| ● General Secretariat of the Council | | | | | Few journalists, if any, have covered the evolution of the European Council as continuously as Dutch journalist and academic, Jan Werts. In 2022 he published his latest book on the European Council, “The European Council in the era of crises”. As he has decades of stories about the history and evolution of the European Council, the Council Library recently met with him to hear them and share some with you. |
|
|
‘The European Council in the era of crises’- an interview with Jan Werts28 November 2022
Library note gsclibrary
EU member states Institutional affairs
Few journalists, if any, have covered the evolution of the European Council as extensively as Dutch journalist and academic, Jan Werts.
Who is Jan Werts?
Jan Werts is the author of the first ever doctorate on the European Council and has covered every European summit since its inception.
Werts covered the first historic meeting almost fifty years ago, in Dublin Castle, when leaders of the then 12 member states met for the first time as the European Council.
He was in Dublin in 1979 when Margaret Thatcher demanded her money back. He plodded his way through the snow to attend the meeting in Vienna in the winter of 1998 and sweltered in the heavy heat in Seville in 2002, where the working methods of the European Council were reformed.
The European Council in the era of crises
In 2022 Werts published his latest book on the European Council, “The European Council in the era of crises”. The former president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, described it as, “Jan Wert’s story of the European Council is the story of the Union itself.”
Interview with Jan Werts
You have been a European affairs correspondent for nearly 50 years. In your latest book you describe your “incessant fascination with European affairs”. How did this come about?
I’ve been interested in international and European affairs since a young age. In the mid-60’s I was a young journalist in Eindhoven, where I was brought up. Back then there was a rumour that you could write to the Commission to be invited to Brussels, to the institutions, for an introductory visit. So, I wrote to them and was invited. From that trip I knew I would like to become a correspondent in Brussels. It was clear I was bitten by the European bug.
It was my professor who one day said, “Perhaps a doctorate on the European Council”. Immediately I just knew, “Yes, that’s my subject”.
I had always been convinced by the vision of Jean Monnet, one the EU’s founding fathers. The initiative for the creation of a regular meeting of national leaders originally came from him. In 1973 he wrote a draft for a Provisional European Government, noting that the decision-making by the Council of Ministers was blocked. He saw the involvement of national leaders not as a potential threat but as an extra source of power for Brussels to blossom.
However, it was difficult to start a doctorate on the European Council. Researching the Commission and Parliament was not a problem. There were shelves filled with books about them. This was not the case with the European Council. But, I knew a quite bit about it. I had followed the meetings of European leaders from the very beginning in 1975 with the then 12 member states. Even when working as a correspondent in Washington for 6 years, I still covered the meetings of the European Council.
Then, in December 1991, on the day before a very important summit in Maastricht, the one at which the European Council acquired formal status, I received my doctorate. It was the first ever doctorate on the European Council! Back in Brussels in 1994 as an EU-correspondent for specialised publications, I have been writing about the European Council ever since.
In your book you describe the European Council as, perhaps surprisingly, the least examined of the EU institutions. Why do you think this is, or was, the case?
In the early days, it was difficult for people to grasp what the European Council was, being elusive and abstract. There was no President, no building, no structure. There were just 3 meetings a year, with only just one in Brussels.
At that time, even editors-in-chief did not understand what the European Council was! They knew the Parliament, the Commission, but not the European Council. It was difficult to explain that it was perhaps more important.
Now the public knows it is probably the leading institution. I think it is the easiest institution for the public to understand. Why? The leaders are all the leaders of the EU countries who sit around a table, speaking about a problem, looking for a solution.
Immediately after the meeting all the leaders give a press conference. In the evening all the news channels report about the European Council. If the Commission has a meeting, there are perhaps a hundred journalists covering it. But if the European Council has a meeting there’s a thousand journalists from all over the world.
The main focus of your book is on the series of unprecedented crises facing the EU from 2008. In your view, how well did the European Council as an institution respond to this era of crises?
We have the 27 member states, and we have the institutions. From the 1950’s - 1970’s there was no go-between. Today, the European Council is an institution with a double role, an intermediate circle. The members are first there for their country. As the decision making is by consensus, they have the right to block a decision.
But the moment that the doors close and the meeting starts, they are all in the same boat. They suddenly become responsible for the state of affairs in Europe. They must find solutions. Otherwise, they will have to explain it to the thousands of journalists waiting outside. There is always a necessity to arrive at conclusions that you can explain to the media and citizens.
