and Gunda Reire, Head of the Speaker’s Office.

Latvia will preside over the Council of the EU in the first half of 2015. It will be our country’s first Presidency since joining the EU in 2004.

Saeima Press Service