COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Press material Wednesday 25 October 2023

● European Council   25/10/2023 09:27 | Press release | Invitation letter by President Charles Michel to the members of the European Council   Dear colleagues, I would like to invite you to our October European Council meeting in Brussels, that will start at 3pm on Thursday 26 October, as well as our Euro Summit meeting on the following day. Our meeting comes at a time of great global instability and insecurity, exacerbated most recently by developments in the Middle East. These developments require our immediate attention, without distracting us from our continued support to Ukraine. Our responsibility is to remain united and coherent and to act in line with our values as enshrined in the Treaties. The situation in the Middle East is a tragedy. We expressed our common position in our statement of 15 October. At our meeting I expect us to condemn once again in the strongest possible terms Hamas’ brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks against Israel and recognise Israel’s right to defend itself, in line with international law and international humanitarian law. We will also reiterate our call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. The deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to be of grave concern. We need to discuss, firstly, how to urgently ensure the effective delivery of humanitarian aid, and access to the most basic needs. Secondly, we must engage, in a united and coherent front, with partners to avoid a dangerous regional escalation of the conflict. Furthermore, relaunching the peace process based on the two-state solution is the only way forward. Lastly, we should address the effects of this conflict in the European Union – this includes looking at its implications for the cohesion of our societies, our security, and migratory movements. In relation to Ukraine, we will continue our unwavering support for as long as it takes. Among the various facets of our assistance, I would like us to address in particular ways to accelerate the delivery of military support, progress in our plans on the use of Russia’s immobilised assets, and intensify our diplomatic outreach to ensure the widest international support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. Our meeting will also be an opportunity to give guidance on the revision of the MFF, with a view to swiftly reaching an agreement. Following the principle that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, we need to take a critical look at our most pressing needs, identify our priorities and decide how to finance them. We will also pursue our discussion on our economy and competitiveness. I would like us to discuss what measures to take to ensure our long-term prosperity. The EU’s competitiveness has always thrived on its open market economy with the single market at its core. We now need to collectively position ourselves in a world in which other international actors and partners heavily subsidise their industry and companies. We will follow up on the important topic of migration, assessing steps taken since our last discussion in Granada. We will also cover other foreign policy issues of concern – including the situation in the Sahel, Pristina-Belgrade relations, and the South Caucasus. At the Euro Summit, we will be joined by the Presidents of the European Central Bank and of the Eurogroup to discuss the economic and financial situation, and the continued close coordination and governance of our macroeconomic policies. We will also review progress achieved on our Capital Markets Union and Banking Union, as well as work launched on a digital euro. I look forward to seeing you for what I hope will be a most fruitful meeting. Invitation letter by President Charles Michel

Press material Wednesday 25 October 2023

● Eurogroup   25/10/2023 08:42 | Press release | Eurogroup President Paschal Donohoe's report to the Euro Summit President ahead of the Euro Summit meeting of 27 October 2023   The President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, has sent a letter to the President of the Euro Summit, Charles Michel, reporting on ongoing and future work of the Eurogroup. The letter will inform the discussion that leaders will hold at the Euro Summit of 27 October 2023. The letter highlights the remarkable resilience of the euro area economy in an economic context which is increasingly more challenging. The overall resilience is supported by the strong labour market conditions and many good reforms implemented. It refers to the need for determined, gradual and realistic fiscal consolidation to strengthen fiscal sustainability and rebuild fiscal buffers, while continuing to implement structural reforms and safeguarding and increasing investment to deliver higher sustainable growth. In addition, it underlines the need for a swift agreement on the fiscal rules as essential for the credibility and the smooth functioning of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). It reports in detail on the work the Eurogroup has been undertaking in the last months on what measures are necessary to take forward the Capital Markets Union and ensure that European capital markets can renew and enhance private sector investment, unlock funding for common challenges, and allow the EU to demonstrate leadership on green and digital transitions. It refers to the political anchor the Eurogroup has provided to the digital euro project and the two important milestones this year – the Commission proposal setting out the legal framework and essential elements of the digital euro in June and the decision by the ECB Governing Council in October to move to the preparatory phase, which will involve further analysis on design and functionalities. It also highlights the resilience of the banking sector despite turmoil in the global banking system this year and the need for the work to complete the Banking Union to continue, including concluding the negotiations on the Commission’s legislative package on the crisis management and deposit insurance framework within this institutional cycle as well as finalising the reform of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM). Letter of the President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, to the President of the Euro Summit, Charles Michel, of 20 October 2023

