Deens voorzitterschap van start met bezoek van de Europese Commissie en officiële openingsceremonie (en) - Montesquieu Instituut

In this week the first meetings at the political level will be held in Denmark during the Danish Presidency. The main event is the meeting between the Danish Government and the European Commission on 11-12 January. In addition the official Opening Ceremony will take place on 11 January where the handing over of the Presidency from Poland to Denmark will be marked. More than 60 agenda-setting media representatives from Brussels will visit Copenhagen and the Presidency from 9-12 January.

Meeting between the Prime Minister and the President of the European Council: 9 January

On Monday 9 January Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt welcomes the President of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy, to a meeting in Copenhagen.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the debt crisis in Europe, including negotiations on the fiscal agreement, and the cooperation between van Rompuy and the Danish EU Presidency. A doorstep will take place at the Prime Minister’s Office at 13:45.

Meeting between the Danish Government and the EU Commission: 11-12 January

A meeting between the Danish Government and the European Commission will take place on 11-12 January. Here, the Government will discuss the Presidency's priorities and expectations for the Presidency with the Commission. Meetings will be held both in plenary session as well as in thematic clusters and bilateral meetings at the Bella Center.

The Government and the Commission will also attend the official Opening Ceremony at DR Concert Hall in the evening of 11 January. The Prime Minister and the President of the European Commission will also officially open the exhibition "Europe meets the World" at the National Museum of Denmark in the morning of 12 January.

The official Opening Ceremony at DR Concert Hall: 11 January

As a tradition to symbolically mark the takeover of the Presidency an official Opening Ceremony will take place. The Opening Ceremony will be held on 11 January at the DR Concert Hall from 19:30 to 21:30. Approximately 400 invited guests are expected to attend the Opening Ceremony.

Besides the Danish Government, the Polish Government, the Government of Cyprus, the EU Commission and the European Parliament will be represented at the highest level.

The Opening Ceremony will include speeches by the Polish Prime Minister marking the handover of the Presidency, the Danish Prime Minister, the President of the EU Commission and the President of the European Parliament. Afterwards a concert performed by the DR Symphony Orchestra and the DR Girl’s Choir will take place.

The visit of Brussels-based media: 9-12 January

From 9-12 January the Danish Presidency welcomes 67 agenda-setting international media representatives that have been invited to visit Copenhagen. Their visit will include a dinner with the Danish Government at the residence of the Prime Minister, Marienborg.

The journalists will be presented to the Presidency's priorities and issues to be addressed at a number of briefings with the Government.