EUROGROUP,COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Meetings Monday, 20 January 2025

● Eurogroup   20/01/2025 20:34 | Meetings | Main results - Eurogroup, 20 January 2025   The Eurogroup discussed the priorities and challenges of the euro area in the context of the new European policy cycle. Ministers explored the use of innovative technologies in wholesale transaction settlements and reviewed progress on the digital euro project.

● European Council

20/01/2025 16:43 | Media accreditation | Media advisory - Informal EU leaders' retreat of 3rd February 2025   EU leaders will discuss European defence during an informal meeting at Château de Limont. In order to comply with the constraints imposed by the limited space available at the Informal EU Leader’s retreat venue, a maximum of 100 media representatives will be allowed on site in person to cover the arrival doorsteps. The group authorized on the premises will be selected taking into account different criteria to ensure a fair and balanced representation. The rest of the accredited media representatives interested in following the events from the Council building will have the possibility to access the Council press centre in the Justus Lipsius building, which will remain opened until 3 hours after the press conference. A final press conference will be held in the Justus Lipsius Press Room after the event. The Council press centre in the Justus Lipsius building will remain opened for accredited journalists who wish to follow the press events from Brussels. When registering, journalists should specify whether they wish to cover the doorsteps on site or only cover the event from the Council building in Brussels. There will be no workstations for journalists at the retreat venue.  Registration Media representatives (including 1-year Council badge holders) are required to register their participation via the EVA portal on the Council website, specifying their interest (on-site for doorsteps, or remotely from the Council building).  Apply here Deadline for registration: Friday 24 January 2025, 14:00 Media representatives are strongly advised to apply as soon as possible to allow for sufficient time to process the requests. Registrations submitted after the above-mentioned deadline will not be accepted. Accreditation After informing API-IPA, the selection for the onsite participation will be made by applying the following criteria in sequence until maximum capacity is reached. Priority will be given to reporters from audiovisual media with a maximum of 2 persons per media organisation (host video coverage will also be available): Only journalists holding a European Council annual badge or with a recent (within the last 6 months) summit accreditation Geographically balanced representation of media from all EU 27 member states Brussels-based main international media and agencies A random selection (lottery) of accredited journalists Such a model will ensure a good balance of having all member states represented, a wide coverage through big agencies and media outlets, as well as allow for a significant number of randomly selected Brussels-accredited journalists. The selected media will be provided transport back and forth between the Council building and the venue in order to cover the available press opportunities. No media will be allowed on site at chateau de Limont, unless transported through shuttles organised by the Council. The media that will not be selected will have the possibility to access the press centre in the Council building, as long as they hold a European Council 1-year badge or if they had a valid summit accreditation in the last 6 months. Media representatives that will be accredited will receive a confirmation e-mail. Details regarding badge collection will be communicated at a later stage. In order to make the best use of the capacity available, please inform the press centre immediately should you finally decide not to attend in person, via e-mail to press.centre@consilium.europa.eu Press conferences A press conference will be held in the JL press room after the event. Press materials Videos and photos of the summits will be available on: Council Newsroom EC Audiovisual Service Council Live Visit the meeting page  Council of the EU   21/01/2025 11:07 | Press release | European Health Data Space: Council adopts new regulation improving cross-border access to EU health data   The Council of the EU has adopted a new law that will make it easier to exchange and access health data at EU level, paving the way for it to come into force. The European Health Data Space (EHDS) regulation aims to improve individuals’ access to and control over their personal electronic health data, while also enabling certain data to be reused for research and innovation purposes for the benefit of European patients. It provides for a health-specific data environment that will ensure cross-border access to digital health services and products within the EU. “The digital transformation of healthcare in Europe is a key priority for Polish Presidency. The adoption of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) marks a crucial step in this process, empowering EU citizens to access to their health data anywhere in the EU. EHDS will enhance the quality and efficiency of medical care, while ensuring that our health system remains resilient to future challenges.” — Izabela Leszczyna, Polish Minister of Health Easier access to health data for individuals Under the new rules, individuals will have faster and easier access to electronic health data, regardless of whether they are in their home country or another member state. They will also have greater control over how that data is used. EU countries will be required to set up a digital health authority to implement the new provisions. Greater research potential The EHDS will also provide researchers and policy-makers with access to specific kinds of anonymised, secure health data, enabling them to tap into the vast potential provided by the EU’s health data to inform scientific