COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

It’s a competitive world: key takeaways from the Informal Ecofin Meeting in Ghent 24/02/2024 | Press release It’s a competitive world: key takeaways from the Informal Ecofin Meeting in Ghent EU Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors gathered in Ghent on the 23rd and 24th of February to tackle the EU competitiveness challenge. Dr. Mario Draghi and European Investment Bank (EIB) President Calviño were invited to share their insights.

Press material Monday 26 February 2024

● Council of the EU   26/02/2024 13:04 | Press release | Belarus: EU prolongs restrictive measures for another year   Today the Council has decided to prolong the restrictive measures linked to internal repression in Belarus and regime’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine for another year, until 28 February 2025. The decision was taken on the basis of the annual review of the restrictive measures and in view of the continuing repression and drastically deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus, and the ongoing involvement of the country in Russia’s illegal military aggression against Ukraine. Since August 2020, the EU has imposed several successive rounds of individual and sectoral sanctions, against those responsible for internal repression and human rights abuses in Belarus, and in the context of Belarus’ involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine. With these measures, the EU is signalling to the political and economic actors responsible that their actions and support for the regime and to Russia come at a cost. The individual restrictive measures include an asset freeze and prohibition to make funds available. Natural persons are additionally subject to a ban on travel. There are currently 233 individuals, including Alexandr Lukashenka, and 37 entities listed. Belarus also remains subject to targeted economic sanctions, including restrictions in the financial sector, trade, dual-use goods, technology and telecommunication, energy, transport and others. In its conclusions of 19 February 2024, the Council reaffirmed the validity of the conclusions of 12 October 2020, and restated its unwavering support for the Belarusian people’s quest for a free, democratic, sovereign and independent Belarus as part of a peaceful and prosperous Europe. The Council also expressed its deep concern about the deteriorating human rights situation in the country, and strongly condemned the continuing persecution against the Belarusian society, the continued support provided by the Belarusian regime to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, calling on Belarus to refrain from such actions and to abide by its international obligations. The Council reiterated its commitment to hold those responsible for human rights violations and abuses to account. In line with the EU’s gradual approach, the EU stands ready to take further restrictive and targeted measures as long as the Belarusian authorities continue these actions. Council Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 of 18 May 2006 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus and the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine (consolidated list of sanctioned individuals and entities) Belarus: Council conclusions confirm EU’s unwavering support for democracy and human rights (press release, 19 February 2024) EU restrictive measures against Belarus (background information) EU relations with Belarus (background information)

Press material Monday 26 February 2024

● Council of the EU   26/02/2024 11:42 | Press release | Protecting workers against lead and diisocyanates: Council signs off on new limit values   Workers are now better protected. For the first time in 40 years, the EU has revisited the limit values for occupational exposure to lead and its inorganic compounds, by reducing them fivefold. These reprotoxic substances can affect sexual function and fertility, and they may also damage the nervous system, among other things. In addition, the directive is the first-ever EU legislation to set limit values for diiosocyanates, a group of harmful substances to which 4.2 million workers are currently exposed and which can cause asthma and dermal diseases. The adopted directive revises the limit values for lead as follows: occupational exposure limit from 0.15 milligrams per cubic meter (0.15mg/m3) to 0.03mg/m3, and biological limit value from 70 microgram per 100 millilitres of blood (70µg/100ml) to 15µg/100ml (30 µg/100ml until 2028) Lead accumulates in the bones and is released slowly into the circulatory system. Therefore, according to the adopted directive, workers who have high blood lead levels due to exposure which occurred before the transposition of this directive will undergo regular medical surveillance. They will be able to continue working with lead if their blood lead levels exhibit a declining trend. To protect against the reprotoxic effects of lead, lower limit values (4.5 µg/100 ml) for medical surveillance measures will apply as regards female workers of childbearing age. The directive also introduces limit values for diisocyanates: overall occupational exposure limit of 6µg NCO/m3 (10 µg/m3 until 2028) short-term exposure limit of 12µg NCO/m3 (20 µg/m3 until 2028) Next steps The directive will now be signed and published in the Official Journal of the EU. It will enter into force on the twentieth day following publication. Member states will have two years to establish the new limit values and further protective measures set in the directive, by adapting their national legislation. Background The directive adopted today amends two legislative acts: the directive 2004/37/EC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens, mutagens and reprotoxic substances at work and the directive 98/24/EC on the protection of workers from the risks related to chemical agents at work. Directive as regards the limit values for lead and its inorganic compounds and diisocyanates Lead and diisocyanates: EU set to protect workers from exposure (press release, 14 November 2023) Dangerous chemical substances at work (background information) Voting results

