EUROGROUP,COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, update

 

Press material Friday, 06 December 2024

● Council of the EU   06/12/2024 11:08 | Press release | Digital infrastructure: Council approves conclusions on the Commission’s White Paper   At the initiative of the Hungarian presidency, today the Council approved conclusions on the Commission’s White Paper titled ‘How to master EU’s digital infrastructure needs’.  Extensive transformations, driven by rapid technological progress, have been shaping the electronic communications sector, as well as the whole digital landscape in the past decade. The cross-sectoral nature of the digital transition also signifies that its impact extends well beyond the digital realm, touching upon environmental and societal aspects, as well. “Today’s comprehensive set of conclusions provide a clear political guidance on what Europe needs in terms of digital infrastructure in the coming years to improve its competitiveness and address the current and future challenges.” — Zoltán Kovács, Hungarian minister of state for international communication and relations In light of the Commission’s White Paper and the recent Draghi and Letta reports, the Council conclusions aim to take stock of the progress made at European level, with particular attention to digital infrastructures, while identifying the numerous challenges that still lie ahead. The conclusions also aim to convey a comprehensive set of messages on fostering innovation, ensuring security and resilience, promoting fair competition, and driving investments in digital infrastructures to advance the EU's competitiveness and digital transformation goals. The text of the conclusions touches upon important questions, such as the possible convergence of cloud and telecoms in the digital ecosystem – where the significance of an impact assessment is stressed - or market consolidation, where the need for effective competition in the relevant market is highlighted. Regulatory matters are also covered in the set of conclusions. Maintaining the possibility of ex-ante control on certain access markets, as well as taking into account member states’ specificities, competition, and consumer welfare in the context of the migration from copper to fibre, are emphasised in the text. Council conclusions on the Commission’s White Paper ‘How to master EU’s digital infrastructure needs’ White paper on ‘How to master EU’s digital infrastructure needs?’ (European Commission)

