COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION latest news

 

Press material Friday 26 March 2021

● Council of the EU   26/03/2021 21:59 | Press release | Presidency press release following the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform super trilogue, 26 March 2021   On 26 March the Portuguese presidency of the Council published a press release following the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform super trilogue: Press release After a week marked by an AGRIFISH Council, two Trilogues and a Super Trilogue, the Minister of Agriculture, Maria do Céu Antunes, made a positive assessment of the progress made: “We have made progress in the negotiations, we have reached a good agreement principle and we are closer to complete this reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) by the end of the semester and thus guarantee essential predictability for farmers, national administrations and all European citizens”.   Signaling that, in this Super Trilogue, the Presidency presented negotiating compromise packages “with the objective of enabling a debate on the three regulations”, the minister stressed that “the very wide range of points that were agreed in this trilogue reveals commitment, cooperation and responsibility of the three institutions - Council, Commission and European Parliament - in implementing the CAP reform agreement during this semester. The vast majority of the proposals presented by the Portuguese Presidency, to approximate the positions of the Parliament, were confirmed, with a very constructive spirit of the parties”.   Underlining that “a set of principle agreements has been reached, which will be presented to member states for consideration next week” and that conditions have been created “to advance the debate on fundamental issues, green architecture and the social dimension”, holder of the Agriculture portfolio highlighted the consensus reached regarding, “namely, the new performance model, the orientation of support for direct payments, controls on conditionality and transparency in the application of funds.   In relation to the new performance model, there was an agreement in principle regarding the biennial periodicity, as well as the tolerance levels for the purposes of its review. An understanding was also obtained on the definition of the indicators to be used for the purposes of the performance model. Concerning the wine sector, understandings were reached, namely regarding the extension of the vine planting authorization regime until 2045 and the de-alcoholization rules. Also to reinforce the position of farmers in the value chain, there was an agreement principle to extend the possibility of supply management to all DOP and IGP products ”.   “Today was a good day for European agriculture." That was how Minister Maria do Céu Antunes concluded the statements made at the press conference that took place after the Super Trilogue, which brought together the three European institutions around the three regulations that make up the Common Agricultural Policy, recalling that “the Presidency will continue committed and open minded to continue working on building balance positions between the three institutions, in order to reach the final agreement on the reform of the CAP”. Press material Friday 26 March 2021   ● Council of the EU   26/03/2021 16:30 | Press release | Council extends the mandate of Operation IRINI until 2023   The Council today extended the mandate of the EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) military operation in the Mediterranean - EUNAVFOR MED IRINI - until 31 March 2023. The decision was taken in the wake of the Strategic Review of the operation carried out by the Political and Security Committee. In this context, the Council has defined more precisely the practical arrangements for the disposal of items seized by the operation when implementing the UN arms embargo on Libya. Read more ● Council of the EU   26/03/2021 13:35 | Media advisory | Media advisory - Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform super trilogue, 26 March 2021   The Portuguese presidency of the Council of the EU will give a press conference following the CAP reform super trilogue on Friday 26 March at 19:30. Maria do Céu Antunes, Portugal's Minister of Agriculture, will provide the introductory remarks