EUROGROUP,COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Press material Tuesday, 18 June 2024

● Council of the EU   18/06/2024 15:19 | Media advisory | Media advisory – Eurogroup meeting of 20 June and Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 21 June 2024   Indicative programme All times are approximate and subject to change Thursday 20 June - Eurogroup meeting, Luxembourg Chaired by Paschal Donohoe, President of the Eurogroup 14.00 Arrivals (live streaming) +/- 15.00 Doorstep by Paschal Donohoe (live streaming) 15.15 Eurogroup meeting in regular format (roundtable) IMF Article IV review of euro area policies International role of the euro – stocktaking Miscellaneous 17.15 Eurogroup meeting in inclusive format (roundtable) Euro area competitiveness: the role of industrial policy and market integration Miscellaneous At the end of the meeting (+/- 18.30) - Press conference with Eurogroup President Paschal Donohoe, Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni and ESM Managing Director Pierre Gramegna (live streaming). Videos and photos from the event In the margins of the Eurogroup meeting Annual meeting of the ESM Board of Governors ahead of the Eurogroup meeting in Luxembourg (ESM premises, 6a, Circuit de la Foire Internationale, L-1347 Luxembourg) - Press registration (+/- 11.00) - 11.30 arrivals - 12.15 joint doorstep by Paschal Donohoe, President of Eurogroup and Pierre Gramegna, Managing Director of the European Stability Mechanism - 12.25 roundtable    Information from the ESM: Access to the ESM area will be subject to the usual conditions (presentation of a valid ID/Passport and your EU inter-institutional press card, national press card, or letter of assignment from your editor). For the roundtable, interested media must register in advance by e–mailing a.reis@esm.europa.eu  16.15 IMF press conference with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and IMF European Department Director Alfred Kammer at ECC Luxembourg press room (live streaming) Friday 21 June - Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Luxembourg Chaired by Vincent Van Peteghem, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance 07.30 Arrivals (live streaming) +/- 07.45 Doorstep by Vincent Van Peteghem (live streaming) In the margins of the Council meeting 08.00 Annual meeting of the European Investment Bank Board of Governors (meeting agenda) 10.00 Ecofin breakfast (roundtable) 11.00 Beginning of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council Adoption of the agenda Approval of "A" items: - non-legislative list +/- 11.10 Economic and financial impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine +/- 11.40 - Taxation: VAT in the digital age (public session) - Current legislative proposals in the field of financial services (public session) +/- 12.20 - Recovery and Resilience Facility - European Semester 2024: spring package - UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation. At the end of the meeting (+/- 14.00) - Press conference with Minister Vincent Van Peteghem, Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis and President of the EIB Nadia Calviño (live streaming). Videos and photos from the event Meeting page – Eurogroup meeting of 20 June 2024 Meeting page – Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 21 June 2024

Meetings Tuesday, 18 June 2024

● Council of the EU   18/06/2024 17:02 | Meetings | Main results - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Transport), 18 June 2024   The Council adopted its general approach on the European Maritime Safety Agency regulation, the directive on river information services and the regulation on railway infrastructure capacity. Ministers approved conclusions on the European Court of Auditors’ report on road safety and took note of progress reports on a number of pending legislative files in the field of transport.

Meetings Tuesday, 18 June 2024

● Council of the EU   18/06/2024 16:23 | Meetings | Economic and Financial Affairs Council, 21 June 2024   Background brief - Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 21 June 2024

Meetings Tuesday, 18 June 2024

● Council of the EU   18/06/2024 14:21 | Meetings | Main results - General Affairs Council (Cohesion), 18 June 2024   Ministers discussed the link between cohesion policy and the next EU strategic agenda. The Council also approved conclusions on the Commission’s communication on the 9th Cohesion Report.

