Spain faces tough EU agenda

Spain wants to be seen giving something back to the EU

By Flora Botsford in Madrid

From 1 January Spain holds the rotating presidency of the European Union and the centre-right government of Jose Maria Aznar has promised to make fighting terrorism his priority over the next six months.

Spain's priorities

Fight against terrorism

Introduction of the euro

Economic and social reform

Enlargement

Common security and defence

Future of an enlarged Europe

Besides that, Spain presides over the early days of the euro, the continuing negotiations on enlargement of the union, and the start of a major debate on EU reform agreed at the Laeken summit last month.

One official has warned that Spain will be blamed for any teething problems with the new currency - but will not get the credit if everything goes smoothly.

The same could be said for enlargement. Spain is pushing for completion of the negotiations by the end of 2002 and for the inclusion of candidate countries in elections to the European parliament in 2004.

Madrid has to negotiate two difficult chapters of the enlargement "road map" - EU agricultural and regional subsidies.

Although national interests are not supposed to come to the forefront of the discussions, it is clear that on both these counts Spain - as a big recipient of EU funds - will lose out when enlargement lowers the EU's average national gross domestic product.

Top priority

The Spanish Government wants to be seen to be giving something back to Europe, and perhaps this is why it has chosen to make the fight against terrorism its top priority.

Spain wants to lead the EU-wide fight against terror

Here Spain can offer its European partners 30 years of experience fighting the Basque separatist group, ETA.

Spain has been a driving force behind major European initiatives that are already underway - the EU-wide arrest warrant, and an EU list of terrorist groups, which could result in the bank accounts of named organisations and individuals being frozen.

The continuing US-led campaign against those held responsible for the 11 September attacks is likely to dominate foreign and internal security policy during the coming months - so it was a realistic priority choice for Spain.

There are also European institutional prizes which Spain would like to secure during the presidency - most of all that Barcelona should be chosen as the site for a new European food agency.