COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION latest news

Press material Friday 18 November 2022

● Council of the EU   18/11/2022 10:32 | Press release | Border management: Council authorises the opening of negotiations with four Western Balkans partners on Frontex cooperation   The Council today decided to authorise the opening of negotiations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia to broaden agreements on Frontex cooperation. "Migration challenges in the Western Balkans route don’t start at the EU borders. Cooperation with our partners, including through the deployment of Frontex staff, is essential to detect and block irregular migration movements early on. This will improve the protection of our EU external borders and contribute to efforts by countries in the Western Balkans to stop smugglers from using their territories as transit stages." Vít Rakušan, Minister of the Interior of Czech Republic The EU had already concluded agreements with Albania, Montenegro and Serbia under the previous Frontex mandate, however they only allowed the agency to carry out joint operations and deploy teams in the regions of those countries bordering the EU. An agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina had also been negotiated under similar terms but had not yet been signed. Agreements negotiated under the new Frontex mandate will allow the agency to assist these countries in their efforts to manage migratory flows, counter illegal immigration and tackle crossborder crime throughout their territory. New agreements will also allow Frontex staff to exercise executive powers, such as border checks and registration of persons. Next steps On the basis of these mandates, the Commission will now be able to start negotiations with the four countries. Strengthening the EU’s external borders (background information)

Press material Friday 18 November 2022

● Council of the EU   18/11/2022 10:30 | Press release | Cybersecurity at the EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies: Council adopts its position on common rules   The Council today adopted its position on a draft regulation aimed at ensuring a high common level of cybersecurity across the EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies. The measures were proposed by the Commission in March 2022 against the background of a significant surge in the number of sophisticated cyberattacks affecting the EU public administration in recent years. They set out to improve the resilience and incident response capacities of all the EU entities and to address the disparities in their approach by creating a common framework.

 

Press material Wednesday 16 November 2022

● European Council   16/11/2022 16:22 | Statements and remarks | G20 Bali Leaders’ Declaration   Fourteen years ago, the Leaders of the G20 met for the first time, facing the most severe financial crisis in our generation. We recognized, as large global economies, that collectively we carry responsibilities and that our cooperation was necessary to global economic recovery, to tackle global challenges, and lay a foundation for strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth. We designated the G20 the premier forum for global economic cooperation, and today we reaffirm our commitment to cooperate as we, once again, address serious global economic challenges. We met in Bali on 15-16 November 2022, at a time of unparalleled multidimensional crises. We have experienced the devastation brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, and other challenges including climate change, which has caused economic downturn, increased poverty, slowed global recovery, and hindered the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Read the full declaration

Press material Thursday 17 November 2022

● Council of the EU   17/11/2022 18:37 | Press release | Council and European Parliament agree on boosting secure communications with a new satellite system   The Council and the European Parliament today reached a provisional agreement on a regulation establishing the EU's secure connectivity programme for the period 2023-2027. "Safe and reliable communication is a cornerstone of the EU's strategic autonomy. The secure connectivity programme will build a multi-orbital constellation of hundreds of satellites, which will cover the EU's need for secure communication services and will underpin our position as one of the main players in space. More importantly, it will bring many benefits to citizens and their daily lives." Martin Kupka, Czech minister for transport Providing secure communication services to member states… The programme sets goals for the European Union to deploy an EU satellite constellation called 'IRIS2' (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite), which will enable secure communication services by 2027. Cyberattacks and natural disasters can lead to the breakdown of terrestrial communication networks. The establishment of this constellation will provide for a better connected critical infrastructure and high-speed and resilient independent satellite communication services. The programme will provide governmental services covering critical infrastructure protection, situational awareness, and support for external actions and crisis management. All of these services will improve the EU's resilience. ...and facilitating broadband access for all users The programme is not aimed merely at benefiting government bodies and EU institutions, but also enables the provision of commercial services by the private sector, thereby contributing to the competitiveness of European industry. The programme is linked to the Commission's proposal on the EU's Global Gateway Strategy. It will enable the provision of affordable internet access everywhere in Europe and will provide secure connectivity over geographical areas of strategic interest, such as the Arctic region and Africa.