Press material Tuesday, 18 June 2024

● Council of the EU   18/06/2024 12:35 | Press release | Road safety: Council approves conclusions to strengthen the EU’s efforts to achieve its road safety objectives   The Council has approved conclusions on a European Court of Auditors’ (ECA) report aiming to strengthen EU’s efforts to achieve its road safety objectives. On 12 March 2024, ECA published its special report titled ‘Reaching EU road safety objectives – Time to move up a gear’, which provides an in-depth examination of the current state of play and trends in road safety in the EU. ECA underlines that the time is right for a policy evaluation to enable the continuous improvement of road safety and reach the ambitious targets of halving road fatalities and serious injuries by 2030 (compared to 2019) and getting as close as possible to zero road victims by 2050 via ‘Vision Zero’ or similar efficient strategies. We all agree that overall progress towards meeting our road safety objectives is insufficient so far. We should therefore take immediate action on multiple fronts with a focus on active and more vulnerable road users, as well as involving public authorities at all levels, all road users, industry, and civil society actors to achieve better results. I am extremely happy that the text of Council conclusions we adopted today provides clear directions in this regard. Georges Gilkinet, Belgian deputy prime minister and minister of mobility The Council conclusions largely coincide with the ECA’s observations. However, as regards the aspect of harmonising the formulation and monitoring of key performance indicators for road safety, they underline the differences in methods, practices and national characteristics between member states which naturally limit these initiatives. The Council sees this variation as a valuable source for mutual learning and exchange of best practices, and considers that initiatives, including at European level, do not depend on a prior full harmonisation of methods. The text also refers to commitments to ensure the safe coexistence of different means of transport, as expressed in the recently signed interinstitutional European declaration on cycling, or in the Stockholm Declaration on road safety, considering the growing importance of active modes of transport using micro-mobility devices, which create additional road safety challenges.  It also reflects on ongoing projects (Trendline, Care, Road Safety Monitoring Tool) and legislative initiatives at European level (road safety package, vehicle regulation). The text highlights the importance of investing on high-quality, resilient, and sustainable road infrastructure, and the related road safety planning obligations, as well as of interconnectivity and interoperability of data related to traffic to improve road safety management. Finally, the conclusions acknowledge the potential for road safety of innovative technologies, putting them into perspective regarding driver knowledge and behaviour and with regard to the co-existence with vulnerable road users and with users of human-controlled vehicles. Council conclusions on the European Court of Auditors’ special report concerning the EU’s efforts towards achieving its road safety objectives, 18 June 2024 Interinstitutional European declaration on cycling, Louvain La-Neuve, 4 April 2024 Directive facilitating cross-border exchange of information on road-safety-related traffic offences (press release, 12 March 2024) Revised directive on driving licences, Council general approach, 4 December 2023 Council conclusions on road safety endorsing the Valetta Declaration of March 2017, 8 June 2017

Meetings 18 June 2024 ­ ­ • Council of the EU ­ 18/06/2024 | MEETING  Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council, 20-21 June 2024 Background brief - Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council, 20-21 June 2024

