COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Heydays for European Internal Market & Industry ministers on Belgian soil 09/02/2024 | Press release Heydays for European Internal Market & Industry ministers on Belgian soil On 8 and 9 February 2024, Flemish minister for industry Jo Brouns and Federal minister of economy Pierre-Yves Dermagne welcomed their European counterparts in Genk for the informal Competitiveness Council under the Belgian presidency of the EU. During this two-day event, the European ministers reflected together on the future of the internal market and European industry.

Documents destinés à la presse vendredi 9 février 2024

● Conseil de l'UE   09/02/2024 18:15 | Communiqué de presse | Sénégal : Déclaration du haut représentant au nom de l’Union européenne   L’Union européenne et le Sénégal sont liés par des relations humaines, politiques et économiques étroites depuis des décennies. La longue et solide tradition démocratique du Sénégal et des valeurs partagées, telles que l’aspiration au dialogue et au consensus politique, ont toujours été des éléments importants d’une coopération basée sur la confiance. Ainsi, l’Union européenne exprime ses préoccupations suite à la décision des autorités sénégalaises de reporter le scrutin présidentiel prévu le 25 février, qui prolongerait de facto le mandat du Président. Cette décision risque d’entacher la longue tradition démocratique au Sénégal et pourrait ainsi ouvrir une période de grande incertitude pour le pays. Cette décision a déjà eu des impacts sur la stabilité et la cohésion sociale du pays. Nous appelons les autorités du Sénégal à respecter les aspirations légitimes des citoyens et de toutes les forces vives de la nation à préserver la démocratie. Les libertés fondamentales, et notamment celles de manifester pacifiquement et de s’exprimer publiquement, sont des principes fondamentaux de l’État de droit que les autorités sénégalaises se doivent de garantir. L’UE lance un appel aux autorités à prendre les mesures nécessaires afin d’organiser l’élection présidentielle le plus rapidement possible, en conformité avec la Constitution du Sénégal et le Protocole additionnel de la CEDEAO sur la démocratie et la bonne gouvernance. Il est crucial pour la crédibilité et l’inclusivité de l’élection que toutes les parties puissent effectivement prendre part aux décisions touchant aux caractéristiques essentielles du processus électoral, dans un esprit de dialogue constructif et de transparence. Les citoyens sénégalais doivent pouvoir choisir leurs dirigeants politiques par la voie électorale dans le respect de l’État de droit, et dans les délais impartis. Il est primordial de maintenir l’image du Sénégal comme pilier de démocratie et de stabilité dans la région et sur le continent africain. L’UE appelle aussi l’ensemble des acteurs à régler leurs différends à travers un dialogue responsable et les voies de recours pacifiques prévues.

Press material Saturday 10 February 2024

● Council of the EU   10/02/2024 02:53 | Press release | Economic governance review: Council and Parliament strike deal on reform of fiscal rules   The Council and European Parliament negotiators today reached a provisional political agreement on the proposed reform of the EU’s economic governance framework. The main objective of the reform is to ensure sound and sustainable public finances, while promoting sustainable and inclusive growth in all member states through reforms and investment. "The new rules will significantly improve the existing framework and ensure effective and applicable rules for all EU countries. They will safeguard balanced and sustainable public finances, strengthen the focus on structural reforms, and foster investments, growth and job creation throughout the EU. I’m glad that we have found a balanced agreement that will now allow for a swift implementation." Vincent Van Peteghem, Belgian Minister of Finance Main elements of the provisional agreement The Council and Parliament agreed to maintain the reform’s overall objective of reducing debt ratios and deficits in a gradual, realistic, sustained and growth-friendly manner while protecting reforms and investment in strategic areas such as digital, green, social or defence. At the same time, the new framework will provide appropriate room for counter-cyclical policies and address macroeconomic imbalances. The agreement also maintains the obligation for member states to submit national medium-term fiscal structural plans. The Commission will submit a ‘reference trajectory’ (previously called ‘technical trajectory‘) to member states where government debt exceeds the 60% of gross domestic product (GDP) or where the government deficit exceeds the 3% of GDP. The provisional agreement provides for an optional and factual pre-dialogue between the member states and the Commission beforehand. The reference trajectory indicates how member states can ensure that by the end of a fiscal adjustment period of four years, government debt is on a plausibly downward trajectory or stays at prudent levels over the medium-term. The provisional agreement contains two safeguards that the reference trajectory must comply with, the debt sustainability safeguard, to ensure a decrease in debt levels and the deficit resilience safeguard, to provide a safety margin below the Treaty deficit reference value of 3% of GDP, in order to create fiscal buffers. Based on the reference trajectory, member states then incorporate the fiscal adjustment path, expressed as net expenditure paths into their national medium-term fiscal structural plans. The plans, including the net expenditure paths, consequently need to be endorsed by the Council. The agreement provides that a control account will record deviations from the country-specific net expenditure paths. The new rules will further encourage structural reforms and public investments for sustainability and growth. Member states will be allowed to ask for an extension of the four-year fiscal adjustment period to maximum seven years, if they carry out certain reforms and investments that improve resilience and growth potential and support fiscal sustainability and address common priorities of the EU. These include achieving a fair, green and digital transition, ensuring energy security, strengthening social and economic resilience and, where necessary, the build-up of defence capabilities. Next steps The provisional political agreement on the preventive arm of the economic governance framework is subject to approval by the Council in the committee of permanent representatives and by the Parliament economic affairs committee before going through a formal vote in both the Council and the Parliament. Once adopted, the text will be published in the EU’s official Journal and enter into force the following day. The regulation on the corrective arm and the directive on requirements for budgetary frameworks of member states only require the European Parliament to be consulted. The aim is to adopt them in the Council at the same time as the preventive arm. Background Economic governance is a key pillar of the architecture of the Economic and Monetary Union, since 1992, aiming to prevent and correct macroeconomic imbalances that could weaken national economies and affect other EU countries through cross-border spill overs. The EU economy is facing renewed challenges with the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Against the backdrop of higher debt levels, interest rates and new common investment and reform goals, the EU is reforming the stability and growth pact and how the pact’s effectiveness could be further improved. On 26 April 2023, the Commission presented a package of three legislative proposals: two regulations aiming to replace (preventive arm) or amend (corrective arm) the two pillars of the stability and growth pact first adopted in 1997, and an amended directive on requirements for budgetary frameworks of member states. On 21 December 2023, the Council formally approved a mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament on the preventive arm regulation and an agreement in principle with a view to consulting the European Parliament on the corrective arm regulation and the directive on requirements for national budgetary frameworks. The European Council has provided political impetus on the reform, most recently at its meeting on 26-27 October 2023. The Council negotiator was Vincent Van Peteghem, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Belgium. The European Parliament negotiators were co-rapporteurs Esther de Lange and Margarida Marques. The Commission was represented by Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis. Regulation on the effective coordination of economic policies and multilateral budgetary surveillance – Council’s negotiating mandate Regulation on speeding up and clarifying the implementation of the excessive deficit procedure - Agreement in principle with a view to consulting the EP Directive on requirements for budgetary frameworks of the Member States - Agreement in principle with a view to consulting the EP Economic governance framework (background information) Timeline - Economic governance framework (background information) Economic governance review: Council agrees on reform of fiscal rules (press release 21 December 2023)