National leaders have assumed ‘on behalf of Europe’ the real political power by taking responsibility at the crucial moments – like the euro area crisis, the EU-Turkey Deal, COVID, climate change, the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The European Council has proven that the EU is resilient to shocks. Not one shock, but several. All these crises find solutions. Not a perfect solution but with 27 members you can’t find a perfect solution for everyone. But you can find an acceptable one.
What do you think are the necessary elements for a successful European Council summit?
There are several things. Especially in a crisis, I see at least three requirements. Firstly, thorough preparation by the presidents of the European Council and the Commission, with the help of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper). Secondly, a limited number of outstanding issues to be resolved. Thirdly, that the leaders see that it is in their own interest to obtain an agreement now, thus the pressure of a deadline. Finally, in my experience, that France and Germany are on the same line.
To be a success in the European Council you must be a strong leader at national level. If your popularity is weak at home it is harder to convince other leaders to listen to you in Europe.
You have described the evolution of the role and responsibility of the European Council as moving from “a fireside chat to the centre of political governance.” Where do you think it will evolve to from here?
The fireside chat doesn’t exist now because it is impossible with 27 people. However, the informal discussions over dinner, when there is no interpretation, is a valuable opportunity for more nuanced exchanges.
But for the future, the European Council is politically the most important institution. I don’t expect this to change soon. I see no necessity of institutional changes.
Perhaps in the long run, in the very long run, there could be a real president for Europe. In my opinion this would mean that the President of the European Commission and the European Council would be the same person. Perhaps we have too many Presidents currently making it difficult for countries outside the EU, and citizens too, to grasp the difference in roles between the different European institutions.
The biggest challenge ahead is that we keep the trust of the citizens in the 27 member states. Criticism of the EU is a challenge for the EU, not specifically for the Council.
Despite the success of the euro as a currency, managing the European Monetary Union is a continuing challenge. Add to that developing a political union on the basis of greater geopolitical assertiveness and more unity.
You mention that the EU appears to have much more political resilience than previously thought. In your view, what are the key factors that would help the European Council address complex challenges in the future?
Firstly, we need economically and politically stable Member States.
Secondly, 50 years ago Jean Monnet said, “Europe will be built through crisis”. History has learned that in most cases crisis results in more power and more coherence in the EU. But this is not always the case and today we have a little bit too many crises at the same time.
With the creation of a European Council under the guidance of a permanent president we have now the personal involvement of leaders in the day-to-day running of the EU and in the development of the treaties.
The leaders have rather successfully fought a variety of serious causes. In doing so, they have shown that in difficult times the EU can act. The European Council will remain the key decision maker, a welcome addition to the original institutions in urgent crises. Moreover, I see it as the only body with sufficient authority to develop new policies.
About the book
‘The European Council in the era of crises’ is published by John Harper Publishing and is available to purchase in all good bookstores.
Colleagues working in the Council can borrow the book via Eureka, the catalogue of the Council Library.
The European Council in the era of crisesFor further reading on the European Council, the Council and the GSC, consult the Council Bibliographies.
It is a unique collection curated by the Council Library that contains works by academics and others about the work of these two institutions and the GSC since their inception. Explore it via Eureka.
Search EurekaThis post does not necessarily represent the positions, policies, or opinions of the Council of the European Union or the European Council.
The Council Library reading room is open on Monday to Friday from 12.30 to 15.30. The Info Desk operates during office hours from Monday to Friday.
| ● Council of the EU | | | 28/11/2022 11:38 | Press release | | | | | The Council adopted legislation for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union, to further improve the resilience and incident response capacities of both the public and private sector and the EU as a whole. The new directive, called ‘NIS2’, will replace the current directive on security of network and information systems (the NIS directive). "There is no doubt that cybersecurity will remain a key challenge for the years to come. The stakes for our economies and our citizens are enormous. Today, we took another step to improve our capacity to counter this threat."
