COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Press material Tuesday, 12 November 2024

● Council of the EU   12/11/2024 16:53 | Media advisory | Press briefings - Economic and Financial Affairs (Budget), General Affairs and Foreign Affairs (Trade) Council meetings   The "off the record" press briefings ahead of the following Council meetings will take place on Thursday, 14 November starting at 14.00: Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Budget), 15 November 2024 General Affairs Council, 19 November 2024 Foreign Affairs Council (Trade), 21 November 2024 These briefings will take place back-to-back in a hybrid format. EU accredited journalists will be able to participate and ask questions either remotely or in person at the Justus Lipsius press room. If you haven't registered for one of the previous press events of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council, General Affairs Council and Foreign Affairs Council (Trade), please complete your registration via this link and have the possibility to ask questions remotely. Deadline for registration: Thursday, 14 November at 13.00 Further instructions will be sent to all registered participants shortly after the deadline.

● Council of the EU

12/11/2024 09:04 | Press release | Assistance to member states affected by natural disasters: Council gives go-ahead to proposal   Member states' representatives in the Special Committee on Agriculture have endorsed providing further assistance to EU countries affected by recent unprecedent natural disasters through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). “The EU is enabling those member states who have unused rural development funds from the previous programming period to swiftly and flexibly react to the devastating effects of recent natural disasters. This will allow EU countries to use the uncommitted 2014-2020 rural development funds to recover and rebuild, by providing emergency assistance to farmers, foresters and businesses affected by climate-related disasters.” — István Nagy, Hungarian Minister for Agriculture The proposal is a direct response to recent climate-related disasters and it concerns amendments to the regulation governing the EAFRD. Once the amended regulation is formally adopted and comes into force, member states will have more flexibility to provide emergency support to farmers, forest holders, and businesses affected by natural disasters Main elements Thanks to the proposal, member states will be able to reprogramme uncommitted EAFRD funds left from the 2014-2020 programming period to swiftly provide emergency assistance to farmers, forest holders, and small and medium-sized enterprises affected by climate-related disasters that have occurred since 1 January 2024. The assistance can be 100% financed through unused EU funds from the 2014-2020 EAFRD and it will come in the form of lump sums of maximum €42 000 per beneficiary. The proposal does not modify existing budgetary commitments, meaning it is budget neutral. Moreover, member states will have the flexibility to introduce and reinforce measures to restore the production potential of affected farms and forests. The proposal also reduces the administrative burden for both the recipients of EAFRD assistance and national administrations. Once the regulation is adopted, the member states concerned will have to decide how much funding to remobilise to deal with recent disasters, according to their specific needs. They will then be required to submit programme amendments to the Commission for review and adoption. Next steps The proposal will now have to be adopted in the Parliament's plenary. The regulation will then be formally adopted by the Council, signed by the representatives of the Council and the Parliament and published in the Official Journal. It will enter into force on the date of its publication. The short time between the publication of the proposal by the Commission (21 October 2024) and its envisaged entry into force by the end of the year shows the three institutions are committed to swifty addressing the income losses European farmers and foresters are facing due to recent devastating climate-related disasters. Background The Commission proposal is a direct response to the devastating floods that hit Central and Eastern Europe and the wildfires that ravaged Southern Europe in 2024. These have had a devastating effect on the populations living and working in these regions and led to huge losses of income for the agricultural and forestry sectors. In parallel, the Commission has also proposed amendments to the regulations governing the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund (CF), and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), for the 2021-2027 programming period. This is part of the wider EU response that offers member states the possibility of receiving support in the aftermath of climate disasters. This separate proposal is also currently going through the ordinary legislative procedure. Additionally, the CAP Strategic Plans (2023-2027) support investments aimed at restoring agricultural or forestry potential following natural disasters, adverse climatic events, or catastrophic events. This includes measures that contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, with a budget of €93 billion for the 2023-2027 period. The CAP 2023-2027 also includes an agricultural reserve of at least €450 million per year, to help farmers cope with market disruptions or exceptional events affecting agricultural production or distribution. In recent years, the reserve has been deployed on multiple occasions to directly support farmers impacted by exceptional adverse climatic events. Commission proposal European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (Commission website) Common agricultural policy funds (Commission website)   Press material Wednesday, 13 November 2024     ● Council of the EU   13/11/2024 12:12 | Media advisory | Press briefings ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council of 18 November and the Foreign Affairs (Defence) Council of 19 November 2024   The press briefings ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council of 18 November, and the Foreign Affairs Council (Defence) of 19 November will take place on Friday, 15 November 2024: at 14.30 - Foreign Affairs Council at 15.30 - Foreign Affairs Council (Defence) These briefings will be "off the record" and will be given by senior EEAS and EDA officials 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 Foreign Affairs Council do not need to do it again. Deadline for registration: Friday, 15 November 2024, 13.30 Further instructions will be sent to all registered participants shortly after the deadline.   Foreign Affairs Council, 18 November 2024 – Meeting page Foreign Affairs Council (Defence), 19 November 2024 – Meeting page     Library blog Wednesday, 13 November 2024     ● General Secretariat of the Council   Think Tank reports on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine   Why the war with Russia can still be won and the West’s counter-strategy towards Moscow; four scenarios for the end of the war in Ukraine; a modern Marshall Plan for Ukraine and related lessons from history to deliver hope; tackling circumvention of EU sanctions; whether the digital ruble can shield Russia from western sanctions are some of the topics discussed in the present update ● Council of the EU   13/11/2024 14:00 | Meetings | Agenda highlights - Agriculture and Fisheries Council, 18 November 2024   Based on information from the European Commission and member states, agriculture ministers will discuss the situation of agricultural markets and commodities, a recurring topic on the Council's agenda. The Ukrainian Minister for Agrarian Policy and Food, Vitalii Koval, is expected to join the ministers prior to their discussion. Furthermore, fisheries ministers will hold an initial exchange of views on the 2025 fishing opportunities in the Atlantic and the North Sea and in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas, based on a presentation by the Commission of its proposals.

• Council of the EU

­ 13/11/2024 | Media advisory | Presidency event: Informal meeting of ministers responsible for demography, Budapest, 18-19 November 2024 On 18 and 19 November 2024, an informal meeting of ministers responsible for demography will take place in Budapest. The meeting will be chaired by Zsófia Koncz, the Hungarian Minister of State for Families. The discussions will focus on the means to achieve intergenerational cooperation and the positive effects it can have in addressing demographic challenges. The event will also address measures that can promote active aging and preserve elderly people’s health, especially their mental health, and means to better harness the untapped potential of elderly people in light of changing demographic realities. The second part of the discussions will examine how to support housing and employment opportunities for young people, as well as their well-being, with special attention to their mental health. A press conference will take place on 19 November 2024 at +/- 16:15.   For more information and to register, click here. Further information If you have any further questions, please contact  media.presidency@hu24eu.hu HU24EU