Press material Monday 26 February 2024

● Council of the EU   26/02/2024 11:11 | Press release | Updated fisheries measures in the ICCAT area: Council gives final green light   Today the Council has formally adopted a regulation that transposes into EU law certain fisheries management, conservation and control measures in the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) convention area. The newly-adopted regulation also updates the multiannual management plan for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. "The fisheries sector is essential for the sustainability of our seas and oceans and it also plays a key role in ensuring food security and the profitability of our industry. The updated rules adopted today will pave the way to ensuring that important decisions made in international fora are fully part of EU law." Hilde Crevits – Belgian Flemish Minister for Welfare, Public Health and the Family, and competent for Fisheries The adopted regulation implements into EU law a series of recommendations adopted by ICCAT at its annual meetings from the past few years. Those concern amendments to regulation (EU) 2017/2107 and regulation (EU) 2023/2053. Main elements of the update Some of the newly updated rules concern: definitions of support vessels, fish aggregating devices (FADs), floating objects and operational buoy in the case of tropical tuna: capacity limitations and the prohibition of discards by purse seiners (except for certain circumstances); this means that by 31 January of each year, member states will have to prepare annual fishing plans and annual fishing capacity management plans for tropical tuna; additionally, every three months, member states will have to communicate to the Commission information on the quantity of tropical tunas (by species) caught by vessels carrying their flag in the case of bluefin tuna: updated provisions on the carry-over of non-harvested live bluefin tuna from previous years’ catches, recreational fisheries quota provisions; updated rules for the preparation of an annual monitoring, control and inspection plan; prohibition of the automatic carry-over of any unused quota authorisation and reporting: member states shall issue fishing authorisations to large-scale catching vessels flying their flag to fish North and Southern Atlantic albacore; moreover, South Atlantic albacore catches must be reported to ICCAT by member states recreational fisheries provisions for Mediterranean albacore provisions for the safe handling and recommended release practices for sea turtles and shortfin mako sharks data collection and reporting to ICCAT in the case of certain catches, to help assess the situation of stocks updated rules for the use and operational handling of vessels monitoring systems provisions on improving health and safety rules for ICCAT observers for transhipment at sea Next steps Today's vote by the Council closes the adoption procedure. The regulation will now be signed by the Council and the European Parliament. It will then be published in the EU's Official Journal and enter into force 20 days later. Background ICCAT provides for a framework of regional cooperation on the conservation and management of tunas and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and the adjacent seas. The European Union has been a contracting party since 1997. ICCAT has the authority to adopt recommendations for the conservation and management of the fisheries under its responsibility. These are binding for the contracting parties, and become effective six months after the date of the notification. The proposal to implement into EU law a series of ICCAT recommendations was put forward by the Commission (Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius) on 21 April 2022. The European Parliament's rapporteur for this file was Clara Aguilera (S&D, ES). ICCAT and bluefin tuna regulation Commission proposal International agreements on fisheries (background information)

