The General Affairs Council (GAC) and Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) gather in Brussels on January 25. The only point on the agenda of GAC is presentation of the Spanish Presidency programme by Miguel Angel Moratinos, minister of foreign affairs of Spain. The Foreign Affairs Council will be chaired by the High Representative Catherine Ashton, and will continue the discussion on the EU’s response to the earthquake on Haiti.

Economic and Financial Affair Council (ECOFIN) gathers for the first time this year in Brussels on Tuesday, January 19. The legislative acts on the ministers’ agenda are to improve governance in tax matters (amendments to EU directives on the taxation of savings interest, on cooperation between tax administrators and on tax recovery).

The Foreign Affairs Council gather on extraordinary meeting in Brussels on January 18 in response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti on January 12. The meeting will be chaired by Ms. Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The situation and the EU’s response will be discussed by EU development ministers.

EU ministers for agriculture and fisheries gather on January 18 in Brussels at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, which is the first one chaired by the Presidency of Spain. Two main points on the agenda of the meeting are: presentation of Presidency’s working programme for the next six months in the area of agriculture and fisheries, and exchange of views on key elements of the Commission communication „A better functioning food supply chain in Europe”.

Ministers for transport and telecommunications meet on December 17 and 18 in Brussels for the TTE Council. The main point on their agenda is a regulation on the rights of bus and coach passengers – ministers will try to reach a political agreement on this issue. On the Transport session (December 17) agenda are also other points, i.e.: general approach on a regulation on the European Global Satellite System (GNSS) agency.

Ministers for agriculture and fisheries meet on December 14-16 in Brussels for this year’s last Agriculture and Fisheries Council. On Monday the Council is expected to reach a political agreement on a Regulation fixing for 2010 the fishing opportunities for Community vessels, by fishing zone and species. On Tuesday the Council holds an exchange of views concerning animal welfare labelling and will receive information on the development of the veterinary negotiation with Russia.

Climate change and economic issues are the main points on the agenda of the European Council in Brussels on December 10 and 11. Heads of State and Government are to discuss the state of negotiations at the Copenhagen climate conference and economic, financial and employment situation in the EU (in particular supervision of financial markets and crisis exit strategies).

Situation in the Western Balkans, Middle East and Iran are the three main points on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council, which meets on December 8 in Brussels. On the Western Balkans, ministers are to discuss the future of the EU's operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. On Middle East, Council is expected to call for an urgent resumption of negotiations that would lead to a two-state solution.

For the first time under the Lisbon Treaty rules, the General Affairs Council meets on Monday, December 7, to prepare the ground for the European Council due three days later. Ministers are expected to focus on institutional issues, economic performance, "the Stockholm Programme" within justice and home affairs, and climate change. Beside that, the Council is to go over a work programme for the trio presidencies: Spain, Belgium and Hungary, and prospects for further EU enlargement.

EU ministers for energy meet in Brussels on December 7 to discuss three legislation proposals with regard to supply security. Other key points on the agenda are as follow: consultation on where to locate the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and review of the state of play on the "energy efficiency package". Over the lunch ministers are to have discussion on Russia-Ukraine gas relations.

The Competitiveness Council meets in Brussels on December 3 and 4. The Council is to adopt a set of conclusions dealing with ways to transform Europe into a competitive, innovative and eco-efficient economy. On research area, the Council is to adopt conclusions in the field of information and communication technologies and launch a pilot project on combating neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer's.

EU ministers for finance meet on Wednesday, December 2, in Brussels at the Economic and Financial Affairs Council. One of the major issues on the agenda is an agreement on proposals to create three European authorities for the supervision of banking, insurance and securities markets - the Presidency will report the outcome of the Council's deliberations to the European Council on December 10 and 11.