COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

Press material Wednesday 13 December 2023

● European Council   13/12/2023 22:03 | Statements and remarks | Remarks by President Charles Michel at the press conference of the EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels   Nous venons de clôturer le sommet entre les Balkans occidentaux et l'Union européenne. C'est le quatrième sommet sous cette forme en quatre ans, et cela montre la volonté de donner davantage de force et de puissance à la relation entre l'Union européenne et les Balkans occidentaux. Quelques messages au travers d'une déclaration politique qui a été validée et qui vous est communiquée. Premier élément: c'était l'occasion de réaffirmer avec beaucoup de force politique que le destin des Balkans occidentaux se situe à l'intérieur de l'Union européenne. C'est la réaffirmation de la perspective de membre de l'Union européenne pour les six pays des Balkans occidentaux. Nous souhaitons également renforcer la coopération dans tous les domaines, et c'est le sens de ce concept d'intégration graduelle que l'on a pu évoquer de manière très pratique avec nos collègues, nos partenaires des Balkans occidentaux, afin de rapprocher, sans attendre les décisions finales sur l'élargissement, l'ensemble de cette région pour la connecter davantage sur l'Union européenne. En cela, l'instrument du plan de croissance qui est présenté par la Commission européenne est un instrument extrêmement utile. Beaucoup de leaders ont mis en exergue l'importance de cet instrument pour être opérationnels dans cette ambition de travailler plus étroitement ensemble. De la même façon, travailler sur le marché commun régional est aussi un élément qui doit favoriser la coopération, la coordination entre ces pays pour faciliter leur rapprochement à l'Union européenne. Intégration graduelle, premier élément. Deuxième point: dimension économique. Davantage d'investissements. Soutenir la croissance économique. C'est aussi un point extrêmement central et beaucoup ont mis en évidence l'importance des coopérations dans le domaine de l'énergie. Et vous savez que, lorsque l'on a été confrontés à ce chantage opéré par la Russie contre l'Union européenne dans le domaine énergétique, très rapidement, nous avons souhaité réagir en Européens, mais en faisant des propositions de travail en commun avec l'ensemble de la région des Balkans occidentaux. A third priority for us is foreign policy and security. We want to work with those leaders to make sure that we have more alignment. We face extraordinarily difficult geopolitical challenges with the war launched by Russia against Ukraine. And that is why it is so important to speak with one voice, to act in the same direction and to do everything to protect our common values, to protect our interests. This is another field where we want to strengthen our cooperation. We also want to cooperate more in the field of the fight against disinformation, cyber and hybrid attacks. We want to cooperate more and better in the field of migration. For example: visa policy is an important tool and we think that more cooperation in this field is also important. Finally, one last word. The European Union's project is based on reconciliation. It is based on a common will for the future: to build more prosperity, more security, more peace, more stability. And that is why resolving disputes, resolving conflicts is so important. And that is why we have also encouraged all the leaders present to redouble efforts to resolve disputes and to resolve conflicts.

 

Press material Wednesday 13 December 2023

● European Council   13/12/2023 21:26 | Statements and remarks | Brussels declaration, 13 December 2023   The EU-Western Balkans summit took place in Brussels, Belgium, on 13 December 2023. The Brussels declaration was agreed. Full text of the Brussels declaration of the EU-Western Balkans summit Other linguistic versions available: Deklaracija iz Brisela, 13. decembra 2023. godine Deklaracija Brisel, 13. decembar 2023. godine Декларација од Брисел, 13 декември 2023 година Deklarata e Brukselit, 13 dhjetor 2023 Декларација из Брисела, 13. децембар 2023. године