and answer questions. Arrangements for the press conference Please note that there will be no physical press conference. EU accredited journalists will be able to ask questions remotely provided they have registered in advance. In order to participate and ask questions, EU accredited journalists should register using this link. Those who already registered for the previous press events in the field of agriculture and fisheries do not need to do it again. Deadline for registration: Friday, 26 March 2020, 18:30. Further instructions will be sent to all registered participants approximately half an hour after the deadline. The Council today decided no to maintain Khalifa Ghwell, former prime minister and defence minister of the internationally unrecognised General Natio… Press material Friday 26 March 2021   ● Council of the EU   26/03/2021 13:09 | Press release | Libya: EU lifts sanctions on one person   The Council today decided no to maintain Khalifa Ghwell, former prime minister and defence minister of the internationally unrecognised General National Congress of Libya, on the list of individuals and entities subject to EU restrictive measures in view of their role in acts that threaten the peace, stability and security of Libya, or that obstruct or undermine the successful completion of its political transition. Khalifa Ghwell has been subject to EU restrictive measures – a travel ban and an asset freeze – since 2016, and his current listing expires on 2 April. EU restrictive measures are intended to bring about a change in policy or activity by entities and individuals responsible for malign behaviour, and are of a proportionate, targeted, and non-punitive nature. Delisting is appropriate wherever the criteria for listing are no longer met. Going forward, the EU continues to calls on the international community and all relevant actors in Libya to comply with all UN Security Council Resolutions and in this regard, recalls its instrument of sanctions against possible spoilers. Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the approval of the new Government of National Unity (11 March 2021) Libya: EU removes Agila Saleh and Nuri Abu Sahmain from sanctions list (press release, 2 October 2020) Παρασκευή 26 Μαρτίου 2021   ● Συμβούλιο της ΕΕ   26/03/2021 13:10 | Δελτίο τύπου | Λιβύη: Η ΕΕ αίρει τις κυρώσεις κατά ενός προσώπου   Το Συμβούλιο αποφάσισε σήμερα να μην διατηρήσει τον Khalifa Ghwell, πρώην πρωθυπουργό και υπουργό Άμυνας του μη αναγνωρισμένου διεθνώς Γενικού Εθνικού Κογκρέσου της Λιβύης, στον κατάλογο των προσώπων και οντοτήτων που υπόκεινται σε περιοριστικά μέτρα της ΕΕ σε σχέση με τον ρόλο τους σε ενέργειες που απειλούν την ειρήνη, τη σταθερότητα και την ασφάλεια της Λιβύης, ή που εμποδίζουν ή υπονομεύουν την επιτυχή ολοκλήρωση της πολιτικής μετάβασης. Κατά του Khalifa Ghwell έχουν επιβληθεί περιοριστικά μέτρα της ΕΕ –ταξιδιωτική απαγόρευση και δέσμευση περιουσιακών στοιχείων– από το 2016, ενώ η ισχύουσα καταχώρισή του λήγει στις 2 Απριλίου. Τα περιοριστικά μέτρα της ΕΕ αποσκοπούν στην αλλαγή της πολιτικής ή της δράσης οντοτήτων και προσώπων υπεύθυνων για κακόβουλες συμπεριφορές και έχουν αναλογικό, στοχευμένοκαι μη τιμωρητικό χαρακτήρα. Η διαγραφή από τον κατάλογο είναι ενδεδειγμένη όταν δεν πληρούνται πλέον τα κριτήρια καταχώρισης. Η ΕΕ θα εξακολουθήσει και στο μέλλον να απευθύνει έκκληση προς τη διεθνή κοινότητα και προς όλους τους σχετικούς παράγοντες στη Λιβύη να συμμορφωθούν με όλες τις αποφάσεις του Συμβουλίου Ασφαλείας των Ηνωμένων Εθνών και, στο πλαίσιο αυτό, υπενθυμίζει ότι διαθέτει ένα μέσο επιβολής κυρώσεων έναντι πιθανών υπονομευτικών στοιχείων. Δήλωση του ύπατου εκπροσώπου εξ ονόματος της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης σχετικά με την έγκριση της νέας κυβέρνησης εθνικής ενότητας (11 Μαρτίου 2021) Λιβύη: Αφαίρεση των Agila Saleh και Nuri Abu Sahmain από τον κατάλογο κυρώσεων της ΕΕ (δελτίο Τύπου, 2 Οκτωβρίου 2020) Library blog Friday 26 March 2021   ● General Secretariat of the Council   Think Tanks' reports on COVID-19 and the recovery fund   Covid-19 credit-support programmes, how the pandemic is changing EU economic governance, managing global liquidity through Covid-19 and beyond, and health and public communication in the era of conspiracy theories are some of the topics covered in the latest update on Think Tanks' reports. Read full post