COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

Weekly Presidency Newsletter - 24 November 2024 24/11/2024 | Article Weekly Presidency Newsletter - 24 November 2024 Welcome to the last issue of Weekly Presidency Newsletter in November, the weekly newsletter of the Hungarian presidency, in which we take a look at the events of the last week. This week the focus was on the AGRIFISH Council, the informal meeting of ministers responsible for demography and the joint Hungarian, Austrian, Romanian and Bulgarian Declaration. Read more

Press material Monday, 25 November 2024

● Council of the EU   25/11/2024 11:25 | Press release | Council gives go-ahead to EU annual budget for 2025   Today, the Council approved the joint text on the EU’s general budget for 2025. The joint text was agreed in negotiations with the European Parliament on 16 November 2024. Total commitments are set at €192.768,6 million and the total payments at €149.615,7 million, excluding appropriations foreseen for special instruments outside the multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027 (MFF). €800,5 million have been kept available this year under the expenditure ceilings of the current MFF, allowing the EU to react to unforeseeable needs. “I’m glad we have agreed on the EU’s budget for 2025. Next year’s budget will allow us to focus on the EU's priority areas, while ensuring a prudent and realistic approach to spending taxpayers’ money. We have kept enough financial margin to respond to unforeseen circumstances, taking into account the current economic and geopolitical context.” — Péter Banai, Hungarian Minister of State and chief Council negotiator for the 2025 EU budget Commitments are legally-binding promises to spend money on activities that are implemented over several financial years. Payments cover expenditure arising from commitments entered into the EU budget during the current or preceding financial years. The EU budget for 2025 amounts to € 199.438,4 million in total commitments and €155.209,3 million in total payments when including the appropriations foreseen for special instruments outside the MFF. Next steps The adoption of the budget will be declared by the European Parliament once it has also approved the joint text. The European Parliament and the Council both have 14 days to formally approve the agreement reached on 16 November. Background The Commission, in its initial draft budget for 2025, formally adopted on 12 July 2024, set total commitments at €193.046,9 million and the total payments at €147.090,5 million, excluding appropriations foreseen for special instruments outside the MFF . The Council, in its position adopted on 13 September 2024, set the total commitments at €191.527,0 million and the total payments at €146.214,6 million, excluding appropriations foreseen for special instruments outside the MFF. The European Parliament, in its amendments adopted on 23 October 2024, set total commitments at €194.282,3 million and total payments at €147.895,5 million, excluding appropriations foreseen for special instruments outside the MFF. On 10 October 2024, the Commission adopted an amending letter to the draft general  budget that decreases the level of commitments by €303 million and increases the level of payments by €2.657 million. After the European Parliament adopted its amendments to the draft budget, the Council stated its disagreement with the Parliament’s proposals. Consequently a meeting of the Conciliation Committee was convened. The Council and the European Parliament reached agreement on the EU’s annual budget for 2025 on 16 November 2024. The budget was adopted today by qualified majority within the Council. The Conciliation Committee is composed of the representatives of the 27 member states and 27 members of the European Parliament, with the Commission acting as an honest broker working towards reconciling the positions of the two branches of the Budgetary Authority. This is the fifth annual budget under the EU’s long-term budget, the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2021-2027. The 2025 budget is complemented by actions to support the COVID-19 recovery under NextGenerationEU, the EU's plan to recover from the pandemic. Consolidated document showing the figures and final text of all lines amended during the conciliation: Section III Consolidated document showing the figures and final text of all lines amended during the conciliation: Other Sections Figures by budget line - Section III Figures by budget line - Other Sections Figures by programme - Authorised establishment plans by Section EU annual budget for 2025: Council agrees its position on the draft budget (press release, 17 July 2024) EU budget for 2025 (background information) The EU’s annual budget (background information)

● Council of the EU   25/11/2024 15:33 | Press release | Council adopts recommendation on attractive and sustainable careers in higher education   The Council has adopted a recommendation encouraging EU countries to make careers in higher education more attractive and sustainable. The recommendation stresses the need to acknowledge the diversity of academic career paths, and highlights the importance of valuing teaching as well as research. It also includes measures to incentivise higher education professionals to take part in a broader range of career-related activities, including cross-border educational activities. “The EU’s higher education institutions nurture future generations and produce the highly skilled workforce that our economies need. Today’s recommendation highlights the importance of valuing teaching on a par with research, and calls for greater recognition of the full range of career paths and activities available to academic and professional staff.” — Balázs Hankó, Hungarian Minister for Culture and Innovation Although academic staff in higher education are expected to fulfil various roles, ranging from traditional education and research to innovation, leadership, mentoring, administration and management, these roles are unevenly recognised. This can lead to bias in terms of career structures, as well as in the overall social recognition of research at the expense of teaching and other non-research academic activities. The Council’s recommendation highlights supportive action that higher education institutions could take to make careers in the sector more attractive, including better working conditions, continuous professional development, gender equality, work-life balance, and inclusiveness. It also encourages employers to recognise and support the diverse range of academic career paths available to people in the higher education sector. In particular, the Council calls for greater recognition of the full range of roles and tasks performed by academic and professional staff in addition to research activities. These include teaching, innovation, mentoring, cross-border cooperation, and institutional governance. Today’s recommendation marks the adoption of the first file in the higher education package, which was proposed by the European Commission. The package also contains a proposal for a European degree that could be recognised automatically throughout the EU. Under this voluntary initiative, students would be able to study for a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree at two or more EU universities and obtain a joint qualification. Background  On 27 March 2024, the European Commission presented a package of initiatives aiming to encourage greater transnational cooperation between higher education institutions in the EU, leading to the creation of a European degree. The aim of the European degree is to encourage learning mobility within the EU, making graduates more attractive to future employers, while also helping to meet labour demand and boosting European competitiveness. The package addresses the legal and administrative barriers that prevent or disincentivise partner universities from setting up joint degree programmes. The elements of the package include: a Commission communication on a blueprint for a European degree a Council recommendation on a European quality assurance and recognition system in higher education a Council recommendation on attractive and sustainable careers in higher education Council recommendation on attractive and sustainable careers in higher education Blueprint for a European degree (European Commission) European Education Area (background information)

