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On 15 October 2018 the Council agreed on next year's total allowable catches (TACs) and member states' quotas for the ten commercially most important fish stocks in the Baltic Sea.
The Council decided to increase fishing opportunities for plaice (+43%), sprat (+3%), Western cod (+70%), and herring in the Gulf of Riga (+7%). The Council also rolled-over the TACs for main basin salmon, and decided to decrease the future amounts to be fished for Central herring (-26%), Bothnian herring (-7%), Western herring (-48%), Eastern cod (-15%), and salmon in the Gulf of Finland (-3%).
Thanks to this agreement, 7 out of 8 stocks for which complete scientific advice was available will be fished in line with the principle of maximum sustainable yield (MSY), covering 98% of fish landings in volume.
"The 2020 deadline we set ourselves for achieving the sustainability of our fisheries resources is getting closer. Today's decision is another important step towards meeting this goal, whilst at the same time respecting the socioeconomic viability of our coastal communities."
Elisabeth Köstinger, Austrian federal minister for sustainability and tourism and president of the Council
Press release
Horizon Europe: Next steps for Missions and Partnerships
Published 15 Oct 19:43
Informal Lunch of EU Research Ministers and Commissioner Moedas on 15 October 2018
By joint invitation of Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, and Heinz Faßmann, Austrian Federal Minister for Education, Science and Research and current President of the Council Competitiveness for the part Research, representatives of the 28 members states met in the Berlaymont Building in Brussels for an informal lunch to discuss the issues of Research and Innovation (R&I) Missions and large partnership initiatives in Horizon Europe.
The meeting took place two weeks after the Council had decided to include the areas of Missions and institutional Partnerships in the legal text of Horizon Europe. As promised by Commissioner Moedas at the Council meeting on 28 September 2018, the European Commission presented a non-paper, containing a list of areas which the Commission believes to have the greatest potential to be the basis of the first Missions and of the large Partnership Initiatives (both public-public/Art. 185 TFEU and public-private/Art. 187 TFEU) within Horizon Europe.
Commissioner Moedas presented the list of areas to the ministers in detail, also explaining the process and the reasoning within the European Commission. A lively exchange of views followed, during which the ministers expressed their first assessment of the list of areas as well as the overall approach and process.
Many ministers pointed out the importance of the role of member states in both the selection and implementation of Missions and Partnerships. Furthermore they emphasized that Mission must be relevant and meaningful for citizens.
Minister Faßmann concluded the following on behalf of the Council:
The member states acknowledged the preparatory work of the Commission in preparing the list of areas.
The Presidency aims for an agreement on the list of areas for Missions and institutional Partnerships at the next meeting of the Council Competitiveness on 30 November 2018.
As a first step towards the agreement in Council, the Presidency will organise a technical seminar on 17 October 2018.
Minister Faßmann explained that it is important to agree on the list of areas without delay, since preparation of the Missions and the institutional Partnerships needs to commence very soon if they should start in time at the beginning of Horizon Europe.
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Tripartite social summit, 16 October 2018
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The main topic of the Tripartite Social Summit was "Reinforcing competitiveness, sustainable job creation and social fairness in the European Union". The discussions were structured around three sub-themes:
- The digital revolution and its potential for labour markets and the economy
- Implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights: stock-taking and way forward
- The Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 including InvestEU, ESF+ and the deepening of the EMU.
In his statement, the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said: "This is a critically important week and with less than 6 months to go until Brexit day, there is still far too much uncertainty. You are as impatient as I am for this uncertainty to end. I still believe we can get there in the coming weeks. If business is to thrive, and if citizens are to feel reassured, maximum stability, legal certainty and pragmatic solutions are needed."
The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker stressed: "12 million new jobs have been created since 2014, investment is picking up and the economy is growing. One year after the proclamation of the European Pillar of Social Rights at the Gothenburg Summit, this is the time to conclude the legislative work on important priorities such as work-life balance, predictable and transparent working conditions, access to social protection, the coordination of social security systems and the new European Labour Authority. I trust that the Austrian presidency will play its role as a bridge builder and help us to strengthen the social dimension of Europe - a Europe which protects, empowers and defends."
From the side of the rotating presidency, Austria's Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, underlined: "Digitalisation is the foremost development that will change our lives decisively in the years and decades to come. Europe cannot allow itself to fall behind the other highly competitive regions as the world goes digital. Our success in preparing for these changes, strengthening Europe's capacity to innovate and seizing the opportunities offered by digitalisation will shape Europe's future competitiveness as a place to do business. It will also secure jobs and prosperity for the citizens of Europe. For that reason, digitalisation is a core issue for the Austrian Presidency, and we are working swiftly to make maximum progress on key files, such as the Digital Single Market, by the end of the year. We also have a strong strategic focus on artificial intelligence."