Υλικό για τον Τύπο Τετάρτη 13 Δεκεμβρίου 2023

● Ευρωπαϊκό Συμβούλιο   13/12/2023 21:26 | Δηλώσεις και παρατηρήσεις | Διακήρυξη των Βρυξελλών, 13 Δεκεμβρίου 2023   Στις 13 Δεκεμβρίου 2023 πραγματοποιήθηκε στις Βρυξέλλες η διάσκεψη κορυφής ΕΕ-Δυτικών Βαλκανίων, κατά την οποία συμφωνήθηκε η διακήρυξη των Βρυξελλών. Πλήρες κείμενο της διακήρυξης των Βρυξελλών της διάσκεψης κορυφής ΕΕ-Δυτικών Βαλκανίων Το κείμενο είναι επίσης διαθέσιμο στις παρακάτω γλώσσες: Deklaracija iz Brisela, 13. decembra 2023. godine Deklaracija Brisel, 13. decembar 2023. godine Декларација од Брисел, 13 декември 2023 година Deklarata e Brukselit, 13 dhjetor 2023 Декларација из Брисела, 13. децембар 2023. године

Press material Thursday 14 December 2023

● Council of the EU   14/12/2023 07:29 | Press release | Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence: Council and Parliament strike deal to protect environment and human rights   The Council and the European Parliament today reached a provisional deal on the corporate sustainability due diligence directive (CSDDD), which aims to enhance the protection of the environment and human rights in the EU and globally. The due diligence directive will set obligations for large companies regarding actual and potential adverse impacts on human rights and the environment, with respect to their own operations, those of their subsidiaries, and those carried out by their business partners. Obligations for companies The due diligence directive lays down rules on obligations for large companies regarding actual and potential adverse impacts on the environment and human rights for their business chain of activities which covers the upstream business partners of the company and partially the downstream activities, such as distribution or recycling. The directive also lays down rules on penalties and civil liability for infringing those obligations; it requires companies to adopt a plan ensuring that their business model and strategy are compatible with the Paris agreement on climate change. Main elements of the agreement The provisional agreement reached today between the two co-legislators frames the scope of the directive, clarifies the liabilities for non-compliant companies, better defines the different penalties, and completes the list of rights and prohibitions that companies should respect. Scope of the directive The agreement fixes the scope of the directive on large companies that have more than 500 employees and a net worldwide turnover of €150 million. For non-EU companies it will apply if they have a €300 million net turnover generated in the EU, 3 years from the entry into force of the directive. The Commission will have to publish a list of non-EU companies that fall under the scope of the Directive. Financial Sector According to the deal reached today, the financial sector will be temporarily excluded from the scope of the directive, but there will be a review clause for a possible future inclusion of this sector based on a sufficient impact assessment. Climate change and civil liability The compromise struck today strengthens the provisions related to the obligation for large companies to adopt and put into effect a transition plan for climate change mitigation. On civil liability, the agreement reinforces the access to justice of persons affected. It establishes a period of five years to bring claims by those concerned by adverse impacts (including trade unions or civil society organisations). It also limits the disclosure of evidence, injunctive measures, and cost of the proceedings for claimants. As a last resort, companies that identify adverse impacts on environment or human rights by some of their business partners will have to end those business relationships when these impacts cannot be prevented or ended. Penalties For companies that fail to pay fines imposed on them in the event of violation of the directive, the provisional agreement includes several injunction measures, and takes into consideration the turnover of the company to impose pecuniary penalties (i.e. a minimum maximum of 5% of the company’s net turnover). The deal includes the obligation for companies to carry out meaningful engagement including a dialogue and consultation with affected stakeholders, as one of the measures of the due diligence process. Public procurement The deal establishes that compliance with the CSDDD could be qualified as a criterion for the award of public contracts and concessions. Definitions The provisional agreement clarifies the obligations for companies described in Annex I, a list of specific rights and prohibitions which constitutes an adverse human rights impact when they are abused or violated. The list makes references to international instruments that have been ratified by all Member States and that set sufficiently clear standards that can be observed by companies. The compromise adds new elements to the obligations and instruments listed in the Annex as regards human rights, particularly for vulnerable groups and core International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions, which can be added to the list, by delegated acts, once they have been ratified by all Member States. The provisional agreement also introduces in the annex references to other UN conventions the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights or the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, or the Convention on the rights of the child, Likewise, the compromise clarifies the nature of environmental impacts covered by this directive as any measurable environmental degradation, such as harmful soil change, water or air pollution, harmful emissions or excessive water consumption or other impacts on natural resources. Next steps The provisional agreement reached with the European Parliament now needs to be endorsed and formally adopted by both institutions. Background On 23 February 2022, the Commission submitted to the European Parliament and to the Council a proposal for a directive on corporate sustainability due diligence. The Council adopted its general approach on 1st December 2022. Corporate sustainability (background information)

