The French Ambassador to Bulgaria Etienne de Poncins took part in a special conference in the Sheraton Hotel in Sofia, where he presented France's priorities for its upcoming Presidency of the European Union.

His Excellency announced France was going to emphasize four main fields after it took over from Slovenia on July 1, namely energy and climate change, the crafting of a pact on migration policy, the common defense policy, and agriculture.

The first priority requires the adoption of EU legislation on the exchange of greenhouse gas quotas and on renewable energy sources, which are supposed to provide 20% of EU's energy in 2009.

The EU Council which met several days ago in Brussels adopted an 18-month program for the next three Presidencies in order to improve the coordination and continuity in decision-making process in the rotating institution.

Earlier on Monday de Poncins said before the Bulgarian National Radio that the forthcoming EU monitoring report on Bulgaria's progress was especially important as it had to demonstrate to the EU citizens that the country had fitted in the European family.

His Excellency pointed out Bulgaria was to receive several billion euros in the coming years, and that the EU taxpayers wanted to be sure that these funds would be spend accordingly.

The special conference in which Etienne de Poncins outlined the priorities of the French EU Presidency was organized by the cabinet of Bulgaria's European Affairs Minister Gergana Grancharova, and by the European Institute.

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