COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Press material Friday, 14 February 2025

● Council of the EU   14/02/2025 18:26 | Press release | Forward look: 17 February - 2 March 2025   Overview of the main topics and events at the Council of EU and European Council for the coming fortnight. Economic and Financial Affairs Council, 18 February 2025 Ministers will hold a policy debate on competitiveness and regulatory burden reduction and the Commission will present the Competitiveness Compass initiative. Ministers will take note of the state of play of the economic and financial impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The Council aims to approve its guidelines for the EU’s annual budget for 2026. It aims to adopt conclusions on the Alert Mechanism Report 2025 and agree on the 2025 recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area. The Council is expected to adopt recommendations regarding medium-term fiscal-structural plans and on correcting excessive deficit situations in member states. The Council is expected to approve modified recovery and resilience plans, submitted by some member states. The Council aims to adopt a revised EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions in the field of taxation. Read more Foreign Affairs Council, 24 February Ministers will exchange views on the Russian aggression against Ukraine, after a short intervention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha via videoconference. They will then hold discussions on the situation in the Middle East, including Syria, Lebanon and UNRWA, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Iran. They will also be informed about current affairs. Read more Agriculture and Fisheries Council, 24 February 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. Read more General Affairs Council, 25 February The Council will start preparations for the March 2025 European Council and will hold an exchange of views on the Commission’s work programme for 2025 and, more generally, on annual and multiannual programming. Read more Other meetings Eurogroup, 17 February 2025 Informal meeting of the General Affairs Council, 17-18 February 2025 Indicative calendar of meetings under the Polish presidency (1 January - 30 June 2025) Polish presidency

