COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Meetings Friday 20 October 2023

● Council of the EU   20/10/2023 16:18 | MEETING | Main results - Justice and Home Affairs Council, 19-20 October 2023   At the Justice and Home Affairs Council, ministers of justice approved conclusions on digital empowerment and fundamental rights and exchanged views on the harmonisation of insolvency law. The presidency gave a state-of-play about measures taken to fight against impunity regarding crimes committed in connection with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

Meetings Friday 20 October 2023

● Council of the EU   20/10/2023 12:05 | MEETING | Agriculture and Fisheries Council, 23-24 October 2023   Background brief - Agriculture and Fisheries Council of 23-24 October 2023

Press material Friday 20 October 2023

● Council of the EU   20/10/2023 12:05 | Press release | Council sets out vision for protecting fundamental rights in the digital world   The Council today approved conclusions on digital empowerment to protect and enforce fundamental rights in the digital age. "Digitalisation permeates into every aspect of our societies and personal lives. It is crucial that this digital world is a place where fundamental rights are respected and where people can assert their rights." Pilar Llop, acting Spanish minister for justice The text reaffirms that fundamental rights apply equally online and offline and that everyone should have the opportunity and support to acquire basic digital skills in order to be able to comprehend and exercise their rights. These skills are also necessary to enjoy the full potential of public and private services, which are increasingly provided online. The conclusions centre around two pillars: digital empowerment of individuals and key sectors and the construction of a safe digital environment where fundamental rights are protected. Digital empowerment of individuals and key sectors Against the backdrop that, according to Eurostat data, 46% of European citizens currently lack basic digital skills, the Council invites member states to take action such as: promoting adequate media and digital literacy taking measures to ensure that everyone can equally access online public services raising awareness on the importance of protecting privacy allocating funding to support media and digital education, training and skills development tailored to the needs of different groups of persons Construction of a safe digital environment where fundamental rights are protected Our digital environment can be threatened by various challenges such as online disinformation which causes an erosion of trust in institutions and media. The rise of hate speech, hate crimes and cyber violence also puts at risks our fundamental rights online. And even though AI can have significant positive effects, if lacking sufficient transparency and if used without adequate safeguards and quality controls, it can also present challenges for the respect of fundamental rights and the fight against discriminations. To develop a safe digital environment, the Council calls on member states to – among other things – continue fighting against online hate speech notably by enhancing the capacity of judicial and law enforcement authorities to investigate and prosecute illegal online hate crimes and hate speech. The Commission is invited to counter online disinformation and illegal content by supervising and enforcing the rules of the recently adopted Digital Services Act, and by regularly assessing the implementation of the 2022 Strengthened Code of Practice on Disinformation and the Code of Conduct on countering illegal hate speech online.

Meetings Thursday 19 October 2023

● Council of the EU   19/10/2023 20:30 | MEETING | Main results - Justice and Home Affairs Council, 19-20 October 2023   EU ministers of home affairs met in Luxembourg to discuss the implications for the EU's internal security of the Middle East conflict. They also took stock of the state of play of the Pact on migration and asylum and exchanged views on the external dimension of asylum. The Spanish presidency briefed ministers about the progress to reach a Council negotiations mandate on a regulation to combat child sexual abuse online.