The Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union received overall praise from MEPs in a debate with Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme in Strasbourg today.

Speaking in the debate, Jean-Luc Dehaene MEP said that the way Belgium interpreted the Council Presidency over the past six months will be defining for future Presidencies.

Jean-Luc Dehaene said: "This was the first Council Presidency under the new Lisbon Treaty, quite a challenge as the institutional framework has thoroughly changed. The Council has more than ever a regulating task and Parliament and Council are on an equal footing now. Unlike certain Council Members, Belgium has respected this new hierarchy and invested a great deal in achieving the European regulatory programme. In the past, Council Presidencies have all too often been influenced by national priorities."

An important result of Belgium's work over the past months is the commitment of future Council Presidencies to involve the European Parliament in the debate on the multi-annual financial framework. Jean-Luc Dehaene continued: "The financial framework will be the most difficult challenge of the European Union in the coming years. In the European Parliament, we will also be especially vigilant that the European Commission will present, as agreed, new proposals for own EU revenues."

For further information:

Jean-Luc DEHAENE MEP, Tel: +33-3-88147867

Greet Gysen, EPP Group Press & Communications Service, Tel: +32-497-028054

Notes to Editors:

The EPP Group is by far the largest political group in the European Parliament with 265 Members.