(a) to advance effective multilateralism as the overriding strategic concern of the Union and to strengthen the coherence and visibility of the EU as a global actor at the UN, inter alia by better coordinating internal EU consultations on UN issues and by promoting greater outreach on a wide range of issues; to authorise the Vice-President/High Representative (VP/HR) to draft guidelines for regular consultations between the ambassadors of the Member States and the EU ambassadors, especially between those working at a multilateral level in places like Geneva and New York, so that the EU can successfully pursue its UN agenda and meet the expectations o ...[+++]f UN members regarding its ability to act; to foster greater cohesion both within the UN system and between the positions of EU Member States and candidate and potential candidate countries, so as to maximise the potential offered by the Lisbon Treaty to strengthen the EU's impact through the coordinated and strategic use of its various and distinct (EU and Member States) entry points; to enhance its ability to negotiate with other regional groups in a timely manner; to provide the EU representatives with a proper mandate to negotiate effectively on behalf of the Member States,

to advance effective multilateralism as the overriding strategic concern of the Union and to strengthen the coherence and visibility of the EU as a global actor at the UN, inter alia by better coordinating internal EU consultations on UN issues and by promoting greater outreach on a wide range of issues; to authorise the Vice-President/High Representative (VP/HR) to draft guidelines for regular consultations between the ambassadors of the Member States and the EU ambassadors, especially between those working at a multilateral level in places like Geneva and New York, so that the EU can successfully pursue its UN agenda and meet the expectations o ...[+++]f UN members regarding its ability to act; to foster greater cohesion both within the UN system and between the positions of EU Member States and candidate and potential candidate countries, so as to maximise the potential offered by the Lisbon Treaty to strengthen the EU's impact through the coordinated and strategic use of its various and distinct (EU and Member States) entry points; to enhance its ability to negotiate with other regional groups in a timely manner; to provide the EU representatives with a proper mandate to negotiate effectively on behalf of the Member States,

Mr. Chair, ladies and gentlemen, members of the committee, I find it important to begin by setting out the National Battlefield Commission's mandate, which is to acquire, preserve and develop the great historic battlefields in Quebec City.

· the closing of the biggest US oil fields due to corrosion of the pipelines

Because of declining oil and natural gas supplies in the European Union (according to experts, gas output in Great Britain had already exceeded the output maximum by 2002, and gas output from Groningen, the largest gas field in the EU, could come to an end by 2010, cf. Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik GmbH, Ottobrunn, Germany; www.energiekrise.de) and rising demand (in 2001 natural gas consumption in Western Europe rose by 2.5%, according to the Commission proposal, p. 47), even natural gas cannot guarantee a sustainably secure energy supply; the energy mix must therefore be diversified in the direction of renewable energy sources.

This project which involves 7 partners from 6 Member States is a further and crucial step on the route to obtain access for European scientists to large magnetic fields.