BusinessEurope's President, Pierre Gattaz, representing employers (BusinessEurope, CEEP, UEAPME) stated: "The EU economic recovery continues but at lower rates than a year ago. Moreover, there remain downside risks, linked to political uncertainty and rising protectionism. It is more important than ever to ensure that the EU and all its member states, together with social partners, pursue reforms that improve competitiveness, growth and employment across Europe. The role of benchmarking should be strengthened as it is an effective tool for member states to learn from the best in different policies, gradually converging towards the best performing ones. A key challenge is to increase productivity in Europe. This requires more targeted investment in physical and social infrastructures, in particular quality education and training and incentives for the take-up of new technologies by SMEs. Furthermore, skills shortages continue to be a real concern for employers, even in member states with relatively high unemployment."
Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation(ETUC), said: "Working people are contributing plenty to increased competitiveness, but social fairness is rapidly declining. Wage increases in the European Union over the last 16 years would have been four times higher if they had reflected productivity increases. Jobs need to be economically, socially and environmentally sustainable and offer a decent life. For this to happen, we need a socially sustainable EU economic governance with increased public and private investment, social partners involved in the Semester and in European and national reforms, strengthened collective bargaining in all EU countries for a fair wage for working people. A just transition must ensure workers hit by climate change and digitalisation are not left behind. EU legislation and the new EU MFF must support social cohesion and inclusion and full implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights."
The views cited in this text are those of the individual / organisation concerned and do not collectively constitute the point of view of the Council or the European Council.
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Remarks by President Donald Tusk following the Tripartite Social Summit
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Good afternoon. Let me start by thanking the Social Partners for today's good and constructive discussions. This Social Summit takes place at a critical time for the Brexit talks. Unfortunately, the report on the state of the negotiations that I got from Michel Barnier today, as well as yesterday's debate in the House of Commons, give me no grounds for optimism before tomorrow's European Council on Brexit. And as I see it, the only source of hope for a deal, for now, is the goodwill and determination on both sides. However, for a breakthrough to take place, besides goodwill, we need new facts. Tomorrow, I am going to ask Prime Minister May whether she has concrete proposals on how to break the impasse. Only such proposals can determine if a breakthrough is possible.
While working on a Brexit deal, we also need to make sure, that we are prepared in case an agreement is not possible, or in case it is rejected. Therefore, tomorrow, leaders will discuss how to step up our preparations for a no-deal scenario. But, as I have already stressed: "the fact that we are preparing for a no-deal scenario must not, under any circumstances, lead us away from making every effort to reach the best agreement possible, for all sides."
Among other things, the European Council will also debate internal security. The latest cyber attack against the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, at a time when it was investigating the Salisbury poisoning, shows what new threats we are facing. Therefore, I will propose actions to the leaders that will strengthen our resilience and resolve. It is time the EU got ready for all possible cyber security risks.
The economy is another area where the EU wants to be more resilient. Good progress in reinforcing the Economic and Monetary Union by December is still possible. Even if the tensions among members of the euro area are greater today than they were in June. Therefore, the Euro Summit will discuss how to ensure that we have further progress in reforming the EMU by the end of the year.
For many of the issues discussed during the Social Summit – including migration and security, investments, EMU, digital innovation – the EU budget is key. As Social Partners noted today, the EU budget is also our best lever for promoting social and economic convergence. That is a very important reason why the ongoing MFF (Multiannual Financial Framework) discussions must accelerate. And that is why I will give special prominence to the MFF at the December European Council.
Before concluding, I want to recall that today is the first anniversary of the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Since then, other journalists have been murdered, also in Europe. And today we are all troubled by reports of the killing of the Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. And I am absolutely convinced that without a free press, our societies will not be free. This is why I call for a full investigation to establish what happened, and to hold those responsible to account. The violence against journalists has to stop. Thank you.
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Invitation letter by President Donald Tusk to the members of the European Council ahead of their meetings on 17 and 18 October 2018
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We will meet later this week to discuss European and global challenges, first among ourselves and then with our partners from across Asia.
The European Council will start on Wednesday evening with a debate on Brexit. I have invited Prime Minister May to address the EU27, giving the UK Government's assessment of the negotiations. Later at 27, we will decide on how to take the negotiations forward, on the basis of a recommendation by our chief negotiator, Michel Barnier. As you remember from Salzburg, we wished for maximum progress and results that would lead to a deal in October. As things stand today, it has proven to be more complicated than some may have expected. We should nevertheless remain hopeful and determined, as there is good will to continue these talks on both sides. But at the same time, responsible as we are, we must prepare the EU for a no-deal scenario, which is more likely than ever before. Like the UK, the Commission has started such preparations, and will give us an update during the meeting. But let me be absolutely clear. The fact that we are preparing for a no-deal scenario must not, under any circumstances, lead us away from making every effort to reach the best agreement possible, for all sides. This is what our state of mind should be at this stage. As someone rightly said: 'It always seems impossible until it's done.' Let us not give up.