Press material Tuesday, 18 June 2024

● Council of the EU   18/06/2024 12:00 | Press release | Greening freight package: Council adopts position for a more efficient management of rail infrastructure capacity and traffic   The Council adopted today its negotiating position (general approach) on a new regulation on the use of railway infrastructure capacity in the single European railway area. This piece of legislation forms part of the Commission’s ‘greening freight’ package together with proposals on a harmonised system to count EU emissions, on maximum weights and dimensions for heavy-duty vehicles, and the revision of the combined transport directive. This is another key agreement reached in the Council under our presidency. The new law will equip the single European railway area with better and more efficient tools to achieve our shared objective for a shift to more sustainable modes of transport, especially rail, and ensuring that our ambitious targets on climate neutrality are ultimately met. Georges Gilkinet, Belgian deputy prime minister and minister of mobility The new law aims to increase the availability of infrastructure through better planning and allocation processes, as well as improved cross-border coordination and is expected to significantly contribute to a more efficient management of rail infrastructure capacity and traffic. The new regulation’s more specific objectives are to: enable more effective capacity management procedures strengthen incentives to improve performance of rail infrastructure and rail transport services introduce more effective mechanisms for coordination between stakeholders, in particular across borders, and support the deployment of digital tools enabling better capacity and traffic management The main elements of the Commission proposal, namely defining better planning and allocation processes, building on the industry-led "Timetable redesign” project, as well as incentivising improved performance and coordination, have been preserved in the Council’s position. The Council introduced nevertheless several changes to the proposal with the following main objectives: simplifying, where possible, the planning and allocation process and, in doing so, reducing the administrative workload of the competent authorities and operational stakeholders involved specifying further the contribution of the European network of infrastructure managers (ENIM) to the capacity management taking into account national security and defence aspects granting member states sufficient flexibility to define general objectives and policy orientations for rail capacity management, while ensuring the required harmonisation at EU level reinforcing the coordination between member states, in particular to replace the mechanisms established in the previous regulation, which will be repealed entrusting the European network of rail regulatory bodies (ENRRB) with the main tasks related to performance review   Next steps Following today’s adoption of the Council’s negotiating mandate (general approach), the incoming presidency can begin talks (‘trilogues’) with the European Parliament on this file. Background information The Commission proposal is part of the ‘greening freight’ legislative package adopted in July 2023 covering several modes of transport, including the revision of the weights and dimensions directive, as well as the harmonisation of emissions accounting in transport (‘CountEmissions EU’ proposal). The last proposal of the package on the revision of the combined transport directive was submitted in November 2023. Cross-border rail passenger traffic is on the rise but still only around 10% of total rail passenger traffic in the EU. Cross-border rail freight is also considered particularly struggling to compete with other transport modes. The specific proposal therefore aims to increase cross-border rail transport with new measures for better management and coordination: better use of resources, increased reliability, increased cross-border coordination under normal or disruptive situations, increased role of digital tools, better cooperation between stakeholders, increased transparency on performance of infrastructure, increased level of competition especially in long-distance passenger rail. In the European Parliament (EP), the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) has the lead responsibility. Tilly Metz (Green / LU) was appointed rapporteur. The EP adopted its negotiating mandate at the plenary session on 12 March 2024, broadly in support of the Commission proposal. Regulation on the use of railway capacity in the single European railway area, Council general approach, 18 June 2024 Regulation on the use of railway infrastructure capacity in the single European railway area, Commission proposal, 12 July 2023 + Annexes (ADDs) 1 - 4

Press material Tuesday, 18 June 2024

● Council of the EU   18/06/2024 11:03 | Press release | Inland waterways: Council adopts position for safer and more efficient inland waterways information services   The Council adopted today its negotiating position (general approach) on a revised directive improving river information services (RIS) on inland waterways. RIS are advanced services and functionalities that primarily provide traffic and transport information for inland navigation purposes. The revised directive mainly aims to facilitate and accelerate the harmonised deployment of RIS on all the EU’s inland waterways in the context of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). We are happy to have reached an agreement on the Council’s position on this important file under our presidency. Once agreed with the European Parliament, this new law will encourage the much-desired modal shift in Europe by paving the way for transport services in our inland waterways to become safer, greener, and more efficient in the years to come. Georges Gilkinet, Belgian deputy prime minister and minister of mobility The evaluation of the 2005 directive concluded that the deployment of RIS is still slow and fragmented, which hampers the competitiveness and safety of the sector, and holds back its contribution to the objectives of the European green deal. The revised legislation aims to address the problems identified under the previous legal framework, and, more concretely: to ensure RIS data availability and harmonised standards to facilitate the integration of inland waterways transport into the multimodal chain to ensure greater uptake and interoperability of digital solutions, and address data protection concerns The general thrust of the Commission proposal has been retained in the Council’s position. However, the Council introduced several changes to the proposal, mainly with a view to making the existing rules clearer and more coherent from a technical perspective. The main amendments cover: the scope of the directive: it will continue to apply on inland waterways and inland ports which are part of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), and which are directly connected to inland waterways and inland ports of another member state (which are also part of the TEN-T) the complaint handling mechanism proposed by the Commission was considered too prescriptive and was therefore taken out of the text the possibility to update the annex setting out the list of relevant data that must be supplied to RIS users by delegated acts was removed from the text the transposition deadline was extended from 1 to 3 years after entry into force of the amended directive Next steps Following today’s adoption of the Council’s negotiating mandate (general approach), the incoming presidency can begin talks (‘trilogues’) with the European Parliament on this file. Background information Directive 2005/44/EC lays down a framework for the deployment and use of harmonised, interoperable, and open river information services (RIS). Its aim is to increase the safety, efficiency, and environmental friendliness of inland waterway transport. It sets out the general requirements for how RIS should be set up by the member states, the areas in which standards need to be developed and the principles to be followed. The Commission carried out an ex-post evaluation of the directive in 2021. The revision of the directive therefore aims to address the problems identified. The proposal was submitted by the Commission on 31 January 2024 in the context of its Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT). It is based on the results of an impact assessment which was informed by an external support study. Tom Berendsen (EPP / NL) has been appointed as the European Parliament’s rapporteur on this file. Revised directive on harmonised river information systems (RIS), Council general approach, 18 June 2024 Revised directive on harmonized river information systems (RIS), Commission proposal, 31 January 2024 + ADDs 1-6