Press material Thursday 14 December 2023

● Council of the EU   14/12/2023 04:53 | Press release | Reform of electricity market design: Council and Parliament reach deal   Today the Council and the Parliament reached a provisional agreement to reform the EU’s electricity market design (EMD). The reform aims to make electricity prices less dependent on volatile fossil fuel prices, shield consumers from price spikes, accelerate the deployment of renewable energies and improve consumer protection. "This deal is great news, as it will help us reduce even more the EU’s dependence on Russian gas and boost fossil-free energy to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Thanks to this agreement, we will be able to stabilise long-term markets, speed up the deployment of renewable and fossil-free energy sources, offer more affordable electricity to the EU’s citizens and enhance industrial competitiveness." Teresa Ribera, Spanish Third Vice-President of the Government and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge The proposal is part of a wider reform of the EU’s electricity market design, which also includes a regulation focused on improving the EU’s protection against market manipulation through better monitoring and transparency (REMIT). A provisional agreement on REMIT was reached on 16 November 2023. Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) The Council and the Parliament agreed to give member states the possibility to exclusively support the purchase of new renewable generation, where conditions allow and in line with member states’ decarbonisation plans. On voluntary standardised contracts, both institutions agreed to maintain their voluntary nature for member states. The provisional agreement also provides an assessment from the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) on the market for PPAs based on the information from the database provided for in the REMIT regulation. Access to affordable energy during an electricity price crisis Both co-legislators agreed to give the Council the power to declare a crisis, on the basis of a Commission proposal. In addition, the provisional agreement provides the criteria for declaring a crisis, related to the average wholesale electricity price or a sharp increase in electricity retail prices. On the measures to be adopted by member states once a crisis is declared, both institutions agreed to take into account the existing possibility to further reduce electricity prices for vulnerable and disadvantaged customers, based on current electricity directive. Furthermore, provisions aimed at avoiding undue distortions or fragmentation in the internal market are incorporated. Protection from disconnections for vulnerable customers The Council and the Parliament agreed to reinforce the measures to be put in place by member states to protect vulnerable and energy poor customers, including the addition of the definition of energy poverty accompanied by a reference to the new energy efficiency directive taking appropriate measures. Capacity remuneration mechanisms Both co-legislators agreed to make capacity mechanisms a more structural element of the electricity market. In addition, they agreed to introduce a potential and exceptional derogation from the application of the CO2 emission limit for already authorised capacity mechanisms, where duly justified. Contracts for Difference (CfDs) Both co-legislators agreed to make two-way contracts for difference or equivalent schemes with the same effects as the model used when public funding in the form of direct price support schemes are involved in long term contracts. Two-way contracts for difference would apply to investments in new power-generating facilities based on wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, hydropower without reservoir and nuclear energy. The rules for two-way CfDs will only apply after a transition period of three years after the entry into force of the regulation, in order to maintain legal certainty for ongoing projects. The provisional agreement provides flexibility as to how revenues generated by the state through two-way CfDs would be redistributed. Revenues would be redistributed to final customers, and they may also be used to finance the costs of the direct price support schemes or investments to reduce electricity costs for final customers. Next steps The provisional agreement reached today with the European Parliament now needs to be endorsed and formally adopted by both institutions. Background The reform of the electricity market design proposes to amend the relevant electricity market legislation and to improve the Union’s protection against market manipulation through better monitoring and transparency (REMIT). The Commission presented the proposals on the reform of the EU’s electricity market design on 14 March 2023. Council reaches agreement on parts of electricity market reform (press release, 19 June 2023) Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 of 6 October 2022 on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices Energy prices and security of supply (background information) EU response to Ukraine invasion (background information) Electricity market reform (background information)