Press material Tuesday 24 October 2023

● Council of the EU   24/10/2023 18:23 | Press release | Strengthening geographical indications: Council and Parliament strike deal   Today Council and Parliament negotiators reached a provisional deal aimed at strengthening geographical indications (GIs) and other quality schemes for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products and improving their uptake across the EU. The deal will bring tangible benefits to the rural economy and it will safeguard the EU’s gastronomic heritage across the world. "Geographical indications showcase the very best of our rich European gastronomic tradition. The deal we reached today will help increase the uptake of GIs throughout Europe, it will strengthen their protection, especially online, and it will contribute to upholding the excellent reputation that European products have on global markets." Luis Planas Puchades, Acting Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Spain

Meetings Tuesday 24 October 2023

● Council of the EU   24/10/2023 17:24 | MEETING | Main results - General Affairs Council, 24 October 2023   Ministers focused on preparations for the upcoming European Council, annual rule of law dialogue, the Commission’s demography toolbox and the request by Spain regarding Catalan, Basque and Galician. The Council also approved a revised EU maritime security strategy and action plan.

The León Declaration on European neurotechnology: a human focused and rights' oriented approach 24/10/2023 | Press release The León Declaration on European neurotechnology: a human focused and rights' oriented approach Telecommunications and digital ministers promote the first European declaration to protect digital rights in the development of neurotechnology. 24/10/2023 | Article Telecommunications and digital ministers agree on the first European declaration to protect digital rights in the development of neurotechnology At the informal ministerial meeting in León, the EU's telecommunications and digital ministers agreed on a joint declaration for the development of a humanist neurotechnology that protects digital rights and contributes to progress towards open strategic autonomy. Press material Tuesday 24 October 2023   ● Council of the EU   24/10/2023 14:57 | Press release | European Green Bonds: Council adopts new regulation to promote sustainable finance   The Council adopted a regulation creating a European green bond standard. The regulation lays down uniform requirements for issuers of bonds that wish to use the designation ‘European green bond’ or ‘EuGB’ for their environmentally sustainable bonds. Press material Tuesday 24 October 2023   ● Council of the EU   24/10/2023 11:34 | Press release | Maritime security: Council approves revised EU strategy and action plan   The Council today approved a revised EU maritime security strategy and action plan, aimed at addressing security challenges at sea. The strategy and its accompanying action plan were first adopted by the Council in 2014, with the action plan being updated in 2018. Together, the two documents have provided a comprehensive framework for tackling various threats and challenges at sea, such as illicit activities, competition for natural resources and threats to freedom of navigation. The strategy has helped promote rules-based governance at sea and has given a boost to international cooperation. The aim of the revision is to ensure that the EU has a wide range of effective tools at its disposal to address new and evolving security threats and challenges, including growing strategic competition for power and resources in the sea basins around the EU and beyond, environmental degradation, and hybrid and cyber-attacks targeting maritime infrastructure. The revised strategy provides a framework for the EU to take further action to protect its interests at sea, and to protect its citizens, values and economy, also in the light of Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine. With the update, the strategy and its action plan have also been aligned with recent EU policy frameworks and instruments, such as the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence. Six strategic objectives The revised EU maritime security strategy and its action plan have been drawn up on the basis of a joint communication by the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, published in March 2023, and include contributions from the member states. The communication followed a request by the Council in 2021 to assess the need for such an update. The revised strategy is structured around six strategic objectives, which have been translated into around 150 concrete actions in the accompanying action plan: - Step up activities at sea To step up activities at sea, the EU plans to organise maritime security exercises, including annual naval exercises by member states’ navies and coast guards, and to reinforce existing EU naval operations (Atalanta and Irini). The aim is also to develop further coastguard operations in European sea basins and to coordinate the presence of member states' naval and air assets in new maritime areas of interest, based on what is known as the "Coordinated Maritime Presences" concept. Other key actions include stepping up the fight against illegal and illicit activities at sea, such as piracy and armed robbery, organised crime, including smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings, and irregular, unreported and unregulated fishing. Maritime port security inspections in the EU will also be reinforced. - Cooperate with partners Under the revised strategy, the EU also