COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,latest

 

06/10/2023 | Article The Heads of State or Government lay the strategic foundations for the future of the EU and address its enlargement in the Granada declaration The informal meeting of Heads of State or Government held in Granada under the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU was a reflection on the measures necessary given the prospect of a possible enlargement of the EU. It also laid the foundations for the Strategic Agenda for the next legislative period.

05/10/2023 | Article Leaders of 50 European countries join forces in support of Ukraine at the European Political Community Summit in Granada The Heads of State or Government for around 50 European countries sent a message of unity against Russia and support for Ukraine in Granada, in the presence of Ukraine’s President, Volodymir Zelenski, who took part in the third European Political Community (EPC) Summit.

06/10/2023 | Press release The Granada declaration The heads of state or government of the European Union adopt the Granada declaration at the informal meeting held on October 6, within the framework of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Press material Saturday 7 October 2023

● Council of the EU   07/10/2023 17:24 | Press release | Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the attacks against Israel   The EU condemns in the strongest possible terms the multiple and indiscriminate attacks across Israel by Hamas and deeply deplores the loss of lives. The EU calls for an immediate cessation of these senseless attacks and violence, which will only further increase tensions on the ground and seriously undermine Palestinian people’s aspirations for peace. The EU stands in solidarity with Israel which has the right to defend itself in line with international law, in the face of such violent and indiscriminate attacks. The EU recalls the importance of working towards a lasting and sustainable peace through reinvigorated efforts in the Middle East Peace Process. Press material Friday 6 October 2023   ● General Secretariat   06/10/2023 17:56 | Press release | Forward look: 9 - 22 October 2023   Overview of the main topics and events at the Council of EU and European Council for the coming fortnight. Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Employment and social policy), 9 October 2023 EU ministers for employment and social affairs will meet in Luxembourg to discuss the 2023 European Semester and the impact of new technologies on labour. They will aim to reach a political agreement on a recommendation on developing a supportive framework for the social economy. They will also seek to approve conclusions on mental health and precarious work, on equal access to adequate housing for Roma, and on social protection for the self-employed. Read more Environment Council, 16 October 2023 EU environment ministers will seek a general approach on the revisions of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and the Regulation for CO2 emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles. Ministers will also aim at approving Council conclusions that will serve as the EU’s general negotiating mandate for the 28th United Nations Climate Change conference (COP28), as well as approving the submission by the EU of an updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the UNFCCC. Read more Economic and Financial Affairs Council, 17 October 2023 The Council will aim to make progress towards reaching a general approach on the proposed reform of the economic governance framework. Ministers will exchange views on the state of play of the economic and financial impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The Council will seek to approve conclusions on climate finance and on the revision of the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes. It will adopt implementing decisions approving modified recovery and resilience plans. Read more Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Energy), 17 October 2023 EU energy ministers will seek a general approach on a proposal to amend the EU’s electricity market design rules. Under other business, the Commission will inform ministers on winter preparedness, draft updated NECPs, and on the political declaration on energy efficiency financing and the European Energy Efficiency Financing Coalition. Poland will provide ministers with information about the impact of the greenhouse gas emission allowances market on energy and climate policy and the feasibility of achieving energy transition targets. Read more Justice and Home Affairs Council, 19-20 October 2023 The internal dimension – in terms of an update on the pact on migration and asylum – and external dimension of migration and the planned regulation to prevent and combat child sexual abuse will be some of the main agenda points of the meeting of home affairs ministers. The timeline to ensure the implementation of the interoperability of EU information systems used to fight crime, control borders and manage migration flows will also be on the agenda. Minister of justice will debate insolvency law and aim to adopt conclusions on digital empowerment and fundamental rights. Also on the agenda is a state of play of the fight against impunity regarding crimes committed in connection with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Read more Other events Eurogroup, 16 October 2023 Informal meeting of trade ministers, 19-20 October 2023 EU-US summit, 20 October 2023 Indicative calendar of meetings under the Spanish presidency (1 July - 31 December 2023) Spanish presidency website

Press material Friday 6 October 2023

● European Council   06/10/2023 17:49 | Press release | Declaration by the President of the European Council   Migration is a European challenge that requires a European response. Irregular migration needs to be immediately addressed in a determined manner. We will not allow smugglers to decide who enters the EU. We will continue to effectively and speedily implement all our decisions. We will pursue a comprehensive approach to migration which combines increased external action, mutually beneficial comprehensive partnerships with countries of origin and transit, addressing the root causes of migration, opportunities for legal migration, more effective protection of EU external borders, resolutely fighting organised crime, human trafficking and smuggling, instrumentalisation of migration as a hybrid threat, stepping up returns, and internal aspects, in compliance with international law, EU principles and values, and the protection of fundamental rights.