Press material Wednesday 13 December 2023

● Council of the EU   13/12/2023 18:03 | Press release | Circular construction products: Council and Parliament strike provisional deal   The Council and the European Parliament today reached a provisional agreement on the construction products regulation (CPR), that will speed up the green and digital transitions in the building sector. The regulation lays down harmonised EU rules for construction products and will remove obstacles to their free movement in the market, reduces administrative burden (through digital solutions) and ensures these products are in line with circular economy principles and new construction technologies. The provisional agreement takes into account the development of technologies, provides for the creation of a construction products digital passport and sets out the empowerment for future procedures for green public procurement of construction products. "The political agreement reached today will equip constructors to be key actors of the green and digital transitions. Construction products of the future will require the extraction of fewer resources and generate less pollution and less waste, so buildings will not only shelter us from extreme climate conditions but also help fight climate change." Jordi Hereu i Boher, Spanish Minister for Industry and Tourism Main elements of the agreement The provisional agreement reached today between the two co-legislators adjusts the scope of the regulation, and clarifies the following points: Fixing the problems standardisation system On the standardisation procedure, the co-legislators agreed to maintain the implementing acts. The new the standards will be legally obligatory. In order to address the long-lasting delays in the standardisation process and to increase Commission possibilities to act in case there is a problem, Council and Parliament agreed a fallback solution, where, under specific conditions, the Commission can adopt harmonised technical specifications on its own, via implementing acts. Digital passport for construction products The provisional agreement provides for the creation of a construction products digital passport system, similar to those proposed in the ecodesign regulation. The Commission will be empowered to define the functionalities and requirements of this product passport system by means of delegated acts. Green public procurement According to the compromise text, the Commission will be empowered to establish mandatory minimum environmental sustainability requirements through delegated acts for public procurement of construction products, to incentivise supply of and demand for environmentally sustainable products. These rules can apply to every contract that contains construction products, including contracts for construction works, where Member States want to introduce environmental requirements for these products. The provisional agreement also gives the Member States the possibility to deviate from the environmental requirements in cases where applying them would result in low market offer for the required construction product, where there would be no suitable tenders and in cases where they result in disproportionate costs causing the Member State to spend more than 10% in comparison to the scenario where no requirements would apply. Repeal of the existing regulation The provisional agreement proposes a period of transition from the old legal framework to the new one that will last 15 years from the date of entry into force of the new regulation (until 2039). This will ensure there is sufficient time to have an orderly transition and proper migration of harmonised technical specifications from the old legal framework to the new one, and to minimise the risk of de-harmonisation of any product group or family. Entry into force The Articles of the regulation related to the development of standards will be applicable at the date of entry into force. For all the other Articles, with the exception of Article 90 on penalties, they will apply 12 months from the date of entry into force. Application of Article 90 will be at 24 months from the date of entry into force. Next steps The provisional agreement reached with the European Parliament now needs to be endorsed and formally adopted by both institutions. Background The construction ecosystem represents almost 5.5% of the EU's GDP and employs around 25 million people in over 5 million firms. The construction products industry comprises 430 000 companies in the EU, with a total turnover of €800 billion. These are mainly small and medium-sized enterprises. They are a key economic and social asset for local communities in European regions and cities. Buildings are responsible for around 50% of resource extraction and consumption and more than 30% of the EU's total waste each year. In addition, buildings are responsible for 40% of the EU's energy consumption and 36% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. The new regulation on Construction products updates the existing legislation in this field, which dates from 2011. The revision of the construction products regulation is part of the package of measures that the Commission presented on 30 March 2022, together with the ecodesign regulation and the EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles. These measures are part of the European Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan. Council's negotiating mandate Commission proposal Circular economy (background information)

