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European Council    16/7/2018  Joint statement of the 20th EU-China Summit On the occasion of this 20th EU-China Summit, the two sides celebrated the 15th anniversary of the EU-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This has greatly enhanced the level of EU-China relations, with fruitful outcomes achieved in politics, economy, trade, culture, people-to-people exchanges and other fields. The Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their partnership for peace, growth, reform and civilisation, based on the principles of mutual respect, trust, equality and mutual benefit, by comprehensively implementing the EU-China 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation. Following the summit, European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, agreed the joint statement and the annex on climate change and clean energy. Joint statement and the annex on climate change and clean energy European Council    16/7/2018  Remarks by President Donald Tusk after the EU-China summit Let me first of all thank you, Premier Li, for your warm welcome here in Beijing. We just finished a fruitful meeting in which we agreed to develop the EU-China strategic partnership further. We discussed foreign and security cooperation and the situation in our respective neighbourhoods. We reiterated our support for the peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue through diplomatic means, and for a complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. We are also united in our commitment to the continued, full and effective implementation of the Iran nuclear deal. And today we will also discuss the situation in our neighbourhood, including in Ukraine. I will repeat our position that the only way to a sustainable solution to the conflict is through the full implementation of the Minsk agreements. On human rights, it is not always easy to find agreement as differences persist. But we agreed to enhance exchanges in follow up to the recent Human Rights Dialogue. Now, let me repeat what I told Premier Li at our meeting a bit earlier. Today, on the same day as Europe meets China in Beijing, American President Trump and Russian President Putin will talk in Helsinki. We are all aware of the fact that the architecture of the world is changing before our very eyes. And it is our common responsibility to make it a change for the better. Let us remember, here in Beijing, and over there, in Helsinki, that the world we were building for decades, sometimes through disputes, has brought about peace for Europe, the development of China, and the end of the Cold War between the East and the West. It is a common duty of Europe and China, America and Russia, not to destroy this order, but to improve it. Not to start trade wars, which turned into hot conflicts so often in our history, but to bravely and responsibly reform the rules-based international order. This is why I am calling on our Chinese hosts, but also on Presidents Trump and Putin to jointly start this process from a reform of the WTO. There is still time to prevent conflict and chaos. Today we are facing a dilemma: whether to play a tough game such as tariff wars and conflicts in places like Ukraine and Syria, or to look for common solutions based on fair rules. This is why responsibility, predictability, spirit of cooperation and respect for our common rules and commitments are so important these days. The EU is committed to working towards the modernisation of the WTO and calls on all partners to contribute positively to this goal. We propose a comprehensive approach to improving, together with like-minded partners, the functioning of the WTO in crucial areas. We need new rules in the field of industrial subsidies, intellectual property and forced technology transfers, reduction of trade costs, as well as a new approach to development and more effective dispute settlement. The aim of this reform should be to strengthen the WTO as an institution and to ensure a level playing field. Thank you. Council of the European Union    13/7/2018 |  EU electoral law: new rules adopted by the Council The Council today adopted new rules on elections to the European Parliament. This adoption follows the consent given by the European Parliament on 4 July 2018. For the rules to enter into force, approval by all EU member states, in line with their respective constitutional requirements, is also required. The amendments to the 1976 Electoral Act include new provisions on 'double voting', voting in third countries, different voting methods, and the visibility of European political parties in the member states.  An obligatory threshold of 2% to 5% is set for constituencies with more than 35 seats, including in single-constituency member states. Member states will have to comply with this obligation at the latest in time for the EP elections in 2024. European Parliament elections: Council reaches agreement on a set of measures to modernise EU electoral law (press release, 7 June 2018) Council of the European Union    16/7/2018  Omnibus regulation: simpler rules for use of EU funds adopted The Council today adopted the so-called Omnibus regulation which revises the EU's financial rules to make them simpler and more focused on results.  This regulation will amend the existing Financial Regulation which sets out the overall framework for budget management, as well as a number of acts governing the EU's multiannual programmes in various fields, including cohesion policy. "I am pleased that we have completed this important exercise in simplifying the EU's budget rules. This will make life easier for everyone. Smaller beneficiaries in particular will gain from these improvements, which include simpler arrangements for the reimbursement of costs. Everyone stands to benefit." Hartwig Löger, Austrian Federal Minister for Finance The changes include the extension of the use of ’simplified cost options’, and a focus on results rather than tracking the actual costs incurred. In order to avoid multiple checks, the EU will be able to rely more on existing audits, assessments and authorisations of other donors such as the UN and the World Bank, or the member states. Combining funding sources will also become easier.  All these improvements taken together are expected to cut significantly red tape for all those involved in the implementation of the EU budget.  The new rules will enter into force on the third day after their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. They will apply for the most part immediately. The EU institutions have been given more time - until 1 January 2019 - to adapt to the new rules as far as their administrative expenditure is concerned. Omnibus regulation (full text) Simpler use of EU funds: Council confirms deal with Parliament (press release, 19 April 2018) EU budget: provisional deal reached on simpler implementation (press release, 12 December 2017) European Council      17/7/2018  Remarks by President Donald Tusk after the EU-Japan summit in Tokyo Dear Prime Minister, dear Shinzō. Let me start by paying tribute to the Japanese people and to you personally for the bravery and dignity with which you have approached the recent natural disasters. Not only the whole of Europe, but in fact the whole world was watching your enormous struggle. We have all admired your resilience and strength in dealing with this tragedy. I have been watching hour by hour how you dealt with this crisis and was particularly moved by your personal and very human engagement in Okayama and Ehime prefectures with those affected most. And it is this human side of yours dear Shinzō, which makes you a great friend of the people. Europe respects you greatly, also for this. Please be assured that you can count on us and on the European solidarity. We will always be there for you because this is what friends do. And it is today that we cement the Japanese-European friendship forever. Relations between the European Union and Japan have never been stronger. Geographically, we are far apart. But politically and economically we could hardly be any closer. We both firmly believe in openness, cooperation, rules-based international order and free trade. We both share values of liberal democracy, human rights and the rule of law. I am proud that today we are taking our strategic partnership to a new level with two landmark agreements between the European Union and Japan - the Strategic Partnership Agreement and the Economic Partnership Agreement. We are putting in place the largest bilateral trade deal ever. This is an act of enormous strategic importance for the rules-based international order, at a time when some are questioning this order. We are sending a clear message that we stand together against protectionism. The European Union and Japan remain open for cooperation. Beyond trade, we are also agreeing a robust framework for dealing with a wide range of areas like security and defence, energy and climate or people-to-people exchanges. In foreign policy we stand side by side with Japan in efforts to maintain pressure on Pyongyang so as to ensure complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. We want to see an end to all of DPRK's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. We also fully support Japan on the issue of abducted citizens, which you, dear Shinzō, pursues so vigorously. Japan and the EU remain united in our commitment to making the Iran nuclear deal work. We also reiterated our full support for Ukrainian sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. The only solution to this conflict is through the full implementation of the Minsk agreements. To conclude let me say that today is a good day not only for all the Japanese and Europeans but for all reasonable people of this world who believe in mutual respect and cooperation. Thank you.