Lithuanian political scientists predict that the agenda of the Spanish EU presidency for the coming half a year will include fewer issues that directly involve Lithuania’s interests; however, the political scientists believe that the important for the region projects should not be affected by that.

Tomas Janeliunas, lecturer at the International Relations and Political Science Institute of the Vilnius University, says that the issues important to Lithuania received a lot of attention during the Swedish presidency.

“The Swedish presidency was almost directly involved in some of our interests, especially the formulation of the Baltic Sea strategy, the connection of the electricity networks, and the implementation of these policies at the EU level. (…) I think that this half a year will have little connection to our direct interests,” the political scientist says.

Professor Gediminas Vitkus, head of the Political Science Faculty of the General Jonas Zemaitis Military Academy, says that Lithuania did not receive any special attention during the Swedish presidency.

“I have not noticed any special attention. Sweden had many troubles during its EU presidency. I think it was a coincidence that the EU Eastern Partnership Programme was approved during that period,” Vitkus says.

In his opinion, the projects important to Lithuania will not be negatively affected by the Spanish presidency. And after the EU has a president and a foreign minister, the influence of the countries presiding over the EU will be reduced.

“This will be the first presidency that will be conducted in accordance with the new procedures, which means that the significance of the presidency is diminishing, especially as far as foreign policy is concerned. In any case, this will not have any impact on Lithuania. Moreover, it is likely that Spain will pay more attention to its region, to the Mediterranean Sea countries,” Vitkus says.

“I think that Lithuania’s main concern – energy projects and funds – will not be affected in any way by the presiding country, because these decisions are made by the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Council,” he says.

According to Janeliunas, a country presiding over the EU “assumes the responsibility to maintain the continuity of the long-term programmes.”

“The countries that constitute the so-called EU troikas – the presiding country, the country presiding before and after it, share part of their responsibilities, (…) they assume the responsibility to ensure the continuity of the long-term programmes. In this case, perhaps Spain will not be very interested in the Eastern Partnership Programme, but the programme will certainly not disappear anywhere, because it is a long-term commitment, all the mechanisms for the funds allocated in accordance with this programme are in place,” Janeliunas says.

The political scientist underscores that the project has moved to “the bureaucratic stage during which these decisions do not really depend on some special political efforts of the presiding countries.”

Spain took over the EU presidency from Sweden on 1 January. Belgium will take over the EU presidency in July 2010.

Source Alfa.lt