COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Press material Thursday, 13 February 2025

● European Council   13/02/2025 09:58 | Media accreditation | One-year badge 2025 - accreditation is open   This badge is intended for journalists resident in Belgium and gives access, during the whole calendar year 2025, to the Council premises during summits and high-level meetings, as well as on regular working days.  Application deadline: Friday 28 February 2025, at 14:00 Apply for the one-year badge More information on the one-year badge (PDF) Procedure Before starting the online procedure please make sure to have at hand the following piece of information and documents: the number of your valid identity document (national identity cards are only accepted for EU and EFTA nationals) or passport, as well as the issuing and expiry dates thereof a scanned copy of your EU or Belgian press card, OR of the assignment letter signed by your editor-in-chief confirming that you are covering EU affairs during the current year a passport-type picture in .jpeg format (max. 500KB) you will also be asked to print, sign and upload a form to give your authorisation to be security screened by the Belgian authorities. You will be able to download your consent form from your account Collection of badges You will receive an automatic email to inform you once your application has been validated and the badge is ready to be collected. One-year badges can be collected, on an individual basis only, at the JL main accreditation desk on working days. Please ensure you have your ID/passport when collecting the badge.

Press material Thursday, 13 February 2025

● European Council   13/02/2025 09:58 | Media accreditation | Media advisory - Accreditation for the European Council, 20 and 21 March 2025   The meeting of the European Council will take place on 20 and 21 March 2025 in the Europa building in Brussels. Address: Rue de la Loi 155/Wetstraat 155, 1040-Brussels. Registration Media representatives wishing to cover the meeting in person are required to register in advance, following this link. The deadline to register is Friday 28 February 2025 at 14:00 CEST. Under certain conditions, there will be the possibility for late accreditation. IMPORTANT: Media representatives are strongly advised to apply as soon as possible to allow for sufficient time to process the requests, especially those attending a European Summit for the first time or who have not completed a full security screening within the last few months. While under certain conditions it will be possible to process late accreditation requests, due to organizational and security constraints, the Council cannot guarantee the verification of applications for accreditation received after the deadline. Without such verification, the access to the summit will be denied. There is no need to register or collect any badge for the media representatives already in possession of the European Council annual badge. For more information, please also consult the Media accreditation page. Badge Collection A media accreditation desk will be set up at the LEX building (Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 145) outside the security perimeter, to allow for collection of badges during the events. Opening hours will be communicated at a later stage. Media opportunities A detailed programme, including information on media opportunities, will be published at a later stage. 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