Press material Wednesday 13 December 2023

● European Council   13/12/2023 18:27 | Press release | EU and Western Balkans offer scholarships for the Tirana campus of the College of Europe   Most of EU member states, some of the Western Balkan partners, the Regional Cooperation Council and the European Commission have pledged scholarships for the students of the new Tirana campus of College of Europe today. The pledges were marked at an event which took place in the margins of the EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels. The initiative to create the Tirana Campus of the College of Europe was launched during the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Tirana in December 2022. "The future of the Western Balkans lies in the European Union. The establishment of the College of Europe’s presence in Tirana demonstrates this objective and underscores the firm belief in education’s transformative, integrative and reconciliatory potential." Charles Michel, President of the European Council The premises were inaugurated on 16 October 2023 in Tirana, and applications for the pilot academic year 2024/25 were launched. This is the first expansion of the College since the Natolin Campus was established in Poland in 1992. "Today you invest in the generation that will make the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU a reality. We commit to providing them the excellence of knowledge, skills and network that will empower them to achieve it. I am sure your pledges today are testimony to your political commitment of tomorrow. To make it happen." Federica Mogherini, Rector of the College of Europe The first generation will have around 30 students, from the Western Balkans and the EU but also beyond, with the number expected to grow in the coming years.

Press material Wednesday 13 December 2023

● Council of the EU   13/12/2023 14:23 | Press release | Council and Parliament reach agreement on continuing the EU's participation in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA)   The Council and the Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on the continuation of the EU's participation in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) under Horizon Europe for the period 2025-2027. Even though PRIMA activities are foreseen until 31 December 2028, its last calls for proposals will be launched in 2024 under the Horizon 2020 framework, which means that PRIMA's active period was due to end in 2024. The participating states have expressed their interest in the continuation of PRIMA as an effective instrument to tackle multiple societal crises. Today's agreement consists in an extension of the EU's participation in the partnership, without any changes to the scope. The duration of the EU's participation will be extended in line with the current framework programme for research and innovation – Horizon Europe – with a proportionally increased budget and adaptation to Horizon Europe rules. "PRIMA has become a crucial science diplomacy instrument for the EU towards North Africa and the Middle East. It is the research and innovation response to the numerous challenges in the Mediterranean area, such as making water provision and food systems more climate resilient, efficient, cost effective and environmentally and socially sustainable." Diana Morant Ripoll, Spanish Minister for Science, Innovation and Universities PRIMA's main aim is to pool the knowledge and financial resources of the EU and the participating states in order to build research activities and capacities and develop innovative solutions for sustainable and resilient water provision and food systems in the Mediterranean area. Next steps The provisional agreement reached with the European Parliament now needs to be endorsed and formally adopted by both institutions. Background The initial decision on the EU's participation in the PRIMA partnership was proposed in October 2016 and adopted on 4 July 2017. PRIMA is an initiative based on Article 185 TFEU, which means that it establishes a public-public partnership and therefore follows the ordinary legislative procedure. It was the first such partnership in the Mediterranean area, and – in contrast to other Article 185 initiatives under Horizon 2020 – had no legal predecessor. PRIMA has 20 participating states: 12 EU member states (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain), 3 countries associated to Horizon 2020 (Israel, Tunisia and Türkiye) and 5 other third countries (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco). For the latter five to participate in PRIMA, the EU signed bilateral international agreements with them. PRIMA's total budget for 2017-2028 is €494 million, with €220 million coming from Horizon 2020, and €274 million from participating states. Decision amending Decision (EU) 2017/1324 as regards the continuation of the EU's participation in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) under Horizon Europe