Liverpool (UK) and Stavanger (Norway) will be the "European Capitals of Culture" in 2008. The two municipal governments announced the approximate calendars for the events to be held in the next twelve months. In particular, Liverpool will open the events on January 12th with a show about the Beatles. The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue too will begin on January 1st. The website www.interculturaldialogue2008.eu has been opened to provide information on all events. The current presidency of the EU Council will be taken on by Slovenia, while the official agenda will be opened on 8th by the Panel of Commissioners, chaired by José Manuel Barroso, going to Brdo to meet the government of the Balkan Republic, headed by the prime minister, Janez Jansa: according to a release from the Commission, discussions will tackle climate change, competitiveness and the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. The fourth item on the agenda will be accession to the EU: in the last few days, the Portuguese presidency on duty closed its term by giving the go-ahead to two new sections of the negotiations with Croatia and another two with Turkey.