Press material Tuesday, 18 June 2024

● Council of the EU   18/06/2024 10:18 | Press release | Maritime safety: Council adopts position to strengthen European Maritime Safety Agency   The Council adopted today its negotiating position (general approach) on a new regulation strengthening the role of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). This is the last piece of legislation that is part of the so-called ‘maritime safety’ legislative package. The rest of the legislative proposals were provisionally agreed by the co-legislators at the beginning of this year and are expected to be formally adopted by the Council in autumn 2024. We have worked hard and managed to agree on a whole package of maritime safety legislation in record time in the Council. Today’s decision sets the baselines for more sustainable, safer, and cleaner maritime transport providing a solid and future-proof framework for the European Maritime Safety Agency’s assistance to member states and the Commission to effectively address the evolving needs of the maritime sector. Paul Van Tigchelt, Belgian deputy prime minister and minister of justice and the North Sea The new regulation aims to update the EMSA’s mandate to better anchor and reflect the Agency’s new tasks in the areas of pollution prevention and response, decarbonisation, digitalisation, surveillance, and maritime awareness. The EMSA will be therefore legally mandated to fulfil these tasks and support the member states and the Commission with the necessary technical, operational, and scientific assistance to ensure maritime safety and security, as well as the sector’s green and digital transition. The revision also aims to ensure that the Agency has adequate human and financial resources to fulfil its role. The general thrust of the Commission proposal has been retained in the Council’s position. However, the Council introduced several changes on the following aspects of the proposal: it focuses the Agency’s work on its core tasks, while not excluding that it takes on additional tasks, if and when considered necessary and appropriate by member states and the Commission due to developments in the maritime domain member states’ rights and obligations and – not least – the budgetary implications of new tasks are always to be taken into account on governance, the weight of member states in the management board has been strengthened and the latter’s proper involvement in decision-making has been secured the possibility for the management board to establish committees and working groups, if necessary, has been maintained, thus leaving the necessary flexibility, and considerations of need and resources to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis Next steps Following today’s adoption of the Council’s negotiating mandate (general approach), the incoming presidency can begin talks (‘trilogues’) with the European Parliament on this file. Background information The proposal forms part of the maritime safety package submitted by the Commission on 1 June 2023. The five legislative proposals, including a set of revised directives on ship-source pollution, compliance with flag state requirements, port state control and investigation of maritime accidents, 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 new laws will equip the EU with modern tools to support clean and safer shipping. EMSA will play a prominent role in the implementation of the new requirements through the support it will offer to member states’ administrations to enforce the new rules. The proposed regulation therefore puts forward changes to EMSA's mandate and incorporates the Agency’s new tasks in the revised framework. Claudia Monteiro de Aguiar (EPP / PT) was the European Parliament’s rapporteur on this file.   Regulation on the European Maritime Safety Agency, Council general approach, 18 June 2024 Regulation on the European Maritime Safety Agency, Commission proposal, 1 June 2023 Revision of regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 establishing a European Maritime Safety Agency, Commission’s staff working document, 1 June 2023 European green deal (background information, European Commission) Zero-pollution action plan (background information, European Commission)