● Council of the EU

06/12/2024 10:09 | Press release | ENISA: Council approves conclusions for a stronger EU agency for cybersecurity   At the initiative of the Hungarian presidency, today the Council approved conclusions on the EU agency for cybersecurity (ENISA). ENISA has proven to be an invaluable entity in the European cybersecurity ecosystem over the past two decades and the text of the conclusions encapsulates member states’ experiences and expectations regarding the agency. This is particularly important considering the ongoing evaluation of the cybersecurity act (CSA) and its possible revision. The conclusions therefore contain a series of recommendations and suggestions on behalf of the Council. “The importance of ENISA can hardly be underestimated in tackling cybersecurity threats, which have significantly increased in level, complexity, and scale these last years. This comprehensive set of conclusions will help us build a robust and resilient digital space in Europe. Continuous cooperation, prioritisation of tasks and resources, as well as a simplification of the complex cyber landscape will be key elements to cope with current and future challenges.” — Zoltán Kovács, Hungarian minister of state for international communication and relations Key messages The Council conclusions acknowledge that the expansion of ENISA’s important role is the result of recent legislative initiatives, such as the cyber resilience act (CRA) or the revised network and information systems (NIS 2) directive, which have entrusted the agency with additional tasks. Its key role was also boosted by the growing scale and complexity of the cyber threats and challenges these last years. Therefore, the Council recommends that this increase in tasks should be reflected in adequate resources, without pre-empting the upcoming negotiation of the Multiannual Financial Framework. It is, however, equally important to prioritise actions and to have a sound cooperation with other actors in the cyber domain to avoid duplication of tasks.  The conclusions acknowledge ENISA’s support to member states when it comes to policy development and implementation. However, they also call for further improvements and action, notably regarding the development of European cybersecurity certification schemes, as well as the establishment of a single reporting platform. The text of the conclusions also recognises ENISA’s important contribution in enhancing common situational awareness, as well as in developing a common response to large-scale cyber incidents or crises. Further cooperation with the European Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs, groups of experts that assess, document, and respond to a cyber incident) network and the European cyber crisis liaison organisation network (EU-CyCLONe, a cooperation network for member states’ national authorities in charge of cybersecurity) is also emphasised in this respect. Finally, the conclusions highlight the importance of ENISA’s cooperation with other actors in the cyber ecosystem, such as the cybersecurity service for EU institutions (CERT-EU), the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre and Europol, but also with international organisations and partners and with the private sector. Council conclusions on ENISA Cybersecurity : How the EU tackles cyber threats (background information) ● Council of the EU   05/12/2024 18:40 | Meetings | Main results - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Transport), 5 December 2024   Council adopts negotiating positions on a new directive on driving disqualifications, a regulation on enforcement of passenger rights and a regulation on passenger rights in the context of multimodal journeys. ● Eurogroup   05/12/2024 16:42 | Meetings | Agenda highlights - Eurogroup, 9 December 2024   The Eurogroup will hold a discussion with Rachel Reeves, the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, on global economic developments. The Eurogroup will also review macroeconomic developments and policies in the euro area, including in the context of the International Monetary Fund's Article IV consultation. Additionally, ministers will assess draft budgetary plans and prospects for the euro area, drawing on the European Commission’s opinions. President Donohoe will brief ministers on his planned engagement with the European Parliament, as part of the revised economic governance framework.   Press material Thursday, 05 December 2024     ● European Council   05/12/2024 13:02 | Press release | Joint press release by the European Council and the European Commission on the European Union and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation co-hosting Gavi High Level Pledging Summit   The European Union and the Gates Foundation, together with the close support of other Gavi donors and implementing countries, will co-host the Gavi 6.0 pledging Summit. The event is planned to take place in Brussels late in the first quarter of 2025. It will bring together global leaders from government, partner organisations, vaccine manufacturers, civil society and the private sector, to secure crucial investments in vaccination programmes. António Costa, President of the European Council, said: “In a multipolar world, the EU has an essential role to play to address global health threats and unprecedented challenges to people and communities. Vaccines availability is vital not only for humanity but also to restore global economic activity and prosperity. The forthcoming Gavi's High Level Pledging Summit in Brussels reaffirms the EU's commitment to build sustainable partnerships with countries in need of health security. Multilateral collaboration is vital for pandemic preparedness and responsiveness.” President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said: "In today’s world, addressing health challenges at the global level is more important than ever. Vaccines have a lifesaving power. And Gavi’s role is key for making equitable vaccine access a reality, and for empowering our partners to achieve health sovereignty. Together with Gavi, we have the goal to vaccinate 500 million children by 2030. That is why the European Union is proud to co-host Gavi’s High Level Pledging Summit in Brussels. Our support will remain steadfast.” Read the full joint press release ● Council of the EU   05/12/2024 12:09 | Press release | Intermodal transport: Council adopts negotiating positions to reinforce passenger rights in the EU   To reinforce the application of passenger rights across the EU, today the Council adopted its negotiating position (general approach) on two Commission proposals, which form part of the so-called ‘passenger mobility’ legislative package: a draft regulation amending five different sectoral regulations regarding the enforcement of passenger rights in the EU, and a draft regulation on passenger rights in the context of multimodal journeys “We can no longer afford the lack of enforcement of passenger rights when our citizens travel in Europe. We need to deliver a clear and easy-to-implement regulatory framework, which will guarantee their rights without imposing an excessive administrative burden on transport operators and national authorities. The positions we adopted today will certainly help to achieve these goals.” — Bálint Nagy, Hungarian minister of state of transport The legislative package aims to address the gaps in the current passenger rights regulatory framework. The Council’s positions highlight the importance of protecting the rights of passengers, while limiting as much as possible the administrative burden on the operators and national enforcement bodies. More specifically: Regulation on enforcement of passenger rights The draft regulation aims to strike a balance between the protection of passengers