● Συμβούλιο της ΕΕ   26/02/2024 11:11 | Δελτίο τύπου | Επικαιροποιημένα μέτρα αλιείας στη ζώνη της ICCAT: Το Συμβούλιο δίνει το τελικό πράσινο φως   Σήμερα, το Συμβούλιο εξέδωσε επίσημα κανονισμό ο οποίος μεταφέρει στο ενωσιακό δίκαιο ορισμένα μέτρα διαχείρισης, διατήρησης και ελέγχου της αλιείας στην περιοχή της σύμβασης της Διεθνούς Επιτροπής για τη Διατήρηση των Θυννοειδών του Ατλαντικού (ICCAT). Ο πρόσφατα εκδοθείς κανονισμός επικαιροποιεί επίσης το πολυετές σχέδιο διαχείρισης του ερυθρού τόνου στον Ανατολικό Ατλαντικό και στη Μεσόγειο. "Ο τομέας της αλιείας είναι απαραίτητος για τη βιωσιμότητα των θαλασσών και των ωκεανών μας και διαδραματίζει επίσης καίριο ρόλο στη διασφάλιση της επισιτιστικής ασφάλειας και της κερδοφορίας της βιομηχανίας μας. Οι επικαιροποιημένοι κανόνες που εγκρίθηκαν σήμερα θα προετοιμάσουν το έδαφος για να διασφαλιστεί ότι οι σημαντικές αποφάσεις που λαμβάνονται σε διεθνή φόρουμ αποτελούν πλήρως μέρος του ενωσιακού δικαίου." Hilde Crevits, Φλαμανδή Υπουργός Ευημερίας, Δημόσιας Υγείας και Οικογένειας του Βελγίου, αρμόδια για την αλιεία Ο εκδοθείς κανονισμός ενσωματώνει στο ενωσιακό δίκαιο σειρά συστάσεων που εξέδωσε η ICCAT κατά τις ετήσιες συνεδριάσεις της τα τελευταία χρόνια. Αυτές αφορούν τροποποιήσεις στον κανονισμό (ΕΕ) 2017/2107 και στον κανονισμό (ΕΕ) 2023/2053. Κύρια στοιχεία της επικαιροποίησης Ορισμένοι από τους πρόσφατα επικαιροποιημένους κανόνες αφορούν: ορισμούς σκαφών υποστήριξης, διατάξεων συγκέντρωσης ιχθύων (FAD), πλωτών αντικειμένων και λειτουργικών σημαντήρων για τον τροπικό τόνο: περιορισμούς χωρητικότητας και απαγόρευση απορρίψεων από σκάφη γρι-γρι (εκτός από ορισμένες περιπτώσεις)· αυτό σημαίνει ότι, έως τις 31 Ιανουαρίου κάθε έτους, τα κράτη μέλη θα πρέπει να καταρτίζουν ετήσια σχέδια αλιείας και ετήσια σχέδια διαχείρισης της αλιευτικής ικανότητας για τον τροπικό τόνο· επιπλέον, κάθε τρεις μήνες, τα κράτη μέλη θα πρέπει να κοινοποιούν στην Επιτροπή πληροφορίες σχετικά με την ποσότητα τροπικών τόνων (ανά είδος) που αλιεύονται από σκάφη που φέρουν τη σημαία τους στην περίπτωση του ερυθρού τόνου: επικαιροποιημένες διατάξεις σχετικά με τη μεταφορά μη αλιευθέντος ζώντος τόνου από αλιεύματα προηγούμενων ετών, διατάξεις για τις ποσοστώσεις ερασιτεχνικής αλιείας· επικαιροποιημένους κανόνες για την κατάρτιση ετήσιου σχεδίου παρακολούθησης, ελέγχου και επιθεώρησης· απαγόρευση της αυτόματης μεταφοράς αχρησιμοποίητων ποσοστώσεων παροχή άδειας και υποβολή εκθέσεων: τα κράτη μέλη εκδίδουν άδειες αλιείας σε μεγάλα σκάφη αλίευσης που φέρουν τη σημαία τους για την αλιεία μακρύπτερου τόνου Βορείου και Νοτίου Ατλαντικού· επιπλέον, τα αλιεύματα μακρύπτερου τόνου Νοτίου Ατλαντικού πρέπει να αναφέρονται στην ICCAT από τα κράτη μέλη. διατάξεις περί ερασιτεχνικής αλιείας για τον μακρύπτερο τόνο της Μεσογείου διατάξεις για τον ασφαλή χειρισμό και τις συνιστώμενες πρακτικές απελευθέρωσης θαλάσσιων χελωνών και ρυγχοκαρχαρία συλλογή δεδομένων και υποβολή εκθέσεων στην ICCAT στην περίπτωση ορισμένων αλιευμάτων, με σκοπό την αξιολόγηση της κατάστασης των αποθεμάτων επικαιροποιημένους κανόνες για τη χρήση και τον λειτουργικό χειρισμό των συστημάτων παρακολούθησης σκαφών διατάξεις σχετικά με τη βελτίωση των κανόνων υγείας και ασφάλειας για τους παρατηρητές της ICCAT όσον αφορά τη μεταφόρτωση εν πλω Επόμενα βήματα Με τη σημερινή ψηφοφορία στο Συμβούλιο περατώνεται η διαδικασία έκδοσης. Ο κανονισμός θα υπογραφεί τώρα από το Συμβούλιο και το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο. Στη συνέχεια θα δημοσιευθεί στην Επίσημη Εφημερίδα της ΕΕ και θα τεθεί σε ισχύ 20 ημέρες αργότερα. Γενικές πληροφορίες Η ICCAT προβλέπει το πλαίσιο για την περιφερειακή συνεργασία στον τομέα της διαχείρισης και της διατήρησης αποθεμάτων ειδών τόνου και συναφών ειδών στον Ατλαντικό Ωκεανό και στις γειτονικές θάλασσες. Η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση είναι συμβαλλόμενο μέρος από το 1997. Η ICCAT έχει την εξουσία να εκδίδει συστάσεις για τη διατήρηση και τη διαχείριση της αλιείας που υπάγεται στην αρμοδιότητά της. Είναι δεσμευτικές για τα συμβαλλόμενα μέρη και τίθενται σε ισχύ έξι μήνες μετά την ημερομηνία της κοινοποίησης. Η πρόταση για την ενσωμάτωση στο ενωσιακό δίκαιο μιας σειράς συστάσεων της ICCAT υποβλήθηκε από την Επιτροπή (Γενική Διεύθυνση Θαλάσσιας Πολιτικής και Αλιείας, Επίτροπος Virginijus Sinkevičius) στις 21 Απριλίου 2022. Εισηγήτρια του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου για τον εν λόγω φάκελο ήταν η Clara Aguilera (S&D, ΙΣ). Κανονισμός για την ICCAT και τον ερυθρό τόνο Πρόταση της Επιτροπής Διεθνείς αλιευτικές συμφωνίες (γενικές πληροφορίες)