Ivan Bartoš, Czech Deputy Prime Minister for Digitalization and Minister of Regional Development Stronger risk and incident management and cooperationNIS2 will set the baseline for cybersecurity risk management measures and reporting obligations across all sectors that are covered by the directive, such as energy, transport, health and digital infrastructure. The revised directive aims to harmonise cybersecurity requirements and implementation of cybersecurity measures in different member states. To achieve this, it sets out minimum rules for a regulatory framework and lays down mechanisms for effective cooperation among relevant authorities in each member state. It updates the list of sectors and activities subject to cybersecurity obligations and provides for remedies and sanctions to ensure enforcement. The directive will formally establish the European Cyber Crises Liaison Organisation Network, EU-CyCLONe, which will support the coordinated management of large-scale cybersecurity incidents and crises. Widening of the scope of the rulesWhile under the old NIS directive member states were responsible for determining which entities would meet the criteria to qualify as operators of essential services, the new NIS2 directive introduces a size-cap rule as a general rule for identification of regulated entities. This means that all medium-sized and large entities operating within the sectors or providing services covered by the directive will fall within its scope. While the revised directive maintains this general rule, its text includes additional provisions to ensure proportionality, a higher level of risk management and clear-cut criticality criteria for allowing national authorities to determine further entities covered. The text also clarifies that the directive will not apply to entities carrying out activities in areas such as defence or national security, public security, and law enforcement. Judiciary, parliaments, and central banks are also excluded from the scope. NIS2 will also apply to public administrations at central and regional level. In addition, member states may decide that it applies to such entities at local level too. Other changes introduced by the new lawMoreover, the new directive has been aligned with sector-specific legislation, in particular the regulation on digital operational resilience for the financial sector (DORA) and the directive on the resilience of critical entities (CER), to provide legal clarity and ensure coherence between NIS2 and these acts. A voluntary peer-learning mechanism will increase mutual trust and learning from good practices and experiences in the Union, thereby contributing to achieving a high common level of cybersecurity. The new legislation also streamlines the reporting obligations in order to avoid causing over-reporting and creating an excessive burden on the entities covered. Next steps The directive will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union in the coming days and will enter into force on the twentieth day following this publication. Member states will have 21 months from the entry into force of the directive in which to incorporate the provisions into their national law. Directive on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union (PE-CONS 32/22) Draft directive on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union – Council general approach Cybersecurity: how the EU tackles cyber threats (background information) A digital future for Europe (background information) |
|
|
| ● Council of the EU | | | 28/11/2022 11:34 | Press release | | | | | The Council today unanimously adopted a decision to add the violation of restrictive measures to the list of ‘EU crimes’ included in the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. "The EU has responded with determination to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine. It has adopted an unprecedented number of sanctions to target Russia’s economy and thwart its ability to continue with this aggression. To succeed, their implementation requires a joint effort, and today’s decision is an essential tool to ensure any attempts to circumvent these measures will be stopped."
Pavel Blažek, Czech Minister of Justice The EU has adopted a number of restrictive measures in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and it is essential that these measures are fully implemented. Currently member states have different definitions of what constitutes a violation of restrictive measures and what penalties should be applied in the event of violation. This could lead to different degrees of enforcement of sanctions and a risk of these measures being circumvented, potentially allowing sanctioned persons to continue accessing their assets and supporting regimes targeted by EU measures. The inclusion of the violation of restrictive measures in the list of ‘EU crimes’ is the first of two steps to ensure a similar degree of sanctions enforcement throughout the EU and to dissuade attempts to circumvent or violate EU measures. Next stepsFollowing the adoption of this decision, the European Commission will present a proposal for a directive containing minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and penalties for the violation of EU restrictive measures. This draft directive will then need to be discussed and adopted by the Council and the European Parliament. |
|
|
| ● Council of the EU | | | 28/11/2022 11:36 | Press release | | | | | The EU ministers of education agreed on measures to reduce the share of those leaving education and training early and to bring down under-achieving in reading, mathematics and science. A recommendation on pathways to school success calls on member states to develop strategies towards school success and to minimise the effects of socio-economic status on education and training outcomes. "School and education are the fundament of success and fulfilment in life. This is why we cannot afford if our children drop out of school early or finish training and education without proficiency in basic skills. Well-being is a key lever to bring early school leaving down and to up children’s knowledge in reading, math and science."
