Retirement traditions are present in many places, including government organizations. Officials of EU nations are no exception. Thus, farewell dinners vary with some people offering tea with cakes and some giving out beer and wine. Outgoing European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council Chairman Herman Van Rompuy arranged a parting dinner with Belgian beer and Portuguese wine for members of the EU summit.
The dinner, according to guests, started with beer. "The President Rompuy said that the best beer in the world is Belgian. After that, it was wine from Portugal. I think it's a great combination. I would not say that it is because of this we have made such encouraging results", - said the head of the European Commission. Van Rompuy confirmed his words.
Barroso and van Rompuy retired at the end of October after five years in office. Former Prime Minister of Luxembourg Jean-Claude Juncker has become the new head of the EU Commission, while ex-Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk has become the next president of the European Council.
However, the retirement ceremony was not the only reason why the meeting took place. Brussels hosted the EU summit. At the first meeting, it was decided to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent and boost the share of renewable energy.
