COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Press material Thursday 21 September 2023

● European Council   21/09/2023 23:47 | Speech | Address of President Charles Michel at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly   CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY The Security Council Chamber is decorated with a mural. In it, the Norwegian artist, Per Krohg, depicts a phoenix. The phoenix is rising from a world covered in ashes, a world rebuilding itself after war. The lower section of the mural is dark, showing a dragon, soldiers and war machines. The United Nations was founded to protect us from our demons. To elevate the global community towards peace, cooperation and solidarity. And yet... The climate crisis is wreaking havoc. The global effort to combat poverty is faltering. The Russian war against Ukraine is aggravating food insecurity and generating an energy crisis. We are losing the sense of urgency which the pandemic instilled in us. And progress on gender equality is too slow. ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’. This is the mantra of the Indian Presidency of the G20. We are, after all, a global family. And the United Nations is the backbone of this family. But as Secretary-General Guterres says, this family is a dysfunctional one. The European Union aspires to a multipolar world, a world which cooperates and moves towards greater democracy and more respect for human rights. But trust is eroding. Tensions are multiplying. A dangerous bipolar confrontation threatens us. As if everyone has to take sides against each other. Just like the frantic nuclear arms race last century, artificial intelligence, particularly in the military sphere, is becoming the arena for geopolitical competition. The late Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjöld, wisely said: ‘The United Nations was not created in order to bring us to heaven, but in order to save us from hell’. Today, the United Nations system is stuck in a rut, and is being hindered by hostile forces. We must put multilateral cooperation back on track. For that, we need to: Restore trust. Resolve the most pressing problems. Repair the United Nations system. Trust is built on respect for the sacred principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. Respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and human rights. Nevertheless, for the last 19 months, a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia, has been waging a war of conquest against a neighbouring country which has never threatened it. A war with all its horror and contempt for human life. The General Assembly has condemned Russia’s war against Ukraine on several occasions. This is, of course, a powerful reminder of the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. But that has not stopped the Kremlin in its murderous adventure. Nor has it curbed its sense of impunity... But this impunity will not last forever. Justice will be done. The European Union will steadfastly support Ukraine in exercising its right of self-defence. During this war against Ukraine, the other major challenges facing the world have not gone away. The planet is boiling. The world is torn apart by poverty and injustices. A miracle will not happen if we do not decide to mobilise the necessary funding. Now. We have made a collective pledge to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. But if we stick to the schedule announced so far, global warming will reach 2.5 degrees by the end of the century. We must wake up to this reality! The European Union has raised its targets for renewable energy use and energy efficiency. We are calling for a tripling of renewable energy targets, with the G20 following suit, and a doubling of energy efficiency targets by 2030. It is also in the interest of all developed countries to help developing countries to move towards net-zero emissions. Only one quarter of global private investment is being made in developing countries. And yet, the G20 is responsible for 80% of global emissions... And only this year is the international community expected to reach the USD 100 billion mark for the international financing of climate action. The European Union has been a driving force, providing USD 26 billion in 2021, more than its share. The International Energy Agency estimates that global investment in the energy transition must reach USD 5 000 billion per annum in 2030 ‒ yes, more than 4% of global GDP. And that figure will have to be maintained until 2050 in order to achieve zero-carbon. At the upcoming COP28 in Dubai, we must establish the financing for the Loss and Damage Fund decided on last year in Sharm el-Sheikh. Finally, natural disasters are unfolding at a dizzying pace. On every continent. And most recently in Libya. Now more than ever, an international disaster fund is necessary to ensure rapid and fair assistance and strengthen our collective resilience. Prevention is key. Hence the importance of the work which we support within the United Nations on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Similarly, trade is a powerful lever to bring together climate challenges and prosperity. We call for an urgent solution for the World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement mechanism. The economic and financial situation of vulnerable economies has been seriously affected by the COVID-19 crisis and by Russia’s war in Ukraine. More than 50 low-income countries have defaulted on their debts, and a dozen others could follow suit. Because of debt-servicing, which has supplanted expenditure on social protection, health and education, 165 million individuals worldwide have been tipped into poverty. No-one should be forced to choose between alleviating poverty and greening the economy. We cannot afford the luxury of another debate about how much money to donate. It’s a question of making the global financial system more robust, fairer, and better prepared for the 21st century. The reallocation of USD 100 billion in special drawing rights constitutes an important step. And we should go further. We also support the ‘Sustainable Development Goals Stimulus’ presented by Secretary-General Guterres. The EU is fully committed to implementing the G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatments. It is the Bretton Woods system that requires fundamental reform. Fairer. More inclusive. And more effective. That is the aim. These institutions were created when many countries were still under colonial rule. The world has changed since then. However, the G7 countries still wield almost absolute decision-making power. The European Union is prepared to better share power. Because the regions that have virtually no say need to be better involved in the decisions that directly affect them. Secondly, there is a need for a financial shake-up. Whole regions of the world are deprived of access to financing, thereby not only hampering progress towards the sustainable development goals, but also increasing the risk of a debt crisis. The Paris Summit for a New Global Financing Pact ‒ convened by the French President and the Prime Minister of Barbados ‒ showed the way forward in that regard. In the words of Mia Mottley, there is now ‘the need for pace and scope. (...) Let us (...) not only do the right thing, but do it in time, and do it for the right reasons.’ We must make better use of state capital to stimulate private investment. We need to increase the lending capacity of international financial institutions as an essential safety net. To give an example: in the course of just 60 years, the World Bank’s financing power, as a proportion of global production, has fallen more than sevenfold! And we need to reduce the cost of access to credit for vulnerable countries, which is several times higher than for advanced countries. We also need to adapt the rules of the multilateral development banks as regards capital adequacy. This will allow them to utilise their balance sheets in a more dynamic way without jeopardising their soundness. Precisely three years ago, Dr Tedros and I put forward the idea of an international treaty on pandemics. Together, we convinced the international community to launch negotiations within the framework of the WHO. The world needs an ambitious and legally binding instrument to prevent, prepare for and respond to any future pandemics. It must be of benefit to everyone, in particular developing countries and those who are most vulnerable. I now call on the parties to redouble their efforts to conclude those negotiations by May 2024. The European Union is making determined efforts to that end. We remain an open-minded and thoughtful negotiating partner. The Secretary-General and his teams are the workhorses of action on a massive scale for the benefit of humankind. But United Nations governance is all too often hindered. The European Union supports the proposals for reform presented by the Secretary-General in ‘Our Common Agenda’. We also welcome the progress made on working methods. Today, I would like to bring a new perspective to the debate on United Nations reform. As well as three proposals. One concerning the right to veto. One concerning representativeness. And one concerning the role to be played by regional organisations. On those points, I call for an amendment to the United Nations Charter. The right to veto in its current form is subject to abuse. It renders the Council powerless. A permanent member of the Security Council can flagrantly violate our Charter and international law... The fact that it has the right to veto sanctions against itself is even more shocking. And the fact that it exploits the Security Council for the purpose of propaganda and disinformation. The Charter provides that a member of the Security Council should abstain from voting when it is the subject of the vote. I call on other members of the Security Council to invoke that clause when it could involve Russia. The European Union supports France and Mexico’s initiative aiming to limit the right to veto in cases of mass atrocities. We support the code of conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes. And all efforts to enhance the transparency and accountability of the Security Council. In the context of Charter reform, I believe we should set up a mechanism that combines majority decision-making with moderate and flexible use of the right to veto. Two: representativeness. The Security Council does not reflect today’s world. There are 60 countries which have never yet had a seat on the Security Council. Whole swathes of the world – Africa, South America, the Caribbean, Asia – have little or no representation. We support a global reform of the United Nations Security Council which strengthens the voices of these regions and countries. Power and legitimacy go hand in hand. The Security Council’s lack of representativeness is undermining its legitimacy. Legitimacy is key and should be reinforced on two fronts. The United Nations, as its name suggests, is a club of nations. When we contemplate reforming the multilateral system, we consider the nation state to be its basic unit. An increase in the number of permanent members of the Security Council is inevitable. We must move beyond this status quo. The role played by regional and continental organisations is growing. The European Union, of course, the African Union, the Community of Latin-American and Caribbean States (CELAC), ASEAN, etc. These organisations reflect a new level of legitimacy in international and multilateral fora. They play a part in political and economic coordination among their members. They create spaces for closer cooperation. They also become spaces where rules are made. That is the case of European integration. But the EU’s example serves as an inspiration to others. Like the African Union, which is working to create a huge common trade area. These organisations are exerting a growing influence on the multilateral stage. They are vital contributors to stability. Their role in the multilateral system must grow. After all, they shape the structure of the multipolar world we are hoping for. That is why through my vote the European Union immediately supported the call by Senegalese President Macky Sall to include the African Union as a full member of the G20. I am convinced that the United Nations would become more legitimate and effective if it gave a place to regional organisations. Including them would create a virtuous circle. It would encourage regional organisations to cooperate more and better with each other, contributing to their own stability. And their stabilising influence would be further boosted in multilateral cooperation. I will soon be taking the initiative to hold an institutional summit between the European Union, African Union, CELAC, ASEAN and with the United Nations Secretary-General. The aim will be to reflect on how our organisations can act together to strengthen the multilateral system. In the framework of the United Nations and in the other international fora. The European Union is a sound world partner. Multilateral cooperation is in our DNA. The EU and its Member States are the world’s biggest donor for development and peace-keeping. Including in regions in which conflicts are protracted hopelessly. In the Sahel, successive military coups are fuelling instability and insecurity, under the pretext of reducing them. I would like to take this opportunity to send a message of friendship and personal support to the President of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, who has been imprisoned in his home by a military junta for 56 days now. In the Middle East, we maintain that lasting peace will only be achieved when Palestinians and Israelis live in security in the context of the two-state solution. We are shocked by the latest devastating developments in the South Caucasus. Military force is never a sustainable solution when there are hearts and minds to be won. Around the globe, the European Union will continue to assume its responsibilities, with anyone who wishes to work towards the common good. The EU we will never allow itself to be intimidated by violence or blackmail. The Per Krohg mural is a work of imagination. But it is also an appeal to our conscience. Now more than ever before, in a world faced with multiple dangers. The philosopher Friedrich Hölderlin said, ‘But where the danger lies, also grows the saving power.’ Faced with dangers, we have a vision of a better world. We have powerful means. I believe in the power of collective intelligence. It is up to us to act. Now. To make the world fairer, freer and more prosperous. Thank you.

