COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Press material Wednesday 28 February 2024

● Council of the EU   28/02/2024 18:37 | Press release | EU long-term budget for 2021-2027: Council concludes the mid-term revision   The Council today adopted three legislative acts related to the revision of the EU multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027, giving the final go-ahead for the package, which is aimed at reinforcing the EU long-term budget in a targeted manner and addressing new challenges, such as the consequences of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The package includes a regulation amending the multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027, as well as regulations establishing the Ukraine Facility and the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP). Revision of the EU multiannual financial framework The amendments to the multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027 reflect the agreement reached by EU leaders on 1 February 2024 and reinforce the EU long-term budget in a limited number of priority areas. In total, €64.6 billion of additional funding will be made available to address new and emerging challenges facing the EU and to meet the EU's legal obligations which could otherwise no longer be accommodated within the current budgetary ceilings. The additional funding covers support for Ukraine, migration and the external dimension, investments in critical technologies as part of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform, Next Generation EU interest payments and emergency aid in situations such as natural disasters and humanitarian crises in the EU and worldwide. It will be distributed as follows: €50 billion for the Ukraine Facility (€17 billion in grants and €33 billion in loans) €2 billion for migration and border management €7.6 billion for the neighbourhood and the world €1.5 billion for the European Defence Fund under the new STEP instrument €2 billion for the flexibility instrument €1.5 billion for the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve To reduce the impact on national budgets, a portion of this funding, totalling €10.6 billion, will be covered by budgetary redeployments. Ukraine Facility The Ukraine Facility will be a new dedicated instrument to support Ukraine's recovery, reconstruction and modernisation, while supporting its efforts to carry out reforms as part of its accession path to the EU. It will pool the EU's budget support to Ukraine into one single instrument, providing coherent, predictable and flexible support for the period 2024-2027 to Ukraine, adapted to the unprecedented challenges of supporting a country at war. Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform The Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform will mobilise investments in the fields of digital and deep tech, cleantech and biotech, with the overall aim of strengthening the EU's sovereignty and long-term competitiveness in these critical technologies. Through a mix of financial incentives and measures to facilitate the financing of projects, it will leverage funding in support of critical technologies under existing EU programmes and funds, including cohesion policy funds, InvestEU, Horizon Europe, the European Defence Fund, the Innovation Fund and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. Next steps The three regulations will now be signed and published in the EU Official Journal in the next days. The amendments to the regulation establishing the multiannual financial framework will enter into force on the day of its publication and apply, with retroactive effect, from 1 January 2024. The regulations establishing the Ukraine Facility and the STEP will enter into force on the day following their publication. Exceptional support could be provided very soon after the entry into force of the Ukraine Facility regulation, subject to conditions to be agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding between the Commission and Ukraine. Background Following the European Parliament's consent, the Council adopted the current EU long-term budget, or multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027, in December 2020. Since then, the EU has faced unprecedented and unexpected challenges, from the consequences of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine to an acceleration in inflation and interest rates and challenges related to migration. This has put the EU budget under pressure. The Commission presented the proposals for amending the multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027 and for establishing the Ukraine Facility and the STEP on 20 June 2023 as part of a package of measures linked to the mid-term revision of the multiannual financial framework. The package was completed on 8 November 2023 by a proposal for a regulation on establishing a Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans. The Council and the European Parliament have yet to agree on their respective negotiating mandates on this proposal. Regulation amending Regulation 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021-2027 Regulation establishing the Ukraine Facility Regulation establishing the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform Special European Council, 1 February 2024 Ukraine Facility: Council and Parliament agree on new support mechanism for Ukraine (press release, 6 February 2024) Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform: provisional agreement to boost investments in critical technologies (press release, 7 February 2024) Mid-term revision of the EU long-term budget 2021-2027 (background information) Timeline – Mid-term revision of the EU long-term budget 2021-2027 The EU long-term budget (background information)

Press material Wednesday 28 February 2024

● Council of the EU   28/02/2024 18:02 | Media advisory | Press briefing ahead of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of 4 and 5 March 2024   The press briefing ahead of the Justice and Home Affairs Council will take place on Friday, 1 March 2024 at 15.00. This briefing will be "off the record". The press briefing will take place in a hybrid format: EU accredited journalists will be able to participate and ask questions either remotely or in person at the Europa building press room. To attend the event remotely, please use this link to register and have the possibility to ask questions. Those who already registered for previous press events of the Justice and Home Affairs Council do not need to do it again. Deadline for registration: Friday, 1 March 2024, 14.00. Further instructions will be sent to all registered participants shortly after the deadline.

Meetings Thursday 29 February 2024

● Council of the EU   29/02/2024 10:28 | MEETING | Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Energy), 4 March 2024   Background brief - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Energy), 04/03/2024