Government Offices

London welcomed members of the European Union (EU) Commission in October for the informal meeting of Director Generals of Sustainable Communities. The UK took hold of the EU Presidency reigns in June 2005, and during the 6 month tenure there were several delegations of Director Generals and Ministers who have come over from Brussels to discuss key issues the UK Government placed on the agenda.

Government Office for London (GOL) put forward several volunteers with foreign language skills to assist the Director Generals for this event. Although all EU personnel speak fluent English the UK Government was especially keen to provide as many foreign language interpreters and guides as possible, to demonstrate the UK’s eagerness to integrate within the Community and to dispel the notion that British people can’t and don’t want to speak anything other than English!

The London informal was in preparation for the ministerial meeting in Bristol in December. Delegates had the opportunity to contribute to exciting new proposals for Sustainable Communities in Europe. One of the main events of the visit was a trip by boat to Woolwich where a presentation of the ongoing regeneration work there was given, including extending the DLR and bringing together the newly developed Royal Woolwich Arsenal site with the rest of the town centre.

GOL also sent volunteers to the Ministerial Informal Meeting in December in Bristol, which ended the UK EU Presidency.

GOL GETS INVOLVED IN THE UK EU PRESIDENCY