One of the key challenges facing Sweden as it takes over the rotating presidency will be to get the 27-nation bloc to reach a common position on fighting climate change ahead of the Copenhagen climate conference in December, and in an interview with Dagens Nyheter Commission President José Manuel Barroso says it will not be an easy job. Mr.Barroso goes on to say that the Commission has managed to get Eastern European countries - large emitters of greenhouse gases - to agree to the climate package by explaining that greater energy efficiency would make these countries less dependent on Russian gas and less vulnerable for gas crises.
Mr Barroso firmly believes there needs to be a European Council President who sits for a period of five-years. This year alone, due to the government crisis in the Czech Republic earlier this year, he has worked with four different Council presidents.
“For the Commission it is incredibly timeconsuming to switch European Council President all the time. And overseas, as Russian President, Vladimir Putin met 16 different Council presidents! It would be a miracle if they all came with exactly the same message to him,” he says.
Mr Barroso looks forward to working with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt in the coming months and praises Sweden as a source of inspiration to many in Europe. “You have shown that it is possible to have an open market and stand against protectionism while at the same time having social cohesion, social development and
high environmental ambitions,” he says.

Zviedrijas Radio intervija ar EK prezidentu Ž.M.Barrozu

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