12/02/2025 19:56 | Meetings | Main results - Informal video conference of trade ministers, 12 February 2025   EU trade ministers held an informal video conference to discuss EU-US trade relations to take stock of the latest developments and prospects for engagement with the US. Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maroš Šefčovič also participated in a meeting.   12/02/2025 | Article US Steel and Aluminum Tariffs – Trade Ministers Video Conference Call The aim of the talks convened by the Polish Presidency was, among others, to take stock of the latest developments and prospects for engagement with the United States. The Ministers also discussed a potential joint response to President Trump’s decisions. ● European Council   12/02/2025 17:26 | Press release | President Costa to participate in the 8th EU-South Africa summit on 13 March 2025   The President of the European Council, António Costa, together with the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, will represent the EU in the 8th EU-South Africa summit, which will take place on 13 March 2025 in South Africa. The main goal of the summit is to further strengthen the EU’s relations with South Africa, which is a strategic partner for the EU amidst a challenging geopolitical context. “I am looking forward to the summit and our discussions on improving economic relations, energy transition, security and defence, sustainable value chains and multilateral cooperation. We are dedicated to strengthening the long-standing and geostrategic partnership between the EU and South Africa, especially given the current geopolitical challenges.” — António Costa, President of the European Council The summit will provide an important opportunity to advance on some of the most pressing global and regional issues which are also part of South Africa’s G20 Presidency and to discuss current geopolitical challenges, including Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the current escalation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It will also serve as a platform to make progress on several spheres of bilateral cooperation. Areas of cooperation include economic, trade and investment relations, security and defence, energy, research and innovation and good governance. Background The EU-South Africa Strategic Partnership has been in place since 2007, and since then, numerous high-level meetings have been held, including over twenty sectorial dialogues, an annual human rights dialogue and the joint cooperation council (JCC). The 16th session of the EU-South Africa JCC was held in Brussels on 15 January 2025 and was an important step in the preparations for the ministerial political dialogue on 19 February and the upcoming 8th EU-South Africa summit. From an economic standpoint, South Africa is the EU’s largest trading partner in Sub-Saharan Africa, with €49 billion of total trade in goods in 2023, and the EU is South Africa’s top source of foreign direct investment, totalling 53.7% in 2022. Under the multi-annual indicative programme 2021-2027 for South Africa, the EU allocated €129 million in grant funding towards its partnership with the country for 2021-2024. South Africa (European Commission) EU trade relations with South Africa (European Commission) The European Union and South Africa (EEAS)   ● European Council   12/02/2025 17:26 | Press release | First EU-Central Asia summit to take place on 3-4 April 2025   The President of the European Council, António Costa, along with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, will be travelling to Uzbekistan for the first-ever EU-Central Asia summit on 3-4 April. The summit will be hosted by Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, with the participation of the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. The summit will present a key opportunity for the EU to demonstrate its geopolitical interest in intensifying bilateral engagement and enhance regional cooperation with Central Asia. Given the evolving geopolitical landscape, marked by Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and ongoing developments in Afghanistan, relations between the EU and Central Asia have become of increased strategic importance over the years. “We are living in a world of disorder and fragmentation where the only viable solution for the EU is to build stronger partnerships to advance peace and prosperity. It is a multipolar world that requires greater and tailored engagement. The very first EU-Central Asia summit will solidify our commitment to work together for peace, security, and sustainable development, in full respect of international law.” — António Costa, President of the European Council During the summit, the EU will affirm its commitment to scale up cooperation in areas of mutual interests, which include transport and digital connectivity in the region and with the EU, critical raw materials, economic and security cooperation, and energy transition. Background High-level relations between the EU and Central Asia have intensified over the past years, with two leaders’ meetings held in October 2022 in Kazakhstan and in June 2023 in Kyrgyzstan. Additionally, numerous ministerial-level discussions have taken place, with the most recent in Luxembourg in 2023, establishing a joint roadmap for deepening ties between the EU and Central Asia. The roadmap identifies concrete action points to enhance interregional dialogue, including the commitment to hold a summit. The 20th EU-Central Asia Ministerial meeting will take place on 4 March 2025 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and will also be dedicated to summit preparations. In 2019, the EU adopted a new Strategy on Central Asia, which highlights the growing strategic relevance of the region for EU interests and builds upon the positive developments in regional cooperation over the years. The updated strategy aims to foster a stronger, modern and non-exclusive partnership with the countries of Central Asia so that the region develops as a sustainable, more resilient, prosperous, and closely interconnected economic and political space. The EU is the second trading partner for the region, as well as the biggest investor with over 40% of the investment in the region originating from the EU. To further deepen bilateral ties, the EU has negotiated enhanced partnership and cooperation agreements (EPCAs) with all Central Asian countries, except Turkmenistan. EU-Central Asia (EEAS) EU-Central Asia relations (Factsheet, EEAS) ● Council of the EU   13/02/2025 11:05 | Media advisory | Press briefing - Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 18 February 2025   The press briefing ahead of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council will take place on Friday, 14 February 2025 at 09.30. This briefing will be "off the record". The press briefing will take place 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 the Economic and Financial Affairs Council do not need to do it again. Deadline for registration: Friday, 14 February 2025 at 08.30 Further instructions will be sent to all registered participants shortly after the deadline. ● Council of the EU   13/02/2025 11:56 | Meetings | Agenda highlights - Agriculture and Fisheries Council, 24 February 2025   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 Council will also exchange views on implementing the principle of rural proofing, which involves reviewing policies from a rural perspective to make sure they’re fit for purpose for people living and working in rural areas.   ● Συμβούλιο της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης   13/02/2025 15:22 | Συνεδριάσεις | Κύρια σημεία της ημερήσιας διάταξης - Συμβούλιο Οικονομικών και Δημοσιονομικών Θεμάτων, 18 Φεβρουαρίου 2025   Οι υπουργοί θα πραγματοποιήσουν συζήτηση προσανατολισμού σχετικά με την ανταγωνιστικότητα και τη μείωση του κανονιστικού φόρτου και η Επιτροπή θα παρουσιάσει την πρωτοβουλία για την πυξίδα ανταγωνιστικότητας. Οι υπουργοί θα λάβουν υπό σημείωση τις εξελίξεις όσον αφορά τον οικονομικό και δημοσιονομικό αντίκτυπο της επίθεσης της Ρωσίας κατά της Ουκρανίας. Το Συμβούλιο σκοπεύει να εγκρίνει τις κατευθυντήριες γραμμές του για τον ετήσιο προϋπολογισμό της ΕΕ για το 2026. Έχει ως στόχο να εγκρίνει συμπεράσματα σχετικά με την έκθεση του μηχανισμού επαγρύπνησης για το 2025 και να συμφωνήσει επί της σύστασης του 2025 σχετικά με την οικονομική πολιτική της ζώνης του ευρώ. Το Συμβούλιο αναμένεται να εκδώσει συστάσεις σχετικά με τα μεσοπρόθεσμα δημοσιονομικά-διαρθρωτικά σχέδια και με την επανόρθωση καταστάσεων υπερβολικού ελλείμματος σε κράτη μέλη. Το Συμβούλιο αναμένεται να εγκρίνει τροποποιημένα σχέδια ανάκαμψης και ανθεκτικότητας, τα οποία υπέβαλαν ορισμένα κράτη μέλη. Το Συμβούλιο σκοπεύει να εγκρίνει αναθεωρημένο ενωσιακό κατάλογο μη συνεργάσιμων περιοχών φορολογικής δικαιοδοσίας.