research, develop better treatments, and improve patient care. Ensuring interoperability Currently, the level of digitalisation of health data in the EU varies from one member state to another, making it more difficult to share data across member-state borders. The new regulation requires all electronic health record (EHR) systems to comply with the specifications of the European electronic health record exchange format, ensuring that they are interoperable at EU level. Next steps The regulation will now be formally signed by the Council and the European Parliament. It will enter into force 20 days after publication in the EU’s Official Journal. Background On 3 May 2022 the European Commission published a proposal for a regulation creating a European Health Data Space (EHDS). The proposal is the first of nine European sector- and domain-specific data spaces set out by the Commission in its 2020 communication, ‘A European strategy for data’. The Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the regulation on 15 March 2024. The aim of the EHDS is to make it easier to access and exchange health data across borders, both to support healthcare delivery (‘primary use of data’) and inform health research and policy-making (re-use of data, also referred to as ‘secondary use of data’). It is considered a key pillar of the European Health Union. European Health Data Space (text of the regulation) European Health Data Space: Council and Parliament strike deal (press release, 15 March 2024) EU health policy (background information) ● Council of the EU   21/01/2025 12:47 | Press release | European Peace Facility: Council adopts the third assistance measure in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces   The Council today adopted a third assistance measure under the European Peace Facility (EPF) worth €60 million to the benefit of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). This assistance measure will contribute to strengthening the capacities of the LAF to enable them - in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 - to redeploy, secure and maintain stability in the South of Litani Sector of the country. The measure will therefore contribute to the protection of the civilian population in the region. The assistance measure will also enhance the LAF’s operational capabilities and effectiveness to contribute to national and regional security and stability, thereby allowing displaced civilians on both sides to return to their homes. “This new assistance marks a significant uptake in the EU’s support to the Lebanese Armed Forces under the European Peace Facility, at a critical juncture for the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel. The LAF are essential to regional and domestic stability, and deserve all our support in performing their critical mission. The EU and its member states are strongly committed to supporting Lebanese state institutions and to renewing the EU-Lebanon partnership.” — Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy The decision demonstrates the EU’s commitment to support the LAFs’ capacities to redeploy in the South of Litani Sector, in particular in the wake of the 60-day ceasefire agreement of 27 November 2024. The LAF plan to redeploy in the South of Litani Sector is crucial to keep pace with international efforts aimed at achieving a lasting ceasefire and implementing UNSCR 1701. The LAF are the main guarantor, along with UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), for establishing the necessary security conditions to restore stability and security for populations on both sides of the border. Background The European Peace Facility was established in March 2021 for the financing of actions under the common foreign and security policy to prevent conflicts, preserve peace and strengthen international security and stability. In particular, the European Peace Facility allows the EU to finance actions designed to strengthen the capacities of third States and regional and international organisations relating to military and defence matters. European Peace Facility (background information) EU cooperation on security and defence (background information) ● General Secretariat of the Council   21/01/2025 12:30 | Press release | New Director-General appointed in the Council’s General Secretariat   The Council today appointed Preben Aamann as the new Director-General for Communication and Information (COMM). He will start in his new post on 1 February 2025. Preben Aamann, a Danish national, is currently head of the Council’s press office. Between 2012 and 2019 he worked as deputy spokesperson of the European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and as spokesperson of the European Council President Donald Tusk. Prior to that, he worked in the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in various positions, including as spokesperson at the Danish Permanent Representation to the European Union and later as chief spokesperson and head of the communication team during the Danish EU Presidency (in 2012). Throughout his career, he has acquired deep and broad experience in a range of sectors of European affairs and a thorough knowledge and understanding of the Council and European Council. Biography of Preben Aamann COMM communicates and provides information about the role and activities of the European Council and the Council, acting as the interface between the public and these institutions. It offers factually accurate, impartial and timely information about their role and activities and about EU policies, aimed at a variety of audiences. It also provides services and infrastructure for media professionals, manages the archives and is responsible for transparency and public access to documents. ● Council of the EU   21/01/2025 14:04 | Press release | Economic governance framework: Council sets fiscal expenditure paths for 21 member states   As the next step in the implementation of the EU’s new fiscal rules, the Council today adopted recommendations endorsing the first-ever medium-term fiscal-structural