Secretariat for EU Meetings in Sweden in 2009 (SES-09)

On 1 January 2008, a special Secretariat was set up to be responsible for planning and coordinating the administration, procurement and logistics related to meetings in Sweden during its Presidency of the EU from 1 July to 31 December 2009.

Responsibilities and tasks

The Secretariat are responsible for the practical implementation of the meetings all over Sweden during its Presidency, including the twelve informal ministerial meetings to be held in autumn 2009. Examples of the Secretariat's different areas of activity are:

• transport
• security arrangements
• booking and preparation of venues
• hotel bookings
• interpretation
• accreditation
• technical arrangements

Overall planning and establishing the framework and structure of all the meetings is the main task for the Secretariat. Apart from that, each specific meeting must be planned in detail. Here, representatives of municipalities, police authorities and other authorities around the country are involved.

Organisation

The Secretariat consists of nine different areas of activity. A short description of each area is given below:

Secretariat management

Consists of the Secretariat's Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General and an assistant. Manages and distributes the Secretariat's work.

Executive staff

The Secretariat's overall duties, recruitment of extra staff and attachés, information, planning visits, archives and registration, documentation and so on.

Finance and legal affairs

Budget and financial follow-up. Procurement and contracts.

Security and transport

Security guards, security arrangements, transports, etc.

Venues and preparations

Building coordination, design, interior design, furnishings, office equipment and material, signs, flags to be flown, etc.

Technical arrangements

IT support, conference technology, interpretation technology, telephony and other communications.

Media logistics

Media logistics and arrangements in connection with meetings in Sweden.

Conference service

Hotels, hosts and hostesses, official gifts and smaller presents, protocol, registration and accreditation, meals, periphery activities, interpretation and translation.

Meetings coordinators

Coordination and integration of meeting projects. The Secretariat's link vis-à-vis the ministries.

Questions

Questions concerning the practical planning of meetings in the run-up to the Presidency in 2009 can be sent to the Secretariat.