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  • 14-01-2021 12:29

EU/Presidency: Prime minister to meet Ursula von der Leyen at start of EU Commission visit to Lisbon on Friday


Lisbon, Jan. 14, 2021 (Lusa) – A meeting between the Prime Minister and the President of the European Commission marks the start of the visit on Friday of a delegation from the Community executive to Lisbon under the Portuguese presidency of the EU Council.

The traditional visit of the college of Commissioners to the country holding the six-monthly rotating presidency of the Council has been adapted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It takes place in a reduced format, with the President of the European Commission leading a delegation comprising eight Commissioners rather than the whole college, and the programme reduced to one day instead of the usual two.

On Friday, after the meeting between the Prime Minister, António Costa, and the President of the Community Executive, Ursula von der Leyen, the members of the two delegations will take part in a plenary session, after which António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen will hold a joint press conference, scheduled for the early afternoon at the Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB), seat of the Portuguese Presidency.

According to the spokesman for the Community executive, Eric Mammer, the President of the Commission will also meet the Portuguese President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and the President of the Portuguese Parliament, Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues.

Von der Leyen will be accompanied on her trip to Lisbon by the three executive vice-presidents, Frans Timmermans (responsible for the European Ecological Pact portfolio), Valdis Dombrovskis (an economist) and Margrethe Vestager (Digital), and the EU Vice-President and High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell.

The delegation also includes Portuguese Commissioner Elisa Ferreira (Cohesion and Reforms), and Commissioners Nicolas Schmit, responsible for Social Affairs, one of the main priorities of the Portuguese presidency, Margaritis Schinas (Promoting a European way of life) and Maros Sefcovic (Interinstitutional Relations and Prospective).

On the Portuguese government side, in addition to the Prime Minister, the four Ministers of State - Pedro Siza Vieira (Economy and Digital Transition), Augusto Santos Silva (Foreign Affairs), Mariana Vieira da Silva (Presidency) and João Leão (Finance) - will also be present.

The executive representation also includes ministers João Cravinho (Defence), Eduardo Cabrita (Internal Administration), Alexandra Leitão (Modernisation of the State and Public Administration), Nelson de Souza (Planning), Manuel Heitor (Science, Technology and Higher Education), Marta Temido (Health), João Pedro Matos Fernandes (Environment and Climate Action) and Maria do Céu Antunes (Agriculture), as well as the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Ana Paula Zacarias, who has a central role in coordinating the presidency.

The Minister of Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, will participate by videoconference as she tested positive for the new coronavirus and, having "mild symptoms", is in home confinement.

The programme for the visit of the European executive delegation includes meetings by thematic groups, with the participation of a commissioner and ministers from the respective area, and bilateral meetings between commissioners and ministers.

The Portuguese presidency of the EU Council, which runs for the first half of the year, formally kicked off on 5 January with the visit to Lisbon by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.

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