COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Library blog Friday 16 February 2024

● General Secretariat of the Council   Library guide to EU enlargement   Enlargement is the process whereby states join the European Union, after they have fulfilled a set of political and economic conditions. The road to accession for new members can take a long time and requires intense negotiations. The Council Library has compiled a library guide to help navigate the complex waters of the enlargement process. Discover more.

Press material Thursday 15 February 2024

● Council of the EU   15/02/2024 19:18 | Press release | Maritime safety: Council and Parliament strike a deal to ensure cleaner shipping in the EU   To ensure safer and cleaner shipping in the EU, the Council presidency and European Parliament’s negotiators reached a provisional agreement on a revised directive on ship-source pollution, as part of the ‘maritime safety’ legislative package. "Seas and oceans are our common good. These new rules will set the EU to the forefront when it comes to clean shipping. We found a compromise that will ensure cleaner seas in Europe while at the same time providing a level playing field for a dynamic shipping industry." Paul Van Tigchelt, Belgian deputy prime minister and minister for justice and the North Sea The revised directive incorporates international standards into EU law, ensuring that those responsible for illegal discharges of polluting substances are subject to dissuasive, effective, and proportionate penalties to improve maritime safety and better protect the marine environment from pollution by ships. Overall, it will equip the EU with modern tools to support clean shipping by aligning EU rules with international standards and securing a level playing field for the maritime sector while improving implementation and enforcement through an enhanced cooperation framework between European and national authorities. Main objectives of the revised directive The revised legislation mainly aims to: extend the scope of the current directive to cover illegal discharges of harmful substances in packaged form, sewage, garbage and discharged waters and residues establish a strengthened legal framework for penalties and their effective application, enabling national authorities to ensure a dissuasive and consistent imposition of sanctions to ship-source pollution incidents in all European seas separate the administrative sanctions regime from the criminal sanctions’ regime enshrined in the new draft environmental crimes directive. Key elements of the new legislation The general thrust of the Commission proposal was retained by the co-legislators. However, the provisional agreement introduces several changes to ensure clarity and coherence with international rules and procedures, in particular those of the international convention for the prevention of pollution from ships (MARPOL), in the interest of protection of the marine environment. Considering the differing legal systems in the member states, the provisional agreement also indicates more clearly that the legislation in question concerns administrative penalties only, thus drawing a clear line between the scope of this directive and that of the new draft legislation on environmental crimes. Finally, adequate flexibility was introduced regarding member states’ obligations to verify and report pollution incidents, to avoid imposing an excessive administrative burden and in recognition of member states’ diverse situations in terms of geographical location, resources, and capabilities. Next steps Today’s provisional agreement needs to be approved by both co-legislators before the formal adoption of the legislative act by the European Parliament and the Council. Member states will have 30 months after the entry into force of the revised directive to transpose its provisions in their national legislation. Background information The proposal forms part of the maritime safety package submitted by the Commission on 1 June 2023. The five legislative proposals, including those on maritime accidents investigation, compliance with flag state requirements, port state control, and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), aim to modernise EU rules on maritime safety and reduce water pollution from ships. With 75% of the EU's external trade being seaborne, maritime transport is not only the artery of a globalised economy, but also a lifeline for the EU's islands and peripheral and remote maritime regions. Although maritime safety in EU waters is currently very high, with few fatalities and no recent major oil spills, more than 2 000 marine accidents and incidents are still reported every year. The adoption and implementation of the maritime safety legislative package will be a concrete deliverable of the EU's commitment towards sustainable and smart mobility. Marian-Jean Marinescu (EPP/RO) is the European Parliament’s rapporteur for this file whereas Commissioner in charge of transport, Adina Vălean, was represented at the interinstitutional talks by Director a.i. at DG MOVE, Fotini Ioannidou. Revised directive on ship-source pollution, Council’s general approach, 4 December 2023 Revised directive on ship-source pollution, Commission proposal, 1 June 2023 European green deal (background information) Maritime security (background information)

