COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION latest news

Council of the European Union   25/10/2018 Main results - European Union Military Committee (EUMC), EU Chiefs of Defence, 24-25/10/2018 The EUMC discussed CSDP military operations and missions, EU-NATO cooperation, CARD and PESCO, and cooperation with third countries. Main results The European Union Military Committee met at the level of EU Chiefs of Defence (CHODs) on 24 and 25 October 2018. The meeting was chaired by General Mikhail Kostarakos, the permanent chairman of the committee. The High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini addressed the EU Chiefs of Defence on 25 October. EU Chiefs of Defence discussed the EU's CSDP military operations and missions. The Chiefs also had a discussion on the EU-NATO cooperation together with General Sir Stuart Peach, chairman of NATO's military committee. They were updated on EU-NATO cooperation, including on areas such as military mobility and hybrid and cyber domains. In addition, the EU Chiefs of Defence discussed cooperation with their counterparts from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Serbia, Montenegro, Vietnam, and the Republic of Korea. They focused on partnership with the EU and participation in operations and missions. EU Chiefs of Defence also covered the coordinated annual review on defence (CARD) trial run as well as proposals for the second phase of the permanent structured cooperation (PESCO). They were also updated on the European Defence Fund (EDF). Finally, the Chiefs looked at the future EU command and control structure as well as the migration situation. At the end of the meeting, a handover ceremony took place between General Mikhail Kostarakos and the committee's new permanent chairman, General Claudio Graziano. Conseil de l'Union européenne     25/10/2018  Burundi: l'UE renouvelle les sanctions jusqu'au 31 octobre 2019 Le 25 Octobre 2018, le Conseil a renouvelé jusqu'au 31 octobre 2019 les mesures restrictives prises à l'encontre du Burundi. Ces mesures consistent en une interdiction de pénétrer sur le territoire de l'Union européenne et en un gel des avoirs qui concernent quatre personnes dont les activités ont été considérées comme compromettant la démocratie ou faisant obstacle à la recherche d'une solution politique à la crise burundaise. Il s'agit notamment d'actes de violence, de répression ou d'incitation à la violence, ainsi que d'actes constituant des atteintes graves aux droits de l'homme. Le Conseil a estimé que l'absence de progrès en ce qui concerne les quatre personnes faisant l'objet de mesures restrictives justifiait la prorogation des sanctions. L’UE reste vivement préoccupée par la situation des droits humains au Burundi qui nuit à toute initiative de réconciliation, de paix et de justice. Elle relève en particulier, la persistance d’exécutions extrajudiciaires et d'arrestations arbitraires. Depuis le début de la crise au Burundi, l'UE a affirmé que seul un dialogue débouchant sur un consensus, dans le respect de l'Accord d'Arusha pour la paix et la réconciliation de 2000 et de la Constitution du Burundi, permettra de trouver une solution politique durable dans l'intérêt de la sécurité et la démocratie pour tous les Burundais. Les noms des personnes concernées et les motifs de leur inscription sur la liste figurent à l'annexe de la décision du 1er octobre 2015, qui a été publiée au Journal officiel. Les actes légaux de ce jour ont été adoptés par procédure écrite. Burundi: l'UE adopte des sanctions à l'encontre de 4 personnes Conclusions du Conseil sur le Burundi du 22 juin 2015 L'adoption de mesures restrictives (sanctions) de l'UE Council of the European Union     24/10/2018 Type approval of motor vehicles: transition from EU28 to EU27 EU ambassadors today agreed on a mandate to the presidency to negotiate with the European Parliament new rules aimed at ensuring a smooth transition  for the type-approval of motor vehicles, as well as of systems, components and separate technical units intended for these vehicles, when the UK leaves the EU. Council of the European Union     24/10/2018  2019 EU budget: Council cannot accept EP amendments The Council today informed the European Parliament that it cannot accept all the amendments for the 2019 EU budget adopted by the Parliament.  This triggers a three-week conciliation period starting on 30 October. The two institutions will have until 19 November to find an agreement on next year’s budget. "The presidency stands ready to engage constructively with the Parliament to reconcile our differences and agree on a budget that is both ambitious and realistic." Hartwig Löger, Austrian Federal Minister for Finance Council of the European Union     24/10/2018  Protecting workers: Council sets new exposure limits for 8 additional carcinogens and mutagens On 24 October 2018, the Council's Permanent Representatives Committee approved the provisional agreement reached with the European Parliament on 11 October on the directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work. Work-related cancer is one of the biggest health problems in the workplace, and the primary cause of work-related deaths in the EU. The new directive will improve protection for at least 4 million workers. "This agreement will help save up to 100 000 lives over the next 50 years. By significantly reducing the risk to workers from exposure to cancer-causing chemicals, we have taken a further practical step in fulfilling the objective of our Presidency to create a Europe that protects." Beate Hartinger-Klein, Austrian Federal Minister of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection The directive amends an existing directive from 2004 by introducing exposure limits to 8 additional carcinogens