plans to step up partnerships with likeminded countries and with regional and international organisations, to promote dialogue and best practices and uphold the rules-based order at sea, notably the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The EU will also intensify its cooperation with NATO on maritime security, building on the results achieved to date and in line with the third Joint Declaration on EU-NATO cooperation of January 2023. - Lead on maritime domain awareness Regarding maritime domain awareness, the emphasis will be on enhanced information collection and exchange among the different civilian and military authorities responsible for monitoring and surveillance activities. The EU will continue to use and develop the common information-sharing environment (CISE) and strengthen the MARSUR maritime surveillance information exchange network to enhance the secure exchange of information and coordination among national and EU authorities on maritime surveillance. Some other key actions include integrating space-based solutions and reinforcing coastal and offshore patrol vessel surveillance to boost maritime situational awareness. - Manage risks and threats The revised strategy also places a strong focus on improving the collective resilience and preparedness of the EU and its member states to manage different maritime security risks and threats. A key line of action under this objective is to increase the resilience and protection of critical maritime infrastructure, such as gas pipelines, undersea cables, ports, offshore energy facilities and LNG terminals in all sea basins around the EU and to step up cooperation on developing a regional surveillance plan for underwater and offshore infrastructure. Further key actions include conducting regular live maritime exercises at EU level focused on areas such as harbour protection and cyber and hybrid threats and improving early warning and strategic foresight on the effects of climate change, such as sea-level rise and storm surges. - Enhance capabilities Another strategic objective concerns the development of civilian and military capabilities in the field of maritime security, involving industry as appropriate. Proposed lines of action include developing common requirements for surface and underwater defence technologies, building interoperable unmanned systems to monitor critical maritime infrastructure, and stepping up work on several Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) projects related to maritime security. - Educate and train The strategy also aims to ensure a high level of specialised education, skills and training, which is indispensable for the EU to tackle present and future maritime security challenges. Some of the key actions in this area focus on the skills needed to tackle hybrid and cyber threats, and on conducting dedicated training programmes open to non-EU partners. Next steps Following their approval today, the revised strategy and its action plan will be implemented by the EU and its member states, in line with their respective competences, building on the achievements of the 2014 EU maritime security strategy, using existing instruments and policies and following the overall guidance of the Strategic Compass. Implementation of the strategy will be evaluated in three years, in a joint progress report to be drawn up by the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Council conclusions on the Revised EU Maritime Security Strategy (EUMSS) and its Action Plan, 24 October 2023 Maritime security (background information) Joint communication by the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the update of the EU Maritime Security Strategy and its Action Plan, 10 March 2023 Strategic Compass for Security and Defence, 21 March 2022 Council conclusions on maritime security, 22 June 2021 European Union Maritime Security Strategy, 24 June 2014 Meetings Tuesday 24 October 2023   ● Council of the EU   24/10/2023 11:05 | MEETING | Main results - Agriculture and Fisheries Council, 23-24 October 2023   Agriculture and fisheries ministers met in Luxembourg and discussed Baltic Sea fisheries for 2024, reaching a political agreement during the second day of the Council meeting. They also discussed the upcoming ICCAT annual meeting, and the market situation. Before their discussion on the market situation, ministers welcomed the Ukrainian Minister for Agrarian Policy and Food, who addressed the Council. Among other topics, ministers also discussed the food-related aspects of the waste framework directive. Press material Tuesday 24 October 2023   ● European Council   24/10/2023 11:15 | Media advisory | (UPDATED) Media advisory - Tripartite Social Summit of 25 October 2023   Indicative programme All times are approximate and subject to change +/- 14.00 Arrivals and doorsteps (live streaming) +/- 15.00 Beginning of the Tripartite Social Summit +/- 17.00 Family photo At the end of the meeting (+/- 17.15) - Press conference in live streaming. Arrangements for the press conference The press conference will be in physical format only: EU accredited journalists will be able to participate and ask questions in person in Europa building press room. Videos and photos from the event Press material Tuesday 24 October 2023   ● Council of the EU   24/10/2023 10:48 | Press release | Baltic Sea: Council agrees catch limits for 2024   Fisheries ministers reach a political agreement on Baltic Sea catch limits for the year 2024 for the most commercially significant fish stocks. At today’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council, ministers reached a political