We will reconvene at 28 on Thursday morning for the regular European Council. After our usual exchange with the President of the European Parliament, Chancellor Kurz will debrief us on progress in implementing our previous conclusions, including on migration. We will then have a debate and adopt conclusions on migration, internal security and external relations. Our aim is to send a strong message about fighting smuggling networks, protecting our external borders and building our cooperation with countries of origin and transit. On the internal security front, we need to strengthen our resilience and our resolve, especially when it comes to cybersecurity. The latest cyber-attack against the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague demonstrated that we are facing evolving threats. We should also address our new partnership with Africa and the upcoming summit with the League of Arab States, as well as other global issues, in particular the fight against climate change ahead of COP 24 in Katowice.
Later, the Euro Summit will meet informally over lunch in an inclusive format of 27 to discuss the EMU reform state of play. Eurogroup President Centeno will update us on the ministers' work on the reform, while European Central Bank President Draghi will give us his assessment of the situation. In the current global environment, we need to focus especially on strengthening Europe's resilience also on the economic front. We need to make sure that there is a good progress in the EMU reform by the end of the year.
Before concluding, let me recall that the European Council will be followed by the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), hosted this year by the EU. Together with 21 Asian countries, the 28 Member States, along with Norway and Switzerland, will focus on how to make connectivity sustainable and how we can fortify the rules-based international order. The ASEM starts on Thursday evening and finishes on Friday afternoon. After that meeting, the EU will hold a Summit with the Republic of Korea, followed by the EU-ASEAN Leaders' Meeting.
| Council of the European Union | |
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Connecting Europe and Asia: Council adopts conclusions
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On 15 October 2018, the Council adopted conclusions on "Connecting Europe and Asia – Building blocks for an EU strategy", following the joint communication of the Commission and the High Representative of 19 September. The strategy will feed into the upcoming Asia-Europe meeting (ASEM) summit on 18-19 October.
The Council underlines that the EU will promote an approach to connectivity which is sustainable, comprehensive, and rules-based, and will advance investment and trade. This European approach is based on high standards of social and environmental protection and inspired by the EU's internal market, enabling countries to achieve higher levels of quality of life while guaranteeing respect for individual rights.
The Council calls for strengthened cooperation at the regional level between the EU and Asia, noting that the EU should consider developing regional approaches for sustainable connectivity identifying opportunities for cooperation.
| Council of the European Union | |
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Skimmed milk powder: public intervention by tendering continues in 2019
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On 15 October 2018 the Council decided to confirm in 2019 the rules already adopted at the beginning of the year and set at zero tonnes the quantitative limitation for buying-in skimmed milk powder (SMP) at a fixed price.
The so-called Fixing regulation, which determines measures on fixing certain aids and refunds related to the common market organisation of the markets in agricultural products, sets a ceiling of 109 000 tonnes under which skimmed milk powder has to be bought in at a fixed price (169.8 €/100 kg) during the public intervention period, which runs from 1 March to 30 September. Once that ceiling is reached, public intervention continues, though under a tendering procedure, until the end of the intervention period.
By setting the ceiling to zero for the next period the Council is therefore allowing public intervention to be activated only through tendering. This decision will enable the EU to take better account of the market situation when deciding on a case-by-case basiswhat volumes of SMP should be bought in by the EU and at what buying-in price.
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EU-Singapore: Council adopts decisions to sign trade and investment agreements
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On 15 October, the Council adopted decisions on the signature of two agreements between the EU and Singapore:
- a free trade agreement
- an investment protection agreement
The EU and Singapore are expected to sign both agreements, as well as a partnership and cooperation agreement, on 19 October, in the margins of the ASEM summit, in Brussels.
Trade and investment agreements
The EU-Singapore trade and investment agreements are the first bilateral trade and investment agreements concluded between the EU and a member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Singapore is by far the EU's largest ASEAN partner, accounting for almost one third of EU-ASEAN trade in goods and services.
Bilateral trade in goods amounted €53.3 billion in 2017, with the EU exporting €33.16 billion, mainly cars and machinery, while importing € 20.14 billion, in particular chemicals, pharmaceuticals.
Before the agreement, almost all goods from the EU could already enter Singapore free of customs duties. The FTA will now eliminate the remaining tariffs within three to five years, depending on the product category. It will also remove technical and non-tariff barriers by recognising the EU's standards and safety tests in key areas, such as electronics, pharmaceuticals or car parts. For fisheries and processed agricultural products entering the EU, some tariffs will continue to be applied.