or mutagens. These are: diesel engine exhaust emissions, mineral oils that have been used before in internal combustion engines, trichloroethylene, 4,4'-Methylenedianiline (MDA), epichlorohydrine, ethylene dibromide, ethylene dichloride, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons mixtures, particularly those containing benzo[a]pyrene. The transposition period will be 2 years. A first revision of the 2004 directive, which set exposure limits to 11 additional carcinogens, was conducted in 2017. The main elements of the agreement are the following: Diesel engine exhaust emissions: an exposure limit value of 0,05 mg/m3measured in elemental carbon is established for all diesel exhaust fumes. This limit value will enter into force 2 years after the end of the transposition period, and 5 years after the end of the transposition period for the sectors of underground mining and tunnel construction. Mineral oils that have been used before in internal combustion engines: the directive establishes a skin notation for used engine oils, indicating the possibility of significant uptake of the substance through the skin. Exposure to used engine oils can be reduced through best practices, such as the use of gloves and other personal protection equipment. Trichloroethylene: this substance is commonly used as an industrial solvent and in the manufacture of fluorocarbon refrigerants. Under the new rules, workers' exposure to this substance must be limited to 54.7 mg/m3 for the long term and 164.1 mg/m3 in the short term. In addition, a skin notation is set out, indicating the possibility of significant uptake of the substance through the skin. Epichlorohydrine: exposure to this substance, which is used for example in the production of plastics and epoxy glues and resins, will have to be limited to 1.9 mg/m3. The directive also establishes a skin notation, indicating the possibility of significant dermal uptake. Ethylene dichloride: the directive establishes an exposure limit value of 8.2 mg/m3, as well as a skin notation. Ethylene dichloride is commonly used to produce vinyl chloride, which in turn is converted into polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons mixtures, particularly those containing benzo[a]pyrene: exposure to such mixtures can occur during work involving burning processes, such as from combustion engine exhaust. The directive establishes a skin notation, indicating the possibility of significant uptake through the skin. Council of the European Union     24/10/2018 Bilateral safeguard measures in trade agreements: Council agrees its position On 24 October 2018, EU ambassadors meeting in the Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER) agreed on the Council's position on measures to streamline the inclusion of safeguard measures in trade agreements with a view to guaranteeing their effective and consistent application. Bilateral safeguard measures linked to a trade agreement (allowing for the temporary withdrawal of tariff preferences) are intended to protect a particular domestic industryfrom an increase in imports of any product which is causing, or which risks causing, serious injury to that industry. "We are strongly convinced of the political value and economic interest of free trade agreements. But we also want a Europe that protects, and thanks to this legislation we will be better able to safeguard vulnerable products and areas from any temporary negative impact of imports." Margarete Schramböck, Austrian federal minister for digital and economic affairs and president of the Council The European Parliament's committee on international trade voted on its report on 11 October 2018 and announced its decision to enter into negotiations in the plenary on 22 October. Negotiations between the two institutions should start soon with the aim of finding an agreement by the end of 2018. Council of the European Union     24/10/2018  Updated rules for .eu top-level domain: Council agrees its stance The EU is revising its rules on the governance of the .eu top-level domain, which is the internet domain name for the European Union and its citizens. Today's meeting of member states' ambassadors in the Permanent Representatives Committee agreed the Council's position on the proposed revision, which reflects the significant changes in the online environment since the first .eu regulation was adopted 16 years ago, including tougher competition in the domain name space and the bigger role for the multi-stakeholder community in internet governance. The agreed text makes the governance of the .eu domain more transparent by setting up a multi-stakeholder group to advise the Commission on the implementation of the rules. It also extends the right to register a .eu domain to EU citizens living outside the EU. In addition, the Council has aligned the text with the provisions of the general data protection regulation. With its nearly 4 million registrations, the .eu top-level domain is one of the largest international country code top-level domains (ccTLDs). It contributes to a safe and secure online environment and ensures a pan-European presence in the global digital marketplace. It has over 700 accredited registrars worldwide and a registry operator based in Belgium. The proposal under discussion is part of the digital single market strategy and the Commission's regulatory fitness (REFIT) review. Today's agreement constitutes a mandate for the presidency to start talks with the European Parliament with a view to reaching agreement on the final text. The Parliament has not agreed its position yet. Draft regulation on the implementation and functioning of the .eu top-level domain name – full text of the Council mandate Digital single market for Europe (background information)