Useful to know

The EUObserver has posted a list of the Portuguese Presidency's immediate aims and actions as well as forthcoming actions by one or two Commissars. Note, in particular, Portugal's intention to turn attention to the Mediterranean and away from Russia, which had been Germany's preoccupation.

This is a very fine explanation of why there can be no real common foreign policy in the European Union, merely an imposed artificial one that grows out of structures and institutions: different member states have different interests and different preoccupations.

In actual fact, Portugal will find it hard to ignore the problem of Russia altogether as several of the new and old members have their eyes firmly fixed on the Big Bear. The next presidency will be Slovenia's, a country that is, presumably, torn between the two subjects.

The forthcoming scorecard on the European Arrest Warrant will also be of interest.