Press material Friday 9 February 2024

● General Secretariat   09/02/2024 19:24 | Press release | Forward look: 12 - 25 February 2024   Overview of the main topics and events at the Council of EU and European Council for the coming fortnight. Foreign Affairs Council, 19 February 2024 The Foreign Affairs Council will discuss the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and in the Sahel. Read more General Affairs Council, 20 February 2024 Ministers will focus on preparations for the March European Council and the Article 7 procedure concerning Poland. Read more Other meetings Informal meeting of ministers for development, 11-12 February 2024 EU-Armenia Partnership Council, 13 February 2024 Informal meeting of competitiveness ministers (Research and innovation), 14-15 February 2024 Informal meeting of tourism ministers, 19-20 February 2024 EU-Georgia Association Council, 20 February 2024 Informal meeting of economic and financial affairs ministers, 22-24 February 2024 Indicative calendar of meetings under the Belgian presidency (1 January - 30 June 2024) Belgian presidency website

Press material Friday 9 February 2024

● Council of the EU   09/02/2024 14:08 | Press release | Pakistan: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the general elections   The European Union takes note of the completion of the polling in the general elections, which took place on 8 February in Pakistan, following several months of postponement and uncertainty, and in a context of a tense security environment. The participation by the Pakistani people to exercise their right to vote, despite systemic barriers still faced by women and persons belonging to minorities, demonstrates their commitment to democracy and the rule of law. The EU welcomes the increased number of women registered to vote compared to the last elections. We regret the lack of a level playing field due to the inability of some political actors to contest the elections, restrictions to freedom of assembly, freedom of expression both online and offline, restrictions of access to the internet, as well as allegations of severe interference in the electoral process, including arrests of political activists. We therefore call upon the relevant authorities to ensure a timely and full investigation of all reported election irregularities and to implement the recommendations of the upcoming EU Election Expert Mission report. The authorities were faced with the challenging task of countering serious terrorist threats and attacks. The EU condemns all acts of violence, which took place in the lead up to the elections and calls on all parties and actors to use peaceful and democratic mechanisms to settle differences, refraining from further violence. The EU attaches paramount importance to political pluralism, democratic values, independent media, vibrant civil society, judicial independence and international human rights standards, which are key for democratic elections. We call on all political actors in Pakistan to engage in a peaceful and inclusive dialogue aiming at the formation of a stable government and to respect human rights in line with the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, as well as with international treaties to which Pakistan is party. Pakistan is an important partner for the European Union and we look forward to continuing to work with the Government of Pakistan on the priorities agreed in the EU-Pakistan Strategic Engagement Plan. We encourage Pakistan to continue reforms in the areas of human rights, good governance, as well as labour rights and environmental standards, to address the shortcomings outlined in the GSP+ report of November 2023, and to continue the necessary economic reforms.