Press material Monday 26 February 2024

● Council of the EU   26/02/2024 10:48 | Press release | Capital markets union: Council adopts new rules on alternative investment fund managers and plain-vanilla EU investment funds   Today, the Council adopted new rules to improve European capital markets and strengthen investor protection in the EU. The directive adopted today amends the alternative investment fund managers directive, which governs managers of hedge funds, private equity funds, private debt funds, real estate funds and other alternative investment funds in the EU. The directive also modernises the framework for undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS), i.e. plain-vanilla EU-harmonised retail investment funds such as unit trusts and investment companies. The new rules enhance the integration of asset management markets in Europe and modernise the framework for key regulatory aspects. They improve the availability of liquidity management tools, with new requirements for managers to provide for the activation of these instruments. This will help ensure that fund managers are well equipped to deal with significant outflows in times of financial turbulence. The amending directive also covers an EU framework for loan-originating funds, i.e. funds that provide credit to companies, supplemented with several requirements to alleviate risks to financial stability and to ensure an appropriate level of investor protection. The directive introduces enhanced rules for delegation by investment managers to third parties. This will enable them to better tap the best resources from market specialists, subject to reinforced supervision and preserving market integrity. Other key components of the new rules include improved data sharing and cooperation between authorities, and new measures to identify undue costs that could be charged to funds, and hence their investors, as well as on preventing possible misleading names to better protect investors. Next steps The directive will now be published in the EU’s official Journal and enter into force 20 days later. Member states will have 24 months after the entry into force to transpose the rules into national legislation. Background The amendments to the alternative investment fund managers directive (AIFMD) and plain-vanilla EU investment funds (UCITS, or undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities) are part of the capital markets union (CMU) package which the Commission presented on 25 November 2021. The capital markets union is the EU’s initiative to create a truly single market for capital across the EU. It aims to get investment and savings flowing across all member states for the benefit of citizens, businesses, and investors. Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending directives 2011/61/EU and 2009/65/EC as regards delegation arrangements, liquidity risk management, supervisory reporting, the provision of depositary and custody services and loan origination by alternative investment funds Voting results Capital markets union (background information)

