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European Council     24/2/2019  Opening remarks by President Donald Tusk at the EU-LAS summit in Egypt Thank you for being here today. And a special thank you to President Al Sisi for the warm hospitality in hosting us. It is clear to us how much you have done to ensure the perfect organisation of this Summit. It is a true pleasure to be in Sharm El-Sheikh. Our meeting is special as it marks the first time that we, Arab and European leaders, come together in this format. To acknowledge that our cooperation is more important than ever, and that we need an even stronger partnership in today's world. Our proximity and interdependence require us to face our common challenges together and seize the real opportunities that geography, common history and similar interests have created. These are objective reasons why we have to be closer. Our neighbourhood is something real, which means that being closer is in fact not a choice but a must, although we are aware that there are differences between us. With neighbours there are two ways of existence: cooperation or conflict. We choose cooperation. In a time of growing tension and unpredictability, we need to work together, taking into account our shared interests and common challenges to create the right conditions for long-term stability, which is the only way to guarantee our citizens the peace and prosperity they deserve. We must show them that our cooperation is comprehensive, strong and has a concrete impact on their everyday lives. There are many areas where we can do this: from funding education to reducing unemployment; encouraging investments, and helping to boost trade. Climate change is a direct and existential threat for all of us. Unless we act urgently and collectively, things will only get worse. We need to raise our ambitions and work closely to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. We still have the chance to act, but we need the spur of real political will to act together. Young people have to be at the centre of our policies and efforts. Only they can fully realise the 2030 Agenda, prevent conflicts, sustain peace and build a truly inclusive prosperity. Let us empower our young women and men to be positive agents of change. Fostering intercultural dialogue, empowering a vibrant civil society and prioritising education and opportunity can help create peaceful and stable societies, less susceptible to the messages of violent extremism, and to counter-balance the negative impact that populist narratives can have on the resilience of our societies. Finally, on migration. I want to acknowledge and salute all those here who have shouldered the burden of population displacement, helped refugees and acted early to tackle people smuggling. We must work together – countries of origin, transit and destination. In order to break the business model of smugglers and traffickers who lure people into dangerous journeys and feed modern-day slavery. To address the root causes of migration and displacement. To stop irregular migration, and facilitate returns, readmission and reintegration. And also to ensure the protection of refugees and their rights, in line with international law. I am aware that there are differences between us. We are not here to pretend that we agree on everything. But we face common challenges and have shared interests. Today we are here to strengthen our cooperation for the benefit of our peoples. We need to do this together and not leave it to global powers far from our region. I look forward to our open and honest discussions over the next two days. Thank you. Council of the European Union     24/2/2019 Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the latest events in Venezuela The worsening of the living conditions in Venezuela associated with the multidimensional crisis that hit the country is impacting an increasingly higher number of Venezuelans. The refusal of the regime to recognise the humanitarian emergency is leading to an escalation of tensions. There are worrying reports of unrest, acts of violence and a growing number of victims, in particular in the border areas and among the Pemon indigenous community. We strongly call on law enforcement and security bodies to show restraint, avoid use of force and allow for the entry of aid. We repudiate the use of irregular armed groups to intimidate civilians and lawmakers who have mobilised to distribute assistance. The European Union has already committed more than 60 million euros in 2018/19 in humanitarian and development aid, aimed at alleviating the suffering of the most vulnerable. We recall our commitment to help those in need for as long as it takes, to scale up this assistance and to work on stronger and more inclusive coordination mechanisms under the leadership of the relevant UN agencies in full accordance with the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. The origins of the ongoing crisis in Venezuela are political and institutional, hence the solution can only be a political one. We reiterate our firm rejection and condemnation of violence and of any initiatives that can further destabilise the region. The Venezuelan people have already suffered a lot. It is high time to let them decide their future. We strongly renew our call for the restoration of democracy through free, transparent and credible presidential elections. The EU, through the International Contact Group, stands ready to support this process. Συμβούλιο της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης     22/2/2019  Προστασία δικαιωμάτων κοινωνικής ασφάλισης σε περίπτωση Brexit χωρίς συμφωνία: Το Συμβούλιο εγκρίνει σχέδιο μέτρων έκτακτης ανάγκης Η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση λαμβάνει μέτρα για να προστατεύσει τα δικαιώματα κοινωνικής ασφάλισης των πολιτών των κρατών μελών της ΕΕ στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο και των υπηκόων του Ηνωμένου Βασιλείου στην ΕΕ των 27 οι οποίοι έχουν επωφεληθεί από το δικαίωμα ελεύθερης κυκλοφορίας πριν την αποχώρηση του Ηνωμένου Βασιλείου από την Ένωση. Σήμερα, οι πρέσβεις των κρατών μελών στην Επιτροπή Μονίμων Αντιπροσώπων του Συμβουλίου ενέκριναν το κείμενο του σχεδίου κανονισμού για τη θέσπιση μέτρων έκτακτης ανάγκης στον τομέα του συντονισμού των συστημάτων κοινωνικής ασφάλισης. Η ΕΜΑ θα ενημερώσει τώρα το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο ότι εάν εγκρίνει τη θέση του σε πρώτη ανάγνωση στην ίδια μορφή, το Συμβούλιο θα είναι σε θέση να εγκρίνει τη θέση του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου. Τα μέτρα είναι περιορισμένα από άποψη χρονικής διάρκειας και πεδίου εφαρμογής και θα εγκριθούν μονομερώς από την ΕΕ. Ο κανονισμός θα τεθεί σε ισχύ μόνον εάν το Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο αποχωρήσει από την Ένωση χωρίς την ύπαρξη συμφωνίας αποχώρησης. "Το σχέδιο κανονισμού διασφαλίζει ότι τα κράτη μέλη θα συνεχίσουν να εφαρμόζουν τις βασικές αξίες του συντονισμού των συστημάτων κοινωνικής ασφάλισης στην ΕΕ. Τα μέτρα έκτακτης ανάγκης θα εγγυώνται ότι οι πολίτες της ΕΕ των 27 και του Ηνωμένου Βασιλείου που μετακινήθηκαν ελεύθερα στο εσωτερικό της Ένωσης θα συνεχίσουν να επωφελούνται από τα δικαιώματα κοινωνικής ασφάλισης που απέκτησαν πριν την αποχώρηση του Ηνωμένου Βασιλείου από την Ένωση." κ. Marius-Constantin Budăi, Υπουργός Εργασίας και Κοινωνικής Δικαιοσύνης της Ρουμανίας Council of the European Union     22/2/2019 | Ensuring safe flying after Brexit The EU is taking the steps needed to continue to ensure a high level of aviation safety in its airspace in the event the UK leaves the EU without a negotiated agreement. Member states' representatives meeting in the Council's Permanent Representatives Committee today approved an agreement with the European Parliament on a draft regulation aimed at ensuring the continued validity of certain aviation safety certificates.