COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Library blog Tuesday, 17 December 2024

● General Secretariat of the Council   Think Tank Review - December 2024   The impacts of EU enlargement; the EU’s path to 2030; developing European industrial policy; international climate protection against the Trump agenda; the EU’s digital and energy ambitions; the BRICS summit in Kazan; the EU's defence industrial policy and the Atlantic Alliance, and China’s influence within the United Nations are some of the issues covered in the December Think Tank Review.

Press material Monday, 16 December 2024

● Council of the EU   16/12/2024 21:30 | Press release | Cohesion policy: EU co-legislators strike a deal on a new instrument to promote the development of cross-border regions (BRIDGEforEU)   The Council presidency and European Parliament negotiators today reached a provisional agreement on a new Border Regions’ Instrument for Development and Growth in the EU – BRIDGEforEU. The regulation on the instrument seeks to support the development of cross-border regions by making it easier to find solutions to their challenges, such as infrastructure development and the management of cross-border public services. According to the provisional agreement, the new legal framework will complement existing possibilities and cover the land border regions of neighbouring member states, as well as maritime borders. Member states will be free to decide whether to set up cross-border coordination points responsible for handling cross-border files and how to resolve cross-border obstacles. Those member states who do not wish to set up cross-border coordination points will have limited reporting obligations. Island member states will be exempt from these requirements. Although the regulation will not apply to border regions with third countries, it opens up the possibility for member states to set up equivalent procedural frameworks under national law to address cross-border issues in their cooperation with third countries. The co-legislators have also agreed that only public or private law entities would be able to initiate cross-border files, while natural persons would not be able to do so. Next steps The provisional agreement will now need to be endorsed by both institutions in their entirety and undergo legal-linguistic revision before formal adoption. Member states’ EU ambassadors will be invited to confirm the agreement at their meeting on 20 December. Cohesion policy: Council agrees negotiating mandate for a regulation on facilitating cross-border solutions (press release, 23 October 2024)

● Council of the EU   16/12/2024 20:44 | Meetings | Main results - Foreign Affairs Council, 16 December 2024   The Foreign Affairs Council exchanged views on the Russian aggression against Ukraine and Georgia. Ministers then discussed the situation in the Middle East, including Syria. Under current affairs, EU ministers touched on the latest developments in Belarus.

● Council of the EU

16/12/2024 20:06 | Press release | Seventeenth meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro at ministerial level   The seventeenth meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro at ministerial level was held today in Brussels. The European Union delegation was led by Mr Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, on behalf of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, with the participation of Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. The Montenegrin delegation was led by Mr Milojko Spajić, Prime Minister of Montenegro. The meeting served to provisionally close negotiations on the following negotiating chapters: Chapter 7 - Intellectual property law Chapter 10 - Information society and media Chapter 20 - Enterprise and industrial policy This follows the sixteenth meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro on 26 June 2024, where the EU confirmed that Montenegro has, overall, met the interim benchmarks set for the rule of law chapters (Chapters 23 and 24), paving the way for the country to start the process of closing chapters in the accession negotiations. “Montenegro has been waiting for EU membership for 16 years, with all chapters opened but no chapters closed in the past seven years. Under the Hungarian presidency, we have now successfully closed three negotiation chapters, marking a significant step forward in Montenegro's accession process.” — Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, on behalf of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union Monitoring of progress in the alignment with and implementation of the EU acquis will continue throughout the negotiations. The EU will, if necessary, return to these chapters at an appropriate moment. Background Currently, 33 chapters in Montenegro’s EU accession negotiations have been opened. With the provisional closure of three chapters today, a total of six negotiating chapters have been provisionally closed. According to the negotiating principles endorsed by the Accession Conference, agreements reached in the course of negotiations on specific chapters, even partial ones, may not be considered as final until an overall agreement has been reached for all chapters. EU common position regarding chapter 7 EU common position regarding chapter 10 EU common position regarding chapter 20 Montenegro (background information) ● Council of the EU   16/12/2024 18:34 | Meetings | Main results - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Energy), 16 December 2024   EU energy ministers approved conclusions on the promotion of geothermal energy, following the presentation of an International Energy Agency report on the future of geothermal energy. They also exchanged views on the future of energy policy in view of a genuine energy union, discussing priorities for the next legislative cycle. ● Council of the EU   17/12/2024 10:27 | Press release | Third meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania at ministerial level   The third meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania at ministerial level was held today in Brussels. The European Union delegation was led by Mr Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, on behalf of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, with the participation of Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. The Albanian delegation was led by Mr Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania. The meeting served to open negotiations with Albania on Cluster 6: External relations, including the following negotiating chapters: Chapter 30 – External relations Chapter 31 – Foreign, security and defence policy The EU also set benchmarks for the provisional closure of these chapters. This follows the opening of the first cluster, on ‘Fundamentals’, at the Accession Conference with Albania on 15 October 2024. “Today, we held the second Intergovernmental Conference with Albania under the Hungarian presidency, taking another concrete step forward in its accession process. This progress reflects our strong focus on the integration of the Western Balkans, which is essential for the stability and future of the European Union.” — Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, on behalf of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union Monitoring of progress in the alignment with and implementation of the EU acquis and relevant European standards will continue throughout the negotiations. The Accession Conference will return to this cluster at an appropriate moment. Background Following the introduction of the revised methodology for the accession negotiations in 2020, negotiating chapters are divided in six thematic clusters: Fundamentals Internal market Competitiveness and inclusive growth Green agenda and sustainable connectivity Resources, agriculture and cohesion External relations Negotiations on the Fundamentals cluster are the first to be opened and the last to be closed, and progress under this cluster will determine the overall pace of negotiations. EU common position on Cluster 6: External relations First meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania, 19 July 2022 Second meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania, 15 October 2024