Vladimír Balaš, Czech minister of Education, Youth and Sports Improvement in early leaving rateThe recommendation adopted today replaces a 2011 Council recommendation on policies to reduce early school leaving. Since 2010, the rate of early leavers has decreased by 3.9 percentage points. However, at 9.7 % in 2021 across the EU on average the share is still above the EU’s 9% objective. According to the Education and Training Monitor 2021, the underachievement rate stands at 22.5% in reading, 22.9% in mathematics and 22.3% in science. Well-being as key to school successAs research highlights that emotional, social and physical well-being in school is important to enhance children and young people’s chances of succeeding in education and in life, the recommendation wants member states to pay special attention to well-being at school. The importance of addressing well-being as a booster of school success has only increased as the COVID-19 pandemic has had detrimental effects on learners’ mental health and well-being in general. Prevention, intervention and compensationThe recommendation focusses on learners on the one hand but also teachers, trainers and school staff. It suggests to combine prevention, intervention and compensation measures. Compensation measures are aimed at re-engaging people who have dropped out of education, for instance by strengthening career guidance and counselling. |
|
|
| ● Council of the EU | | | 28/11/2022 11:37 | Press release | | | | | The Council has agreed on a common position on supporting well-being in digital education. The conclusions it approved today identify three factors which are instrumental in contributing to learners’ and educators’ well-being - acquiring the necessary knowledge, skills and competences
- designing teaching and learning approaches and digital environments that enhance well-being
- interpersonal relations in the digital education ecosystem
"Digital technologies have reshaped our approach to education and become an integral part of everyday school life. We must continue to develop the school environment in which students and teachers feel well, safe, secure and are able to recognise the risks associated with the use of digital means. It is primordial that throughout the EU we use these technologies in a way that they enhance the well-being of everyone – from pupil to teacher – involved in education and training."
Vladimír Balaš, Czech minister of Education, Youth and Sports Opportunities and challengesDigital education comes with both opportunities and challenges for the well-being of learners and educators. Downsides, such as cyberbullying, can negatively impact well-being. Well-designed digital education ecosystems that are effective and inclusive can promote the development of learners’ well-being and improve their educational, life and work prospects. The response during the COVID-19 pandemic to challenges and opportunities of (emergency) distance and online teaching and learning may serve as a useful experience and lessons learned for the development of well-being approaches in digital education. Digital divideMinisters also recognise that the digital divide poses a threat to well-being in digital education and training and risks reinforcing existing inequalities and creating new ones. A pre-COVID-19 survey from 2019 shows that a quarter of low-income households have no access to computers and broadband. School systems should therefore tackle the problem of insufficient access, inadequate equipment or unsatisfactory learning conditions. |
|
|
| ● Council of the EU | | | 28/11/2022 11:14 | Press release | | | | | The Council gave its final approval to the corporate sustainability reporting directive (CSRD). This means that companies will soon be required to publish detailed information on sustainability matters. This will increase a company’s accountability, prevent divergent sustainability standards, and ease the transition to a sustainable economy. |
|
|
Meetings
28 November 2022
● Council of the EU
28/11/2022 10:30 | MEETING |
Background brief - Competitiveness Council (Internal market, industry, research and space) of 1 and 2 December 2022
- Background brief - Competitiveness Council of 1 and 2 December 2022
● Council of the EU
28/11/2022 11:33 | Press release |
Council gives final approval to tackling distortive foreign subsidies on the internal market
The Council has given its final approval to the foreign subsidies regulation.
The regulation addresses distortions created by subsidies that are granted by non-EU countries to companies operating on the EU single market. It lays down the procedural rules for investigating these subsidies in the context of large concentrations and bids in large public procurement procedures.
In doing so, the regulation aims to restore fair competition between all companies operating in the internal market — both European and non-European
| ● Council of the EU | | | 28/11/2022 12:52 | MEETING | | | | | The Foreign Affairs Council, in its development configuration, met today in Brussels to discuss the follow-up to the EU-African Union Summit and the EU’s crisis response in Ukraine and Afghanistan. |
|
|
Council of the EU
Foreign Affairs Council (Development), 28 November 2022
Infographic - Africa and Europe: a joint vision for 2030
See full infographic
Main results
The Foreign Affairs Council, in its development configuration, took place in Brussels on 28 November 2022.
Development ministers discussed the follow-up to the EU-African Union Summit, which took place in Brussels last February. Ministers also addressed issues of global interest, including the impact of the Russian aggression on Ukraine on the global food insecurity situation and energy prices.
