ZAGREB, January 9, 2020 - The College of Commissioners, comprised of the 27 Commissioners, is holding a meeting on Thursday and Friday in Zagreb, at the start of Croatia's six-month rotating presidency of the European Union, and the gathering is chaired by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The gathering of the College of Commissioner in Zagreb formally marks the start of Croatia's presidency in the first half of 2020.
European Council President Charles Michel, who arrived in Zagreb on Wednesday, will attend the two-day meeting.
Commission President von der Leyen and other members of the EC are arriving in the Croatian capital on Thursday and in the evening, they will attend a special concert in the Croatian National Theatre (HNK).
Upon the gala concert in the HNK, Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović will give a reception for the guests.
On Friday morning, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković receives the EC President von der Leyen, and their meeting is scheduled before the start of the meeting of the Croatian government and the College of Commissioners in the Croatian National and University Library (NSK).
After that, Plenković and von der Leyen are due to address the press.
The events in Zagreb are being covered by some 60 Brussels correspondents who came in Zagreb on Wednesday for the College meeting at the start of Croatia's EU presidency as part of regular practice by EU countries-in-chair to invite correspondents from Brussels at the start of their rotating EU presidency. On that occasion, journalists were briefed about the priorities of the Croatian presidency by PM Plenković on Wednesday afternoon.
The College of Commissioners, comprised of the 27 Commissioners, meets as a general rule at least once per week. This weekly decision-making procedure is called the oral procedure.
In practice, the Commissioners meet every Wednesday morning in Brussels. However, during the plenary sessions of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the meeting takes place on a Tuesday.
More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.
