Month | Date | Minister | Council |
| December | 17 - 19 | Richard Lochhead Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment | Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment attends Fisheries Council in Brussels Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead attended the December Fisheries Council at which agreement was reached on TAC and Quota regulation. The Council concluded with a satisfactory deal for Scotland but one that nonetheless poses significant challenges for the Industry and Government in the year ahead |
| November | 18 - 20 | Richard Lochhead Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment | Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment attends Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead attended the Agriculture Council on 18-20 November 2008 in Brussels at which political agreements on the Cod Recovery Plan and also the CAP Health Check were struck. Whilst in Brussels Mr Lochhead also called on the Flemish Representation to the EU and met with the First Minister of Flanders Kris Peeters on the margins of the Council. |
| October | 27 - 28 | Richard Lochhead Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment | Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment attends Agriculture and Fisheries Council Mr Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, was in Luxembourg for the Agriculture and Fisheries Council. Key issues discussed were the CAP health check, political agreement on the management of deep sea fish stocks and discussions on forthcoming negotiations between the EU and Norway. |
| October | 24 | Fergus Ewing Minister for Community Safety | Minister for Community Safety attends Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg The Minister for Community Safety, Fergus Ewing, attended the Council as part of the UK delegation. The Council considered the a number legislative proposals including a Decision on the establishment of the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS) and a Regulation setting out rules as regards the cross-border recognition and enforcement of maintenance claims. |
| September | 29 | Richard Lochhead Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment | Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment attends Agriculture and Fisheries Council Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead was in Brussels to attend the Informal Fisheries Council and subsequent Agriculture Council on 29 September 2008. Cod Recovery and the CAP Health Check were the key issues at this Council meeting. |
| September | 25 | Frank Mulholland Solicitor General | Solicitor General attends Justice and Home Affairs Council Solicitor General, Frank Mulholland, attended the Council as part of the UK delegation. The Council approved the proposed European Pact on Immigration and Asylum and there was a general debate on Member States' concerns about the implications of the recent European Court of Justice judgement concerning rights of residence under the Free Movement Directive for (non-EU) nationals who are married to EU citizens. The Council also considered the "Blue Card" Directive concerning the admission of highly skilled workers in the EU. |
| July | 24 | Kenny MacAskill Cabinet Secretary for Justice | Cabinet Secretary for Justice attends first day of Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels Mr Kenny MacAskill attended the first day of the two day Justice and Home Affairs Council as part of the UK delegation. Among other discussions, ministers held negotiations on draft directives on access to, and the conditions of stay in, the EU for highly qualified workers from third countries and on sanctions against employers of illegal immigrants |
| July | 15 | Richard Lochhead Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment | Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment attends Agriculture and Fisheries Council Mr Richard Lochhead attended a one day Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels on 15 July. This was the first under the French Presidency and included an orientation debate on the Health Check of the Common Agriculture Policy and political agreement on a package of measures designed to assist the EU fishing Sector in light of the ongoing fuel crisis. |
| June | 23 - 24 | Richard Lochhead Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment | Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment attends Agriculture and Fisheries Council The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead was in Luxembourg as part of the UK delegation which also included his Welsh and Northern Irish counterparts. The Council had its first formal discussion on the CAP Health Check proposals and also secured political agreement on a number of fisheries dossiers, including Controlling Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing and protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems on the high seas. There was also a major discussion on the current fuel crisis after the Commission tabled a non-paper on a package of measures to help alleviate it (mainly involving introducing more flexibility into the European Fisheries Fund). Mr Lochhead also met Scottish Fishermen to discuss the issue during the Council as well as (briefly) Spain's Agriculture and Fisheries Minister. He discussed a number of issues in a separate meeting with his devolved colleagues. |
| June | 5 - 6 | Frank Mulholland Q.C. Solicitor General for Scotland | Solicitor General attends Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg Frank Mulholland QC, Solicitor General, attended the Council as part of the UK delegation. The agenda included discussions on cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime; the protection of the environment through criminal law and the proposal for a decision on the strengthening of EUROJUST. In the field of civil law the ministers discussed the regulation on matters relating to maintenance obligations. Ministers also discussed the progress made on E-justice. |
| May | 19 - 20 | Richard Lochhead Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment | Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment attends Agriculture Council Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead, was in Brussels to attend a one day Agriculture Council at which food prices, pesticides legislation and WTO were among the key items discussed. |
| April | 17 - 18 | Rt. Hon. Elish Angiolini QC Lord Advocate | Lord Advocate attends Justice and Home Affairs Council On Thursday and Friday the Lord Advocate attended the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg. On Thursday evening the Lord Advocate attended a dinner with judges from the European Court of Justice. The substance of the Council took place on Friday, with the main items on the agenda of interest to the SG including political agreement on the Council Decision establishing the European Police Office (EUROPOL); agreeing a general approach on the Council Framework Decision on the enforcement of decisions rendered in absentia; a discussion on the Council Decision setting up Eurojust; and a draft Council Position on a Common Frame of Reference for European Contract Law. The Lord Advocate represented the UK for part of the meeting, making interventions on Eurojust and the Common Frame of Reference for contract law. |
| March | 17 | Richard Lochhead Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment | Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment attends Agriculture and Fisheries Council Mr Lochhead attended the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 17 March at which broad conclusions on the Health Check of the CAP were agreed and current difficulties in the EU pig and sheep sectors were discussed. |
February | 28 | Frank Mulholland QC Solicitor General for Scotland | Solicitor General for Scotland attends Justice and Home Affairs Council Mr Frank Mulholland QC, Solicitor General for Scotland, attended the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels and spoke on behalf of the UK on items relating to terrorism |