● Council of the EU

25/11/2024 13:22 | Press release | ‘Glocal’ opportunities for young people in rural and remote areas: Council approves conclusions   The Council is calling for greater support for young people living in rural and remote areas – in particular by improving access to ‘glocal’ opportunities in education and employment – as a way to combat demographic challenges in Europe. “All young people in Europe should have equal access to quality education, training and job opportunities, yet too often those living in rural and remote areas are left behind. Today’s conclusions highlight the challenges faced by rural youth and call on member states and the Commission to foster “glocal” opportunities for young people to ensure they have equal possibilities locally.” — Balázs Hankó, Hungarian Minister for Culture and Innovation Rural communities are a core part of the EU’s identity and play a crucial role in sustainable development. However, significant disparities persist between rural and urban areas. Young people in particular face challenges linked to fewer job opportunities, less access to quality education, and limited availability of social and healthcare services, among other factors. These issues increase the likelihood of young people moving away from rural and remote areas in search of better opportunities, leading to demographic challenges linked to depopulation. The Council is calling on EU authorities to step up efforts to ensure equal access for young people in rural and remote areas to key services, enabling them to benefit from ‘glocal’ opportunities. The term ‘glocal’ refers to the ability to think globally and act locally, as well as to the integration of the local and the global. In particular, the conclusions encourage member states to: improve access for rural youth to digital services, such as by strengthening digital infrastructure involve young people living in rural and remote areas in decision-making at all levels foster the creation of more, and more diverse, quality job, education and training opportunities in rural and remote areas, in sectors such as agriculture and climate adaptation encourage intergenerational solidarity and interaction, including via local youth organisations train youth workers, educators and professionals to acknowledge the diverse talents of young people The Council also calls on the Commission to improve access to relevant EU initiatives and funds, and increase the visibility of rural youth in the EU’s youth programmes, including the post-2027 EU Youth Strategy. Background  The Council conclusions approved today build on conclusions approved in November 2023 on ‘a long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas’, in which member states were invited to ‘actively support young rural citizens, inter alia by facilitating their access to funding and land, providing, diverse and flexible employment and training and educational opportunities and involving them in policy design and in local decision-making processes’. The conclusions fall within the scope of one of the Hungarian presidency’s overarching priorities, addressing demographic challenges. Improving access to ‘glocal’ opportunities for young people living in rural and remote areas (Council conclusions)

● Council of the EU

22/11/2024 14:26 | Meetings | Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council (Education and Youth), 25 November 2024   Background brief - Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council, 25-26 November 2024 Meetings Monday, 25 November 2024     ● Council of the EU   25/11/2024 16:46 | Meetings | Agenda highlights - Competitiveness Council (Research and Space), 29 November 2024   The second day of the Competitiveness Council will be divided in two sessions. The morning session (09:30 to 14:00) will bring the Research ministers together. They are expected to approve three sets of Council conclusions on strengthening the competitiveness of the EU and overcoming the fragmentation of the European Research Area, on a Europe-wide R&I initiative on natural resource management, food security and bioeconomy in Central and Eastern Europe, and on the Commission’s Communication on Advanced Materials. They will also hold a debate on the contribution of research and innovation to the competitiveness of the EU. At lunch they will exchange views on sustainable European research infrastructures. In the afternoon session (14:30 to 17:00), ministers responsible for space are expected to approve two sets of Council conclusions: the first on the mid-term assessment of the Space Programme, and the second on reinforcing European competencies in the space sector. Finally they will hold an exchange of views on the future of the Union space policy.  ● Council of the EU   25/11/2024 16:45 | Meetings | Agenda highlights - Competitiveness Council (Internal market and industry), 28 November 2024   Industry and internal market ministers will be invited to approve Council conclusions on the future of European competitiveness, following the publication of the Draghi report entitled 'The future of European competitiveness'. Ministers will also hold a debate on better regulation in Europe.