The geopolitical situation of the world is quite different from one year ago, but in spite of the war in Ukraine, we have to continue engaging with Africa. Africa is our partner of choice. It is high on our agenda especially in this case when food crisis and energy crisis are hitting severely the continent. We have to invest quicker, more and smarter in Africa.Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Member states also focused on Team Europe’s crisis response in Ukraine and Afghanistan. Ministers discussed the complex situation caused by the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and our stance. An exchange on the way forward following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021 was also on the agenda.
In this context, the Commission and the EEAS proposed and ministers endorsed a "deepened and enhanced basic needs approach" in support of the Afghan population.
We have three clear messages on Ukraine: Immediate support is needed especially ahead on winterization and repair of critical infrastructure, secondly it is key to ensure the essential functions of the Ukrainian state and thirdly it is important that reforms are framed by the European journey. And on Afghanistan we need to make sure that we continue supporting the Afghan people since the situation is getting worse especially for women and girls.Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Development ministers also discussed the broader operationalisation of the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus; the aim being to move beyond the pilot phase in 6 countries that started 5 years ago and generalise the nexus approach to all partner countries where it can bring benefits.
Council Conclusions
The Council approved conclusions on:Disaster Risk Reduction: Council calls for EU’s proactive crisis response (press release, 28 November 2022)
Youth Action Plan: Council involves young people in policy-making (press release, 28 November 2022)
The Council also adopted, without discussion, the items on the lists of non-legislative A items.
European Union - African Union summit, 17-18 February 2022
EU solidarity with Ukraine (background information)
Meeting information
Meeting n°3914
Brussels
28 November 2022
09:00
Preparatory documentsList of A items, non-legislative activities
Provisional agenda
Outcome documentsList of participants| ● Council of the EU | | | 28/11/2022 14:33 | Press release | | | | | Given the ever-increasing risks of cyber attacks, the EU is strengthening the IT security of financial entities such as banks, insurance companies and investment firms. Today the Council adopted the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) which will make sure the financial sector in Europe is able to stay resilient through a severe operational disruption. "We live in uncertain times. Banks and other companies which provide financial services in Europe already have plans in place for their IT security, but we need to go one step further. Thanks to the harmonised legal requirements which we adopted today, our financial sector will be better able to continue to function at all times. If a large-scale attack on the European financial sector is launched, we will be prepared for it."
Zbyněk Stanjura, Minister of Finance of Czechia DORA sets uniform requirements for the security of network and information systems of companies and organisations operating in the financial sector as well as critical third parties which provide ICT (Information Communication Technologies)-related services to them, such as cloud platforms or data analytics services. DORA creates a regulatory framework on digital operational resilience whereby all firms need to make sure they can withstand, respond to and recover from all types of ICT-related disruptions and threats. These requirements are homogenous across all EU member states. The core aim is to prevent and mitigate cyber threats. Now that the DORA proposal is formally adopted, aspects that require national transposition will be passed into law by each EU member state. At the same time, the relevant European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs), such as the European Banking Authority (EBA), the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), will develop technical standards for all financial services institutions to abide by, from banking to insurance to asset management. The respective national competent authorities will take the role of compliance oversight and enforce the regulation as necessary. BackgroundThe Commission came forward with the DORA proposal on 24 September 2020. It was part of a larger digital finance package, which aims to develop a European approach that fosters technological development and ensures financial stability and consumer protection. In addition to the DORA proposal, the package contained a digital finance strategy, a proposal on markets in crypto-assets (MiCA) and a proposal on distributed ledger technology (DLT). This package bridges a gap in existing EU legislation by ensuring that the current legal framework does not pose obstacles to the use of new digital financial instruments and, at the same time, ensures that such new technologies and products fall within the scope of financial regulation and operational risk management arrangements of firms active in the EU. Thus, the package aims to support innovation and the uptake of new financial technologies while providing for an appropriate level of consumer and investor protection. The Council adopted its negotiating mandate on DORA on 24 November 2021. Trilogues between the co-legislators started on 25 January 2022 and ended in a provisional agreement on 10 May 2022. Today’s adoption is the final step in the legislative process. Regulation on digital operational resilience for the financial sector Directive on digital operational resilience for the financial sector Digital finance: Provisional agreement reached on DORA (press release, 11 May 2022) Digital finance package: Council reaches agreement on MiCA and DORA (press release, 24 November 2021) Digital finance (background information) How the EU responds to crises and builds resilience (background information) |
|
|