● Council of the EU

14/02/2025 16:51 | Media advisory | Media advisory – Eurogroup meeting of 17 February and Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 18 February 2025   Indicative programme All times are approximate and subject to change Monday 17 February - Eurogroup meeting Chaired by Paschal Donohoe, President of the Eurogroup 14.00 Arrivals (live streaming) 15.00 Eurogroup meeting in regular format (roundtable): Update by Bulgaria on its state of convergence Macroeconomic outlook and prospects for the euro area in a rapidly evolving global landscape Euro Area Recommendation for 2025 and its role going forward Eurogroup Work Programme until July 2025 Miscellaneous At the end of the meeting (+/- 18.30) - Press conference with Eurogroup President Paschal Donohoe, Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and ESM Managing Director Pierre Gramegna (live streaming). Videos and photos from the event Tuesday 18 February - Economic and Financial Affairs Council Chaired by Andrzej Domanski, Polish minister for finance 08.00 Arrivals (live streaming) +/- 08.30 Doorstep by Andrzej Domanski (live streaming) 09.00 Ecofin breakfast (roundtable) 10.00 Beginning of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council Adoption of the agenda Approval of "A" items: - non-legislative list - legislative list (public session) +/- 10.20 Current legislative proposals in the field of financial services (public session) +/- 10.30 Competitiveness simplification and improving the business environment in Europe Competitiveness Compass +/- 11.45 Economic and financial impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine +/- 12.15 Budget discharge for 2023 +/- 12.30 Guidelines for the EU’s annual budget for 2026 +/- 12.45 Implementation of the economic governance framework +/- 12.55 European Semester 2025 +/- 13.05 Preparation of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting of 26-27 February 2025 +/- 13.15 Recovery and Resilience Facility +/- 13.30 Any other business: - Information point by Spain on the UN conference on financing for development At the end of the meeting (+/- 14.00) - Press conference with Minister Andrzej Domanski and Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis (live streaming). Videos and photos from the event Meeting page – Eurogroup meeting of 17 February 2025 Meeting page – Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 18 February 2025 MEETINGS Friday, 14 February 2025 • Council of the EU 14/02/2025 | Media advisory | Presidency event: Informal meeting of the EU ministers for telecommunication, Warsaw, 4-5 March 2025 On 4-5 March 2025, EU ministers for telecommunication will meet in Warsaw, Poland, for an informal meeting. The meeting will be chaired by Krzysztof Gawkowski, deputy prime minister and minister of digital affairs. The meeting will be entirely dedicated to cybersecurity, including, among others, the issue of responding to large-scale incidents and crises (cyber ​​blueprint), strengthening civil-military cooperation in cyberspace and investing in cybersecurity. A press conference will take place on 5 March 2025 at +/- 16:30 p.m. The accreditation for the informal Council is open, and the deadline for registration is 19 February 2025. For more information click here To register, click here. @POLAND25EU ● European Council   15/02/2025 12:05 | Speech | “No lasting peace, without Ukraine and without the EU": Speech by President Costa at the Munich Security Conference 2025   On the 24th of February 2022 the European Union changed.  On the very first day of the war in Ukraine, at 7pm, the European leaders gathered for an emergency meeting in Brussels and exchanged with President Zelensky. It was a very dramatic discussion. Russia’s tanks were on their way to Kyiv. Russia’s bombs were falling across Ukraine.  Before we ended our meeting, President Zelenskyy said that those were most probably his last moments alive. And I remember very well the clear sense in the room: this was the moment when a new geopolitical European Union was born. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine shook Europe’s security architecture to the core. Together with our transatlantic allies, we acted immediately to support Ukraine’s sovereignty, self-determination and territorial integrity: with humanitarian aid, with economic assistance, with the toughest ever sanctions against Russia and with unprecedented military support. And, perhaps most importantly, with a clear sense of the future for Ukraine as a full member of the European Union.  Three years later Ukraine resists heroically, Putin failed in his attempt to dominate Ukraine and as we all saw President Zelenskyy is stronger than ever. Today my message is clear. We are not giving up. We will continue to support Ukraine as an integral part of our project for peace.  Only Ukraine can define when there are conditions for a negotiation. Assuming concessions before any negotiation is a huge mistake. Therefore, we will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine: in the negotiations, providing security guarantees, in reconstruction and as a future member of the European Union. This is the EU’s position and is also the Ukraine’s position. What does a comprehensive, just and lasting peace mean? It means that peace in Ukraine and Europe’s security cannot be separated. It means that we take into account that the Russian threat goes beyond Ukraine. Russia dominates Belarus. Russia has a military presence in Moldova and Georgia. Russia casts a shadow over the Baltic States, the European Union’s eastern border, our democratic systems, our critical infrastructures. It means that a comprehensive peace cannot be a simple cease fire. It cannot give Russia the opportunity to attack ever again. It cannot reward the aggressor. It must guarantee that Russia will no longer be a threat to Ukraine, to Europe, to its neighbours. That Russia ceases to be a threat to international security. In building this peace the European Union will fully assume its responsibilities. In a nutshell: there will be no credible and successful negotiations, no lasting peace, without Ukraine and without the European Union.  The European Union after February 2022 is not the same as before. First, we sped up the enlargement to the Western Balkans and opened negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. Second, we decided to strengthen our energy security by decoupling from Russia, in a huge collective effort, in particular here in Germany, under Olaf Scholz’s leadership. Third, less than one month after the beginning of the war, in Versailles, all member states decided to effectively deliver on building the Europe of Defence.  Our defence spending rose by 30% since 2021. European Union countries that are in NATO now spend, on average, 2% for defence. Together we have reached the target. But we will do more. The European Union is a peace project by design. But we know that peace without defence is an illusion. Two weeks ago, I brought together the European Union leaders to provide political guidance to the European Commission and the High Representative: on the capabilities we jointly need to build, on the mobilization of more public and private funding and on strengthening our partnerships, namely with the United Kingdom and NATO. The Commision and the High Represenative will present proposals in the next month, and I will keep defence at the top of the European Council’s agenda. This is the direction. This is our commitment. The European Union is a reliable and predictable partner. A strong economic and powerful trade actor. And we are firmly committed to act better, stronger and faster in building the Europe of defence. Thank you.