Press material Friday 6 October 2023

● European Council   06/10/2023 17:23 | Press release | The Granada declaration   We, the Leaders of the European Union, have gathered in Granada to mark the start of the process to define the Union’s general political directions and priorities for the years to come, setting a strategic course of action to shape our common future for the benefit of all. We reiterate the original promise of the European project to ensure peace, stability and prosperity for our citizens, guided by our values and principles, fundamental rights, democracy, and the rule of law. The Strategic Agenda agreed in June 2019 has been our guide for action. The pandemic and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine have tested our resilience, highlighting the need for the Union to enhance its sovereignty and leading us to take major decisions to protect our people and our economies. Following our meeting in Versailles, we have acted decisively. Threatened with energy blackmail, we have greatly reduced our dependencies and diversified our sources. Faced with tightening supply chains and international competition, we have strengthened our economic base. Resolved to take more responsibility for our own security and defence and to assist Ukraine, we have bolstered Europe’s capabilities. We will continue to support Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes. We have also confirmed that the future of our aspiring members and their citizens lies within the European Union. More needs to be done. Today in Granada, we have discussed key priorities and actions needed for a strong, dynamic, competitive and cohesive Europe in a changing world. Building on the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence, we will strengthen our defence readiness and invest in capabilities by developing our technological and industrial base. We will also focus on military mobility, on resilience in space and on countering cyber and hybrid threats and foreign information manipulation throughout the Union. The Russian war of aggression has also further highlighted the strength of the transatlantic relationship. We will work on our resilience and our global long-term competitiveness, making sure that the EU has all the necessary tools to secure sustainable and inclusive growth and global leadership in this crucial decade. We will address vulnerabilities and strengthen our crisis preparedness, not least in the context of growing climate and environmental risks and geopolitical tensions. We will anticipate potential challenges and seize the opportunities for our Union in the green and digital transitions, in order to ensure the sustainability of our economic model, leaving no one behind. We will concentrate particularly on energy and resource efficiency, circularity, decarbonisation, resilience to natural disasters and adaptation to climate change. We will continue our efforts to build a more cohesive, innovation-driven, and interconnected Single Market, preserving its integrity, its four freedoms, its social dimension and its openness, ensuring a level playing field, and reducing administrative burden notably for SMEs. We will ensure access to affordable energy, increase our energy sovereignty and reduce external dependencies in other key areas where the EU needs to build a sufficient level of capacity to guarantee its economic and social welfare, such as digital and net-zero technologies, critical medicines and raw materials, as well as sustainable agriculture. We will invest in research and education and the skills of the future and address demographic challenges. We will strengthen our position as an industrial, technological and commercial powerhouse, putting a special focus on areas of high added value where we already have a competitive edge or can become a frontrunner. We will step up engagement with partners from all regions of the world to protect and enhance the rules-based international order with the United Nations at its core, bring more fairness into the multilateral system, and prevent its further fragmentation. We will mobilise and develop our external action instruments. It is now more important than ever to cooperate on strengthening and diversifying our supply chains, fostering partnership, trade and investment agreements, promoting sustainable development to meet our agreed goals towards net-zero emissions, and enhancing health emergency preparedness. This work also requires reinvigorating global trade, in which the WTO plays a fundamental role. Enlargement is a geo-strategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity. It is a driver for improving the economic and social conditions of European citizens, reducing disparities between countries, and must foster the values on which the Union is founded. Looking ahead to the prospect of a further enlarged Union, both the EU and future Member States need to be ready. Aspiring members need to step up their reform efforts, notably in the area of rule of law, in line with the merit-based nature of the accession process and with the assistance of the EU. In parallel, the Union needs to lay the necessary internal groundwork and reforms. We will set our long-term ambitions and the ways to achieve them. We will address key questions related to our priorities and policies as well as our capacity to act. This will make the EU stronger and will enhance European sovereignty.

Press material Friday 6 October 2023

● Council of the EU   06/10/2023 17:03 | Press release | Interoperable Europe act: member states agree common position to deliver more efficient digital public services across the EU   With a view to creating a network of interconnected digital public administrations and accelerating the digital transformation of Europe’s public sector, member states’ representatives (Coreper) reached a common position on the proposed legislation regarding measures for a high level of public sector interoperability across the EU (Interoperable Europe act). Objectives of the proposal The draft regulation aims to set up a new cooperation framework for EU public administrations to ensure the seamless delivery of public services across borders, and to provide for support measures promoting innovation and enhancing skills and knowledge exchange. The proposed regulation will establish an interoperability governance structure with a view to creating an ecosystem of shared interoperability solutions for the EU’s public sector. This way, public administrations in the EU and other stakeholders can contribute to and re-use such solutions, innovate together and create added value. Main elements retained from the Commission’s proposal The Council’s common position maintains the general thrust of the Commission’s proposal, namely as regards: rules ensuring a structured EU cooperation where public administrations, supported by public and private actors, come together in the framework of projects co-owned by member states, as well as regions and cities a multi-level governance framework steered by the ‘Interoperable Europe Board’ and mandated inter alia to agree on common reusable resources the sharing and reuse of interoperability solutions, powered by a one-stop-shop for solutions and community cooperation (‘Interoperable Europe portal’) and supported by measures to promote innovation, and enhance skills and knowledge exchange. The Council’s amendments The Council’s text amends various parts of the Commission’s proposal. The main changes include: a clearer definition of the scope of the proposed legislation clarifications concerning the objectives and the conditions of the mandatory interoperability assessment with a view to complying with the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity alignment with the artificial intelligence act (AIA) with respect to regulatory sandboxes and consistency with the general data protection regulation (GDPR) a stronger role for the Interoperable Europe Board, which stands at the core of the new governance structure set up by the regulation.

Meetings Friday 6 October 2023

● Council of the EU   06/10/2023 15:08 | MEETING | Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Employment and social policy), 9 October 2023   Background brief - Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Employment and social policy) of 9 October 2023