Meetings Thursday 21 September 2023

● Council of the EU   21/09/2023 09:01 | MEETING | Agenda highlights - Competitiveness Council (Internal market and industry), 25 September 2023   Ministers responsible for the internal market and industry will meet in Brussels on 25 September with the aim of adopting Council general approaches on Euro7 and on the two legal texts of the EU legislation on design protection review. Ministers will also hold a policy debate on the role of competitiveness checks in the formulation of legislative proposals.

Press material Thursday 21 September 2023

● European Council   PRESS MATERIAL Wednesday, 20 September 2023 ● Council of the EU 20/09/2023 | Media advisory | Presidency event: Informal ministerial meeting on general affairs and cohesion policy, Murcia (Spain), 28 and 29 September 2023 On 28 September 2023, at the informal meeting on general affairs, ministers will discuss preparations for enlargement. On 29 September 2023, at the informal meeting on cohesion policy, ministers will hold a discussion on the topic "Towards a Cohesion Policy 2.0". Programme and logistical information:Programme (PDF) Press kit (PDF) Further information For any press contact by email, please write to media.eu2023es@comunicacion.presidencia.gob.es

Press material Wednesday 20 September 2023

● Council of the EU   20/09/2023 00:04 | Press release | Council and Parliament reach provisional agreement to empower consumers for the green transition   The Council and the Parliament have today reached a provisional political agreement on the directive to empower consumers for the green transition. The proposal aims at enhancing consumers’ rights by amending the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD) and the Consumer Rights Directive (CRD) and adapting them for the green transition. Today’s agreement maintains the main objectives of the directive but introduces some improvements, like the inclusion of unfair claims based on greenhouse emissions offsetting in the list of banned practices, stronger measures against early obsolescence, the clarification of traders’ liability in certain cases and the introduction of a harmonised format to increase the visibility of the voluntary commercial guarantee of durability, as well as improvements in the reminder on the legal guarantee of conformity. "Citizens are suffering the consequences of climate change and want to be part of the solution. With the compromise reached today consumers will have the necessary information to make the right green choices and will be better protected against green washing, social washing and other unfair commercial practices. This is essential to allow them to play an active role in the common struggle for a greener and fairer Europe." Alberto Garzón Espinosa, Acting Spanish Minister for Consumer Affairs Protecting against unfair practices The directive to empower consumers for the green transition aims at fighting against unfair commercial practices that prevent consumers to make the right choices for greener or more circular products and services. Practices like misleading ‘greenwashing’ or false claims about products that last less than expected are among the practices that this legal text aims to address. The provisional agreement maintains the main objectives of the directive but introduces important improvements. In particular improves the credibility of sustainability labels by defining the key elements of the certification scheme they have to be based on unless established by public authorities increases the transparency and monitoring of claims related to future environmental performance includes unfair claims based on greenhouse gas emissions offsetting in the list of banned commercial practices. This means that traders will not be able to claim that a product has a neutral, reduced or improved environmental impact, based on unverified offsetting programmes clarifies the traders’ liability in cases of information (or lack of information) on early obsolescence, unnecessary software updates or the unjustified obligation to buy spare parts from the original producer. These practices will be banned but the compromise text makes clear that the traders are only liable if there is information available on the of the design features leading to those situations introduces a harmonised label with information on the commercial guarantee of durability that producers offer and which will include a reference to the legal guarantee of conformity. In addition, a harmonised notice will be displayed prominently in shops and websites to give information on the legal guarantee of conformity. it will allow member states sufficient time to adapt to the changes in the legislation, with a transposition period of 24 months.

