COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION latest

Press material Thursday 3 March 2022   ● Council of the EU   03/03/2022 16:40 | Press release | Council gives green light to start negotiations on international pandemic treaty   The Council adopted a decision to authorise the opening of negotiations for an international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. The decision also clears the way for negotiating complementary amendments to the International Health Regulations. "COVID-19 has revealed the importance of international cooperation to fight global threats to people's health. This new international instrument is therefore essential to allow us to respond better in case another pandemic strikes. The international community needs to come together to ensure equitable access to vaccines and therapeutics, guarantee timely sharing of data and information and address the links between human, animal and environmental health." Olivier Véran, Minister for Solidarity and Health The decision authorises the Commission, for matters falling within Union competence, to negotiate an international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. The negotiating directives, annexed to the decision, outline the objectives and principles of the agreement. The negotiating directives can be revised and further developed as appropriate depending on the evolution of the negotiations. Press material Thursday 3 March 2022   ● Council of the EU   03/03/2022 17:39 | Press release | Civil protection work in view of climate change: Council adopts conclusions   The Council today adopted conclusions calling for the adaptation of civil protection to extreme weather events resulting from climate change. Such events are becoming more frequent, intense and persistent. The EU and its member states need to take action. These conclusions are a step in this direction and seek to enhance the EU's resilience. In its conclusions, the Council calls for the adaptation of civil protection systems to the consequences of climate change, in terms of prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Member states and the Commission are encouraged to invest in research and innovation, including through the EU civil protection knowledge network, in order to better detect and anticipate extreme climate risks and to improve civil protection capacities. The conclusions also promote the development of dedicated training programmes and exercises. Member states are encouraged to develop adequate prevention and preparedness actions, including ensuring the availability of sufficient capacities at national level to tackle risks resulting from climate change, such as forest fires and flooding. Additionally, member states and the Commission are invited to pursue the development of EU civil protection capacities based on current and forward-looking scenarios and taking into account overall gaps. The conclusions also call on member states to support the preparedness of the population through information, education, training and exercises. They pay special attention to the role of citizens' participation and volunteers in civil protection initiatives, noting the need to reinforce the resilience of the population. Council conclusions on civil protection work in view of climate change EU civil protection (background information)

Press material Thursday 3 March 2022

● Council of the EU   03/03/2022 16:38 | Press release | EU strengthens protection of workers from dangerous chemicals   The Council today gave its final green light to amend the carcinogens and mutagens directive, an EU law to protect workers from risks related to exposure to carcinogenic and mutagenic substances. The revision will improve workers' protection by setting exposure limits for acrylonitrile and nickel compounds and lowering existing limits for benzene. The directive will from now on also offer increased protection against reprotoxic substances, chemicals which may interfere with the human reproductive system. These substances were previously dealt with under a different law. According to Commission data, more than one million workers are exposed to acrylonitrile and nickel compounds and benzene, and 52% of occupational deaths in the European Union each year are due to cancer.

Press material Thursday 3 March 2022

● Council of the EU   03/03/2022 16:33 | Press release | Vanuatu: Council partially suspends visa waiver agreement due to risks posed by golden passport schemes   The Council today decided to partially suspend the visa waiver agreement with Vanuatu due to the risks posed by its investor citizenship schemes (‘golden passport’ schemes). The suspension concerns only citizens of Vanuatu holding ordinary passports issued since 25 May 2015, when these Vanuatu investment citizenship schemes entered into force. At the end of this process, holders of such passports will need a visa to travel to the EU. Based on careful monitoring and assessment of Vanuatu's investor citizenship schemes, the EU has concluded they present serious deficiencies which could pose a risk to the EU, notably due to: the extremely low rejection rate, which raises doubts as to the reliability of the security and due diligence screening the absence of physical presence or residence requirements, short processing periods and lack of information exchange with applicants' countries of origin or residence the granting of citizenship to applicants listed in Interpol databases the nationalities of origin of successful applicants, which include several countries whose nationals require a visa to enter the EU Next steps The decision will now be published in the Official Journal and will enter into force two months after publication. Under the visa waiver agreement, the decision on suspension is to be notified to the other party no later than two months before its entry into force.