Press material Monday 26 February 2024

● Council of the EU   26/02/2024 10:51 | Press release | Police cooperation: Council gives green light to better data exchanges between police authorities   Today, the Council adopted a regulation on the automated search and exchange of data for police cooperation. The new law will improve the existing framework – often referred to as Prüm I – which already allows law enforcement authorities to consult the national databases of other member states as regards DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration data. The rules agreed today will broaden the data categories for which automated exchanges can happen. Police authorities will be able to also search for facial images and police records. Moreover, if allowed by national law, searches across all categories to find missing persons or identify human remains will also be possible. Other innovations include that Europol will now also be able to search national databases to cross-check information it has received from third countries and the establishment of a modernised IT infrastructure. Next steps This new law will enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. The regulation is directly applicable in the EU member states. Council and EU Parliament reach deal to advance police cooperation in Europe (press release, 20 November 2023) The EU's fight against organised crime (background information)

Press material Monday 26 February 2024

● Council of the EU   26/02/2024 10:45 | Press release | Council adopts regulation on instant payments   The Council adopted today a regulation that will make instant payments fully available in euro to consumers and businesses in the EU and in EEA countries. The new rules will improve the strategic autonomy of the European economic and financial sector as they will help reduce any excessive reliance on third-country financial institutions and infrastructures. Improving the possibilities to mobilize cash-flows will bring benefits for citizens and companies and allow for innovative added value services. The instant payments regulation will allow people to transfer money within ten seconds at any time of the day, including outside business hours, not only within the same country but also to another EU member state. The regulation takes into consideration particularities of non-euro area entities. Payment service providers such as banks, which provide standard credit transfers in euro, will be required to offer the service of sending and receiving instant payments in euro. The charges that apply (if any) must not be higher than the charges that apply for standard credit transfers. The new rules will come into force after a transition period that will be faster in the euro area and longer in the non-euro area, that needs more time to adjust. The regulation grants access for payment and e-money institutions (PIEMIs) to payment systems, by changing the settlement finality Directive (SFD). As a result, these entities will be covered by the obligation to offer the service of sending and receiving instant credit transfers, after a transitional period. The regulation includes appropriate safeguards to ensure that the access of PIEMIs to payment systems doesn’t carry additional risk to the system. Under the new rules, instant payment providers will need to verify that the beneficiary’s IBAN and name match in order to alert the payer to possible mistakes or fraud before a transaction is made. This requirement will apply to regular transfers too. The regulation includes a review clause with a requirement for the Commission to present a report containing an evaluation of the development of credit charges. Background This initiative comes in the context of the completion of the capital markets union. The capital markets union is the EU’s initiative to create a truly single market for capital across the EU. It aims to get investment and savings flowing across all member states for the benefit of citizens, businesses, and investors. On 26 October 2022 the Commission put forward a proposal on instant payments that amends and modernises the single euro payments area (SEPA) regulation of 2012 on standard credit transfers in euro by adding to it specific provisions for instant credit transfers in euro. Visit the website