plans and setting the net expenditure paths for 21 member states. The medium-term fiscal-structural plans are a cornerstone of the new economic governance framework. The plans contain member states’ fiscal trajectory, together with envisaged reforms and investments. They contribute to strengthening  member states' debt sustainability and promoting sustainable and inclusive growth. The net expenditure paths, contained in the national medium-term fiscal structural plans constitute the single operational indicator for fiscal surveillance at EU level. This budgetary constraint will frame national fiscal policies for the coming four to five years and help determine whether member states are on a path towards achieving or keeping healthy finances. Now that the Council has adopted its recommendations, member states have certainty as regards the budgetary paths they will follow in the upcoming years, and they can plan accordingly. Today, the Council greenlighted the net expenditure paths and medium-term fiscal-structural plans of Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. For the five member states that requested an extension of the fiscal adjustment period to seven years (Finland, France, Ireland, Italy and Romania), the Council also endorsed the set of reform and investment commitments underpinning this extension. A key objective of all plans is to ensure that, by the end of the fiscal adjustment period, general government debt is on a plausibly downward trajectory, or stays at prudent levels, and that the government deficit is brought and maintained below the reference value of 3% of GDP over the medium term. The standard fiscal adjustment period is 4 years. An extended 7-year fiscal adjustment period can lead to a lower fiscal adjustment need per year. Background Under the new economic governance framework, which has been in force since the end of April 2024, member states are asked to submit national medium-term fiscal-structural plans which cover 4 to 5 years. The plans are a cornerstone of the new economic governance framework. The plans aim to ensure that by the end of the adjustment period, general government debt is on a plausibly downward trajectory, or stays at prudent levels, and that the government deficit is kept below or brought and maintained below the reference value of 3% of GDP over the medium term. The plans also lay out reforms and investments responding to the main challenges identified in the context of the European Semester and addressing the common priorities of the EU. To that end, each plan includes a commitment to a net expenditure path, which effectively establishes a budgetary constraint for the duration of the plan, covering four or five years (depending on the regular term of legislature in a member state). Based on an assessment of the plan by the Commission, the Council adopts a recommendation in which it sets the net expenditure path of the member state concerned and, where applicable, endorses the set of reform and investment commitments underpinning an extension of the fiscal adjustment period. Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Greece Ireland Italy Latvia Luxembourg Malta The Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Economic governance framework (background information) The European Semester explained (background information) Excessive deficit procedure (background information) ● Council of the EU   21/01/2025 14:15 | Press release | Stability and growth pact: Council adopts recommendations to countries under excessive deficit procedure   Today the Council adopted recommendations for seven countries to correct their excessive deficit situation within a set time period: Belgium, France, Italy, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Romania. The recommendations contain a corrective budgetary path, expressed in numerical terms, and a deadline, for each member state. These are in line with each member states’ objectives, expressed in their medium-term fiscal-structural plans, submitted in the context of the implementation of the EU’s new economic governance framework. Belgium The Council recommends that Belgium should put an end to the excessive deficit situation by 2027. Belgium should ensure that the nominal growth rate of net expenditure does not exceed 2.4% in 2025, 1.9% in 2026 and 2.0% in 2027. As Belgium has not yet submitted a medium-term fiscal-structural plan, the corrective path is based on the reference trajectory which the Commission transmitted to Belgium in June 2024, as updated based on more recent data. France The Council recommendation establishes that France should put an end to the excessive deficit situation by 2029. France should ensure that the nominal growth rate of net expenditure does not exceed 0.8% in 2025, 1.2% in 2026, 1.2% in 2027, 1.2% in 2028 and 1.1% in 2029. Italy The Council recommends that Italy should put an end to the excessive deficit situation by 2026. Italy should ensure that the nominal growth rate of net expenditure does not exceed 1.3% in 2025 and 1.6% in 2026. Malta The Council recommends that Malta should put an end to the excessive deficit situation by 2027. Malta should ensure that the nominal growth rate of net expenditure does not exceed 6.0% in 2025, 5.8% in 2026 and 5.8% in 2027. Poland The Council recommends that Poland should put an end to the excessive deficit situation by 2028. Poland should ensure that the nominal growth rate of net expenditure does not exceed 6.3% in 2025, 4.4% in 2026, 4.0% in 2027 and 3.5% in 2028. Romania The Council recommends that Romania should put an end to the excessive deficit situation by 2030. Romania should ensure that the nominal growth rate of net expenditure does not exceed 5.1% in 2025, 4.9% in 2026, 4.7% in 2027, 4.3% in 2028, 4.2% in 2029 and 3.9% in 2030. Slovakia The Council recommendation establishes that Slovakia should put an end to the excessive deficit situation by 2027. Slovakia should ensure that the nominal growth rate of net expenditure does not exceed 3.8% in 2025, 0.9% in 2026 and 1.6% in 