Informal Meeting of Ministers for Research and Innovation: Belgian presidency aims to maximise research results 15/02/2024 | Press release Informal Meeting of Ministers for Research and Innovation: Belgian presidency aims to maximise research results La Hulpe hosted today the informal meeting of European ministers responsible for research and innovation, under the Belgian presidency. The Belgian Minister who chaired the meeting pointed out that research should become more autonomous and make better use of its results. Meetings Thursday 15 February 2024   ● Council of the EU   15/02/2024 13:35 | MEETING | Agenda highlights - 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. Press material Wednesday 14 February 2024   ● Council of the EU   14/02/2024 17:05 | Press release | Digital transformation in enterprises: Council adopts position on upgrading digital company law tools   The Council has adopted its position (negotiating mandate) on the amending directive to further expand and upgrade the use of digital tools and processes in company law. The new rules will make company’s data more easily available, enhance trust and transparency in companies across Member States, create more connected public administrations and reduce red tape for companies and other stakeholders in cross-border situations. It will thereby contribute to a more integrated and digitalised single market for companies. "A way to increase the competitiveness in our companies is to accelerate the digital transition in the application of company law. Digitalisation will make administrative processes cheaper, faster and less burdensome." Paul Van Tigchelt, Belgian deputy prime minister and minister of Justice and the North Sea Company information simpler and more digital The Commission’s proposal will make publicly available more information about companies at EU level through the Business Registers Interconnection System (BRIS). The directive is intended to ensure that company data in business registers is accurate, reliable, and up-to-date. The new rules also aim to cut red tape when companies use company information from business registers in cross-border situations. For instance, the proposal removes formalities such as the need for an apostille on company documents and encourages the use of the “once-only principle” when companies set up subsidiaries and branches in another member state. It also introduces a multilingual EU company certificate to be used in cross-border situations. The Council’s mandate The Council negotiating mandate shares the main objectives of the proposed directive but introduces some improvements to simplify certain procedures and reduce the administrative burden for companies and national authorities. For instance, it specifies the ‘once-only’ principle for a company’s exchange of and access to information when it sets up cross-border subsidiaries or branches. To reduce the administrative burden for both business’ registers and companies, the information on groups of companies will be no longer required. The Council mandate also protects the different national traditions with regard to registration of personal data in the EU Company Certificate. On the digital EU power of attorney, the Council’s position introduces some technical alignments which increase its user-friendliness, by lowering the risk of developing parallel systems that are not interoperable across the Union. Lastly, the compromise text provides for six additional months in the transposition period to help businesses adapt to the new requirements. Next steps The mandate agreed today gives the Council presidency a framework for starting negotiations with the European Parliament. Background On 29 March 2023, the Commission (Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders) published a proposal for a Directive to further expand and upgrade the use of digital tools and processes in company law. This proposal will contribute to the objectives set out in the following communications: ‘2030 Digital Compass and Digitalisation of Justice in the European Union’, ‘Updating the 2020 New Industrial Strategy’ and ‘SME Strategy for a sustainable and digital Europe’. The directive also updates and supplements the 2019 Directive on the use of digital tools and processes in company law. Commission’s proposal Mandate for negotiations Mandate for negotiations (Annex) Press material Thursday 15 February 2024   ● Council of the EU   15/02/2024 10:29 | Press release | Child sexual abuse: Council and European Parliament agree to prolong protection measure   The Council presidency and European Parliament representatives reached a provisional agreement on a regulation prolonging an interim measure to combat online child sexual abuse. Based on the agreement, this interim measure will be extended until 3 April 2026. "It is key that we step up our fight against the spread of child sexual abuse material in the online world. Today’s agreement gives legal certainty to internet providers to continue searching their services for child sexual abuse material and the solicitation of children in order to report them to the authorities." Belgian Minister of the Interior, Institutional Reform and Democratic Renewal On the basis of a derogation from data protection rules in the electronic communications sectors that was adopted in 2021, providers of so-called number-independent interpersonal communications services (e.g. messaging services) are permitted to use specific technologies for the processing of personal and other data to detect online child sexual abuse on their services, to report and to remove it. This derogation, which the Council and the European Parliament agreed to extend, was limited in time and would expire on 3 August 2024. Council and European Parliament negotiators also decided that, in order to obtain comprehensive reporting and comparable statistics, providers should make the information about the reports of detected online child sexual abuse that they submit to the authorities and the Commission available in a structured format. Next steps Today’s agreement will have to be confirmed by EU member states’ representatives which will be followed by formal adoption in both institutions. Background The derogation, first agreed in 2021 and now extended until 3 April 2026 will bridge the gap until a new EU law, currently on the table of the Council and the European Parliament, offers a long-term legal framework for the detection of online child sexual abuse. Meetings Friday 16 February 2024   ● Council of the EU   16/02/2024 09:04 | MEETING | General Affairs Council, 20 February 2024   Backgroung brief - General Affairs Council, 20 February 2024 View meeting page Meetings Friday 16 February 2024   ● Council of the EU   16/02/2024 13:37 | MEETING | Agenda highlights - General Affairs Council, 20 February 2024   Ministers will focus on preparations for the March European Council and the Article 7 procedure concerning Poland.

Συνεδριάσεις Παρασκευή 16 Φεβρουαρίου 2024

● Συμβούλιο της ΕΕ   16/02/2024 12:30 | ΣΥΝΕΔΡΊΑΣΗ | Κύρια σημεία της ημερήσιας διάταξης - Συμβούλιο Σύνδεσης ΕΕ-Γεωργίας, 20 Φεβρουαρίου 2024   Η 8η σύνοδος του Συμβουλίου Σύνδεσης ΕΕ-Γεωργίας θα πραγματοποιηθεί στις Βρυξέλλες στις 20 Φεβρουαρίου 2024.

Meetings Friday 16 February 2024

● Council of the EU   16/02/2024 12:30 | MEETING | Agenda highlights - EU-Georgia Association Council, 20 February 2024   The 8th meeting of the EU-Georgia Association Council will take place in Brussels on 20 February 2024.