and the obligation of carriers and infrastructure managers, as well as to address the shortcomings in the implementation and enforcement of passenger rights through: ensuring effective and efficient enforcement across all member states and in all modes of transport, through more effective tools for the monitoring of operators’ compliance with passenger rights ensuring a more effective complaint handling for passengers irrespective of the transport mode in case of airline tickets booked via an intermediary, regulating the right to reimbursement of the full cost of a ticket when the flight is not carried out as planned The draft regulation does not establish any new passenger rights as such. The Council’s position maintains the general thrust of the Commission proposal. However, several changes have been introduced aiming to clarify the provisions and reduce the administrative burden. The Council’s position also sought to maintain coherence between this proposal and the proposal on passenger rights in the context of multimodal journeys. The main changes to the original Commission proposal can be summarised as follows: A definition of a ‘recognised assistance dog’ has been added to clarify this concept, which has not been defined in the EU legislation so far. This clarification should increase legal certainty for the passengers, notably those most vulnerable – persons with disabilities and with reduced mobility. The Council’s position clarifies and simplifies the procedure for submission of reimbursement and compensation. The language regime for the submission of the relevant forms was simplified to reduce administrative burden on the carriers and intermediaries on one hand, and to facilitate the procedure for the passengers, on the other. To avoid excessive administrative burden for national enforcement bodies and preserve their independence, provisions related to the monitoring of compliance and on cooperation between member states and the Commission have been deleted. Regarding air passenger rights, the reimbursement of the full cost of the ticket booked through an intermediary has been clarified to better reflect the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) case law, notably as regards the intermediation fees. Regulation on passenger rights in the context of multimodal journeys The draft regulation aims to complement the already existing rules of the sectoral EU legislation on passenger rights by ensuring that passengers enjoy a similar level of protection where they switch between the different transport modes during a journey. It sets up a legal framework to determine the respective obligations and liabilities of the different travel service providers involved in a multimodal journey. The draft regulation provides for: the prohibition of discrimination between passengers regarding transport conditions and the provision of tickets the obligation to provide minimum and accurate information to passengers in an accessible format and in a timely manner the protection of passengers’ rights in the event of disruption, particularly in the context of a missed connection between different transport modes during a multimodal journey non-discrimination against, and assistance for, persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility The Council’s position maintains the general thrust of the Commission proposal. However, several changes have been introduced and can be summarised as follows: The scope of the draft regulation has been redefined to improve the clarity of the text, so that carriers and intermediaries can better identify their obligations, and passengers their rights. Given that the proposal introduces significant obligations on the operators involved in multimodal journeys performed under a single multimodal ticket, this concept has been clarified to specify that the carriers operating successive transport services that form the multimodal journey should conclude between them an agreement to offer those transport services as part of such a multimodal journey. The relationship with other EU legal acts, including sectoral EU legislation on passenger rights, has been clarified. The reimbursement of the full cost of the ticket booked through an intermediary has been clarified to better reflect the ECJ case law, notably as regards the intermediation fees. The text clarifies and simplifies the procedure for submission of reimbursement and compensation requests, including their linguistic regime. To safeguard high quality of services for persons with disabilities or persons with reduced mobility, an obligation has been introduced for carriers and terminal managers to establish quality standards regarding information and access requirements, and to monitor their performance. Next steps Following today’s adoption of the Council’s negotiating mandates (general approaches), the incoming presidency is enabled to enter talks with the European Parliament (‘trilogues’) with a view to possible first reading agreements on both files. Background information The EU passenger rights regulatory framework consists of five regulations dealing with four transport modes – two regulations for air, one for waterborne, one for bus and coach, and one for rail transport. On 29 November 2023, the Commission presented a package consisting of two regulations: (i) amending existing regulations as regards enforcement of passenger rights in the EU, and (ii) on passenger rights in the context of multimodal journeys. They aim to address the shortcomings of the current framework in terms of implementation and enforcement of passenger rights, and to fill in the regulatory gaps in terms of respective obligations and liabilities of the different travel service providers involved in multimodal journeys, respectively. Regulation on enforcement of passenger rights in the Union, Council general approach, 5 December 2024 Regulation on passenger rights in the context of multimodal journeys, Council general approach, 5 December 2024 Regulation on enforcement of passenger rights in the Union, Commission proposal, 29 November 2023 Regulation on passenger rights in the context of multimodal journeys, Commission proposal, 29 November 2023 ● Council of the EU   03/12/2024 16:53 | Meetings | Main results - Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Health), 3 December 2024   Health ministers discussed smoke- and aerosol-free environments, the pharmaceutical package, cardiovascular health, organ donation and transplantation, and the European Health Union. ● Συμβούλιο της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης   05/12/2024 16:25 | Συνεδριάσεις | Κύρια σημεία της ημερήσιας διάταξης - Συμβούλιο Γεωργίας και Αλιείας, 9-10 Δεκεμβρίου 2024   Το Συμβούλιο Γεωργίας και Αλιείας θα συνεδριάσει στις Βρυξέλλες, στις 9 και 10 Δεκεμβρίου 2024. Οι υπουργοί Αλιείας θα επιδιώξουν να καταλήξουν σε πολιτική συμφωνία σχετικά με δύο προτάσεις της Επιτροπής για τις αλιευτικές δυνατότητες, και συγκεκριμένα την πρόταση για τις αλιευτικές δυνατότητες στον Ατλαντικό και τη Βόρεια Θάλασσα για το 2025 και, στην περίπτωση ορισμένων αποθεμάτων, επίσης για το 2026, και την πρόταση για τις αλιευτικές δυνατότητες για το 2025 στη Μεσόγειο και τον Εύξεινο Πόντο. Όσον αφορά τη γεωργία, το Συμβούλιο θα έχει συζήτηση προσανατολισμού σχετικά με τις μελλοντικές ευκαιρίες για τη βιοοικονομία. Οι υπουργοί θα δώσουν επίσης συνέχεια στις συζητήσεις για μια κοινή γεωργική πολιτική με επίκεντρο τους αγρότες μετά το 2027. Η ουγγρική Προεδρία θα υποβάλει επίσης στο Συμβούλιο εκθέσεις προόδου σχετικά με διάφορους νομοθετικούς φακέλους, και συγκεκριμένα σχετικά με τις προτάσεις για το φυτικό πολλαπλασιαστικό υλικό, για το δασικό πολλαπλασιαστικό υλικό, για ένα πλαίσιο παρακολούθησης των δασών και για την προστασία των ζώων κατά τη μεταφορά.