The FTA will lift restrictions in the services sector, where bilateral trade amounted €44.4 billion in 2016. The EU is Singapore’s biggest trading partner in services, while over 10 000 EU companies use Singapore as a hub to serve the whole region. The EU-Singapore trade deal is one of the first 'new generation' bilateral agreements. On top of the classical removal of customs duties and non-tariff barriers for trade in goods and services, it contains important provisions on intellectual property protection, investment liberalisation, public procurement, competition and sustainable development.
The Investment Protection Agreement with Singapore will further improve the investment climate and offer more certainty to investors, while safeguarding the EU's and Singapore's rights to regulate and pursue public policy objectives such as the protection of public health, safety and the environment. It will replace the 12 existing Bilateral Investment Treaties between Singapore and EU Member States.
The EU and Singapore launched trade and investment negotiations in 2010. Talks were concluded in 2014. Following an opinion of the European Court of Justice in May 2017, the Commission proposed two separate agreements in April 2018:
- a free trade agreement, which contains areas of exclusive EU competence and thus only requires the Council's approval and the European Parliament's consent before it can enter into force
- an investment protection agreement which, due to its shared competence nature, will also have to go through the relevant national ratification procedures in all member states before it can enter into force. The time horizon for implementation of this agreement is therefore much longer.
| Council of the European Union | |
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Chemical weapons: the Council adopts a new sanctions regime
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The Council adopted a new regime of restrictive measures to address the use and proliferation of chemical weapons. This decision is a direct follow-up to the conclusions of the European Council of 28 June 2018.
The EU will now be able to impose sanctions on persons and entities involved in the development and use of chemical weapons anywhere, regardless of their nationality and location.
The restrictive measures target persons and entities who are directly responsible for the development and use of chemical weapons as well as those who provide financial, technical or material support, and those who assist, encourage or are associated with them.
Sanctions consist of a travel ban to the EU and an asset freeze for persons, and an asset freeze for entities. In addition, EU persons and entities are forbidden from making funds available to those listed.
This decision contributes to the EU's efforts to counter the proliferation and use of chemical weapons which poses a serious threat to international security. It supports the global prohibition of chemical weapons as laid down by the Chemical Weapons Convention, against a background of increasing chemical attacks in various parts of the world.
Χημικά όπλα: νέο καθεστώς κυρώσεων από το Συμβούλιο
Το Συμβούλιο ενέκρινε νέο καθεστώς περιοριστικών μέτρων για την αντιμετώπιση της χρήσης και της διάδοσης των χημικών όπλων. Η απόφαση αυτή αποτελεί άμεση απόρροια των συμπερασμάτων που εξέδωσε το Ευρωπαϊκό Συμβούλιο στις 28 Ιουνίου 2018.
Η ΕΕ θα μπορεί πλέον να επιβάλλει κυρώσεις σε πρόσωπα και οντότητες που ενέχονται στην ανάπτυξη και τη χρήση χημικών όπλων οπουδήποτε, ανεξαρτήτως εθνικότητας και τόπου.
Τα περιοριστικά μέτρα επιβάλλονται σε πρόσωπα και οντότητες που ευθύνονται άμεσα για την ανάπτυξη και τη χρήση χημικών όπλων, σε όσους τους παρέχουν οικονομική, τεχνική και υλική στήριξη, σε όσους τους βοηθούν ή τους παροτρύνουν, καθώς και σε όσους συνδέονται με τα πρόσωπα και τις οντότητες αυτές.
Οι κυρώσεις συνίστανται στη δέσμευση των περιουσιακών στοιχείων των οντοτήτων και των προσώπων, στα οποία μπορεί επιπροσθέτως να επιβληθεί και απαγόρευση ταξιδίου στην ΕΕ. Επιπλέον, απαγορεύεται σε πρόσωπα και οντότητες από την ΕΕ να θέτουν κεφάλαια στη διάθεση όσων περιλαμβάνονται στους καταλόγους των κυρώσεων.
Η απόφαση αυτή συμβάλλει στην προσπάθεια της ΕΕ να καταπολεμήσει τη διάδοση και τη χρήση των χημικών όπλων, οι οποίες συνιστούν σοβαρή απειλή για τη διεθνή ασφάλεια. Υποστηρίζει την παγκόσμια απαγόρευση των χημικών όπλων που προβλέπεται στη Σύμβαση για τα Χημικά Όπλα, σε μια περίοδο όπου πολλαπλασιάζονται οι χημικές επιθέσεις ανά τον κόσμο.
Συμπεράσματα του Ευρωπαϊκού Συμβουλίου, 28 Ιουνίου 2018
Κυρώσεις: πώς και πότε θεσπίζει περιοριστικά μέτρα η ΕΕ
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