Press material Tuesday 19 September 2023

● European Council   19/09/2023 23:31 | Speech | Speech by President Charles Michel at the High-level event "Towards a Fair International Financial Architecture"   I join the Prime Minister of Spain and the co-hosts in saying how pleased I am to welcome all of you. How can we make the world’s financial architecture fairer? The architect Frank Gehry once said: “Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness”. Indeed, Gehry was not thinking about global financial architecture, but the quote is relevant to what we are discussing today. Our current global financial architecture is like an old house, built in another time, for another time, and this house has served us well for decades. However, we all feel that it’s time to make this house strong and sturdy again, to protect its inhabitants and to meet their needs. I believe we should focus on three areas: development finance, debt alleviation, and climate finance. First, we need to make sure everyone has fair access to financing. To make this happen, Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) must reform and there must be better, faster, and more effective access to finance. This will enable us to tackle global challenges — such as climate change, biodiversity, pandemics and poverty. More effective finance will also support the most vulnerable countries, so MDBs need to change with the times. That means aligning their financial flows and know-how more effectively to address today’s challenges, and mobilising and scaling up private finance. MDBs must be ready to assist countries in need by providing more concessional lending. The G20 Roadmap is a crucial first step -- it could free up about $200 billion over the next decade. Looking forward, we should be ready to consider increasing the capital of development banks. Equally, we need to keep in mind all the ways in which we can promote development. One example is the African Union’s push to implement the African Continental Free Trade Area. This could increase Africa's income by $450 billion by 2035. Second, we need to tackle the problem of debt. Too many countries are drowning in a sea of debt. Over the past five years, the debt stock of emerging market economies has ballooned from $75 trillion to $100 trillion. As President Ruto said in Paris in June: it costs eight times more for African economies to borrow than it does the rest of the world. This is simply unfair. We must lend a helping hand to countries in need by focusing on and delivering the G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatment. Even so, this is not enough. We can do more, for instance by extending the Common Framework to middle-income countries that are currently not eligible. Finally, our third course of action concerns climate finance. We need to increase finance from billions to trillions of dollars, drawing on all possible sources. Vulnerable economies should not have to choose between decarbonising and reducing poverty. This year, for the first time, we will meet the $100 billion goal on climate finance. We should make this happen every year. The EU and its Member States continue to be the world’s top provider of climate finance — providing €23 billion in 2021. Public money is key to catalysing and removing the risk from private investment. So it is our job — in the public sector — to set the right conditions for more private investment. We also need to be more creative and more willing to take risks. One example is debt for nature swaps — in countries such as Barbados or Ecuador. Our house will not be renovated in a day. And it will require more than a nail and a hammer. But with political will and courage, I believe we can make this house stronger and sturdier than ever. This is our shared responsibility, this is our shared duty. Thank you.

EU ministers work to reduce university dropout rates and promote EU values in education 19/09/2023 | Article EU ministers work to reduce university dropout rates and promote EU values in education European ministers pledged to reduce university dropout rates and promote community values in education on the second day of the informal ministerial meeting on education and youth in Zaragoza.

Meetings Tuesday 19 September 2023

● Council of the EU   19/09/2023 17:34 | MEETING | Main results - General Affairs Council, 19 September 2023   Ministers focused on the request of Spain regarding Catalan, Basque and Galician, preparations for the October European Council, the annual rule of law dialogue and legislative planning.