On September 5-16 there will be Days of the Małopolska Region in Brussels. The event starts with an outdoor interactive exhibition of XL toys for both children and adults in the Parc du Cinquantenaire. The exhibition will be open to September 16. Moreover on September 15 there will be conference “Digital future of the European cinemas – enhancing regional competitiveness” in the European Parliament (more information at the website: www.malopolskie.pl/digitalcinema) For the evening Maria Pomianowska’s Zespół Polski prepared concert “At the roots of Fryderyk Chopin’s Music”. Tickets (16-25 €) are available at the Flagey centre; booking at: 02 641 10 20. More information at www.malopolskadays.eu

Bronisław Komorowski has been sworn in as the President of Poland on August 6th. The ceremony took place in front of the Poland’s Narional Assembly (members of both the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament) in Warsaw.
Bronisław Komorowski is the fifth President of Poland since the fall of communism, the former were: Wojciech Jaruzelski (1989-1990), Lech Wałęsa (1990-1995), Aleksander Kwaśniewski (1995-2005) and Lech Kaczyński (2005-2010).

Ministers for foreign affairs and ministers for European affairs meet on July 26 in Brussels on the Foreign Affairs Council and general Affairs Council. The General Affairs Council is expected to adopt a formal decision esteblishing the European External Action Service. The other items on the agenda are as follows: preparation of the European Council in September, approving a framework for negotiations with Iceland on its accession to the EU, presentation of Belgian Presidency’s work programme.

Ministers for finance gather in Brussels on July 13th on the Economic and Financial Affairs Council. The first point on their agenda is stocktaking of negotiations with the European Parliament on the financial supervision reform. Then the Council is due to open excessive deficit procedures for Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark and Finland and evaluate the measures taken to correct excessive deficits by other member states.

EU leaders meet in Brussels on June 17th at the European Council. The main points on their agenda are as follows: adopting the Europe 2020 Strategy (the new strategy for growth and jobs), preparation for the G20 summit in Canada later this month (with focus on financial supervision and regulation), economic governance and post-Copenhagen climate strategy.

On June 14 External Relations Council and General Relations Council take place in Luxembourg. Ministers for foreign affairs are to discuss a number of issues, focusing on situation in Gaza, Iran and the Western Balkans. They are also to discuss piracy off the Somalian coast. Other issues on the agenda are i.a. Sudan, Cuba and Georgia. Ministers for european affairs are to prepare the European Council meeting on June 17th in Brussels (i.a. EU 2020 strategy, G-20 summit preparation).

Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the majority of his cabinet members visited European Commission in Brussels on June 10th. It was a first „working” visit of such format ever received by the European Commission. The talks were focused on the priorities of the Poland’s Presidency, EU budget 2014-2020, Common Agricultural Policy, Coherence Policy and reform of the economic management. Prime Minister Donald Tusk met the President of European Council Herman Van Rompuy and the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso. Prime Minister and ministers met with the College of Commissioners, and then ministers held individual meetings with their counterparts from the European Commission in the so-called „thematic clusters” format.

Ministers for finance meet in Luxembourg on June 8 at the Economic and Financial Affairs Council. They are to review implementation of the stability and growth pact (opinion on Cyprus’ stability programme) and follow up on budgetary consolidation measures announced by Spain and Portugal.

The Justice and Home Affairs Council is to meet on a two-day session on Thursday and Friday, June 3rd and 4th in Luxembourg. The main issues on Thursday’s meeting are, among others, adoption of European Pact to combat international drug trafficking, Council conclusions on uncompanied minors from third countries and implementation of the EU strategy and action plan to combat terrorism and EU-US declaration on counter-terrorism.

It is with the deepest sense of grief that we learned, in the morning hours of April 10th 2010, about one of the most terrible tragedies in the history of Poland. On the way to the commemoration ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Katyń Massacre the President of the Republic of Poland Lech Kaczynski was killed in a plane crash along with the First Lady Maria Kaczyńska, many senior state officials, members of the Polish delegation and the plane crew. A week of national mourning was declared by the Speaker of the Sejm Bronisław Komorowski. We would like to offer our deepest sympathies to friends and families of the victims.