2027. Background Member states must comply with budgetary discipline on the basis of criteria and reference values set in the EU Treaties: their deficit should not exceed 3% of their gross domestic product (GDP) and their debt should not exceed 60% of their GDP. All member states have to respect these Treaty reference values. If an excessive deficit occurs in a member state, the aim of the excessive deficit procedure is to prompt its correction by putting member states under enhanced scrutiny and providing recommendations for them to take effective action to correct the deficit. Ultimately, the goal is to strengthen member states’ debt sustainability. Under the new economic governance framework, once an excessive deficit procedure has been launched, the Council shall make a recommendation to the member state concerned to take effective action to bring the situation of excessive deficit to an end within a  set deadline. In its recommendation, the Council shall also request that the member state implements a corrective net expenditure path which ensures that the general government deficit is brought and maintained below the 3% of GDP reference value within the deadline set in the recommendation. On 26 July 2024, the Council, formally launched excessive deficit procedures against seven member states, and decided to keep the excessive deficit procedure against Romania open, based on Commission proposals for Council decisions establishing the existence of excessive deficits for seven member states (Belgium, France, Italy, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary) and a decision stating that Romania, which is under the excessive deficit procedure since 2020, has not taken effective action to correct the situation. This year, exceptionally, the timing of recommendations to member states under the excessive deficit procedure to take effective action has been aligned with the provisions of the EU’s reformed economic governance framework. Under the new rules, in force since 30 April 2024, member states are required to prepare medium-term fiscal structural plans, setting out their expenditure paths and their priority reforms and investments for the next 4-7 years. The objective was to align the Council recommendations under the excessive deficit procedures with those under the medium-term fiscal-structural plans. Council recommendation with a view to bringing an end to the situation of an excessive deficit in Belgium Council recommendation with a view to bringing an end to the situation of an excessive deficit in France Council recommendation with a view to bringing an end to the situation of an excessive deficit in Italy Council recommendation with a view to bringing an end to the situation of an excessive deficit in Malta Council recommendation with a view to bringing an end to the situation of an excessive deficit in Poland Council recommendation with a view to bringing an end to the situation of an excessive deficit in Slovakia Council recommendation with a view to bringing an end to the situation of an excessive deficit in Romania Economic governance framework (background information) Excessive deficit procedure (background information)   ● Council of the EU   21/01/2025 13:54 | Press release | Recovery and resilience fund: Council greenlights the amended plans of Greece, Cyprus and Spain   The Council today approved the Commission’s positive assessment of the amended recovery and resilience plans submitted by Greece, Cyprus and Spain. According to the analysis of the Commission, the targeted modifications put forward by the member states do not affect the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and coherence of their recovery and resilience plans. Greece On 21 October 2024, Greece submitted targeted amendments to its recovery and resilience plan. The plan is worth € 36.6 billion in grants and loans. Cyprus On 25 October 2024, Cyprus submitted targeted amendments to its recovery and resilience plan. The plan is now worth € 1.2 billion in grants and loans. Spain On 3 December 2024, Spain submitted targeted amendments to its recovery and resilience plan. The plan is worth € 163 billion in grants and loans.  Background The RRF is the EU’s large-scale financial support programme in response to the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has posed to the European economy. It is the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU, a temporary recovery instrument that allows the Commission to raise funds to help repair the immediate economic and social damage caused by the pandemic. To benefit from the facility, member states must submit recovery and resilience plans (RRPs) to the Commission, setting out the reforms and investments they intend to complete by 31 August 2026. To date, all RRPs have been approved, 86 payment requests have been received and more than €306 billion have been disbursed. Council implementing decision approving the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for Cyprus Council implementing decision approving the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for Greece Council implementing decision approving the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for Spain A recovery plan for Europe (background information)    Council of the EU   21/01/2025 17:10 | Meetings | Main results - Economic and Financial Affairs Council, 21 January 2025   The Polish Presidency presented its work programme in the field of economic and financial affairs. Ministers held a policy debate on competitiveness. They took note of the economic and financial impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The Council adopted recommendations on 21 national medium-term fiscal-structural plans as well as recommendations for seven member states that are currently under an excessive deficit procedure. The Commission present the 2025 Alert Mechanism Report and the draft Council recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area. The Council approved targeted amendments to recovery and resilience plans of Greece, Cyprus and Spain.