agreement on next year’s total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for the most commercially significant fish stocks in the Baltic Sea. The agreement is in line with the scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and with the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), as well as with the provisions of the multiannual plan for Baltic Sea stocks. The agreement includes the following: due to low biomass levels, the Council decided to continue to set TACs for by-catches only for Western herring (subdivisions 22-24), for Eastern cod (subdivisions 25-32) and for Western cod (subdivisions 22-24) in the case of herring in the Gulf of Bothnia (subdivisions 30-31) and Central herring (subdivisions 25-27, 28.2, 29, 32), to take into account the low biomass levels and allow for the recovery of the stocks, the Council reduced TACs, respectively, by 31% and 43% the TAC for salmon in the Gulf of Finland (subdivision 32) was increased by 7% in the case of plaice, the fishing opportunities from 2023 were rolled over; while the state of plaice stocks has considerably improved, cod is an unavoidable by-catch in plaice fisheries, so plaice TACs take this into account the TACs for Riga herring, main basin salmon and sprat were reduced, respectively, by 17%, 15% and 10%, given the unhealthy situation of the stocks "The agreement reached today shows that we are committed to taking action to tackle environmental concerns and to help rebuild and preserve the Baltic fish stocks, but it also shows our commitment to the Baltic fishing community. The future livelihoods of fishermen and women in the region depend on the long-term sustainability of fishing stocks, so we ensured a fine balance was struck between these two sensitive issues." Luis Planas Puchades, the Acting Spanish Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food The agreement in detail The Council’s agreement on TACs and quotas in the Baltic Sea for 2024 is based on the latest scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and is in line with the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). It takes into account the socio-economic impact on the fisheries sector, while striving to ensure that the sector remains sustainable in the long term. The work conducted by BALTFISH, the regional fisheries forum for the Baltic Sea, currently chaired by Poland, contributed to the Council’s efforts to reach today’s political agreement. In addition to the abovementioned TACs, the Council also agreed on specific measures, including: limiting the recreational fishing of salmon to no more than one specimen of adipose fin-clipped salmon retained per fisher per day. After catching the first specimen, recreational fishers will have to stop fishing salmon for the remainder of the day prohibiting the recreational fishing of cod in subdivisions 22-26 As part of the political agreement on the Baltic stocks and in accordance with the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the Council also decided on fishing opportunities for Norway pout in the North Sea between the Union and the United Kingdom, since this is a shared stock. Following consultations with the United Kingdom, delegations agreed to establish a Union TAC of 8 234 tonnes, which will apply from 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2024. Next steps Today’s decision will be formally at a forthcoming Council meeting, without discussion, following its legal and linguistic revision. Most provisions will apply from 1 January to 31 December 2024. Background Under article 43(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the Council is responsible for fixing and allocating fishing opportunities, on the basis of a Commission proposal and without the need to consult the European Parliament or the European Economic and Social Committee. Council agreement on fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2024 Commission proposal for a Council regulation fixing the fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2024 (consolidated version) Commission proposal for a Council regulation fixing the fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2024 (annex) Proposal for a Council Regulation fixing the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in the Baltic Sea for 2024 (Commission non-paper, Norway pout) Management of the EU’s fish stocks (background information) Meetings Monday 23 October 2023   ● Council of the EU   23/10/2023 21:14 | MEETING | Main results - Agriculture and Fisheries Council, 23-24 October 2023   Agriculture and fisheries ministers met in Luxembourg and discussed Baltic Sea fisheries for 2024, with a decision expected for the second day of the Council meeting, the upcoming ICCAT annual meeting, and the market situation. Before their discussion on the market situation, ministers welcomed the Ukrainian Minister for Agrarian Policy and Food, who addressed the Council. Meetings Monday 23 October 2023   ● Council of the EU   23/10/2023 20:16 | MEETING | Main results - 20th meeting of the EU - Kazakhstan Cooperation Council, 23 October 2023   The Cooperation Council discussed the state of play and next steps of the EU-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. It then exchanged views on political, economic and trade matters (including internal reforms, rule of law and human rights, efforts to address sanction circumvention, cooperation facility, critical raw materials and sustainable connectivity) and cooperation. The delegations also touched on regional and international developments and cooperation, Global Gateway Team Europe Initiatives and security.