Minister of State Michael Link and the British Minister for Europe, David Lidington, will chair the third round of German-British consultations of state secretaries and other high officials responsible for European affairs in Berlin on Monday (14 January). The focus of the meeting will be an intensive exchange of views on strengthening economic and monetary union and on British and German ideas about the future of the European Union. Other topics on the agenda include growth, energy, environment and the EU’s strategic partnerships, particularly with the US.

On the German side, the State Secretaries responsible for European issues at the Federal Ministries will be participating. The UK’s representatives will include Ministers of State and Parliamentary Under Secretaries of State from, among others, HM Treasury, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, as well as MPs from the governing parties.

These German-British consultations have been held annually since 2011 under the chairmanship of the Minister of State for Europe at the Federal Foreign Office and the British Minister for Europe. The first meeting took place in Berlin in November 2011, the second in London in June 2012.