COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Press material Friday, 28 February 2025

● General Secretariat of the Council   28/02/2025 17:16 | Press release | Forward look: 3 March - 16 March 2025   Overview of the main topics and events at the Council of EU and European Council for the coming fortnight. Justice and Home Affairs Council (Home Affairs), 5 March 2025 Ministers of home affairs will gather in Brussels to discuss the external dimension of migration and the EU’s internal security and to take stock of its actions against drug trafficking and organised crime. The presidency also aims to reach a common member states’ position on a regulation about a progressive start of operations of the Entry/Exit System. Read more Special European Council, 6 March 2025 EU leaders will meet in Brussels to discuss Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and defence. Read more Justice and Home Affairs Council (Justice), 7 March 2025 Justice ministers will hold a policy debate about a proposed directive to harmonise certain aspects of insolvency law, one of the key initiatives of the Capital Markets Union action plan. Read more Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Social policy), 10 March 2025 In the context of the European Semester, the Council will hold a policy debate on ways to mitigate the challenges of the ‘silver transformation’ for the EU’s workforce. Other topics on the agenda relating to the European Semester autumn package include the employment and social aspects of the 2025 recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area, the 2025 Joint Employment Report, and the aspects of the medium-term fiscal-structural plans that relate to the EPSCO Council. Read more Economic and Financial Affairs Council, 11 March 2025 Ministers will hold a policy debate on competitiveness and regulatory burden reduction and the Commission will present its ‘Omnibus packages’.  The Council will aim to reach a political agreement on a proposal for a directive on administrative cooperation in the field of taxation (DAC9).  The Council will also aim to approve conclusions on regulatory decluttering in the field of taxation.  Ministers will take note of the state of play of the economic and financial impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.  The Council will adopt implementing decisions approving amended recovery and resilience plans submitted by some member states. Read more Competitiveness Council (Internal market and industry), 12 March 2025 Ministers responsible for industry and the internal market will hold four policy debates. The first will focus on ‘Towards a horizontal strategy for a modernised single market: the need for an action plan for services’. The second will cover the Commission’s first omnibus simplification package, presented on 26 February. Ministers will then continue discussion on ‘For a more competitive European Industry – the competitiveness compass and the clean Industrial deal’. The final debate will address ‘A competitive and decarbonised EU industry in the context of the carbon border adjustment mechanism’. Read more Other meetings Informal meeting of telecommunications ministers, 4-5 March 2025 Eurogroup, 10 March 2025 Informal meeting of research ministers, 10-11 March 2025 EU-South Africa summit, 13 March 2025 Indicative calendar of meetings under the Polish presidency (1 January - 30 June 2025) Polish presidency

● Council of the EU

28/02/2025 16:01 | Meetings | Agenda highlights - Justice and Home Affairs Council (Justice), 7 March 2025   Justice ministers will hold a policy debate about a proposed directive to harmonise certain aspects of insolvency law, one of the key initiatives of the Capital Markets Union action plan.   ● Council of the EU   28/02/2025 16:00 | Meetings | Agenda highlights - Justice and Home Affairs Council (Home Affairs), 5 March 2025   Ministers of home affairs will gather in Brussels to discuss the external dimension of migration and the EU’s internal security and to take stock of its actions against drug trafficking and organised crime. The presidency also aims to reach a common member states’ position on a regulation about a progressive start of operations of the Entry/Exit System. ● Council of the EU   28/02/2025 14:28 | Press release | European Peace Facility: Council adopts first-ever assistance measure in support of the Armed Forces of Montenegro   The Council today adopted an assistance measure worth €6 million under the European Peace Facility. Its aim is to strengthen the capacities of the Armed Forces of Montenegro to enhance the national security, stability and resilience in the defence sector, as well as to strengthen the country’s capacities with respect to its participation in the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy operations and missions, and in any international coalitions. This assistance measure is a concrete deliverable of the continued EU engagement in the area of security and defence with Montenegro in particular and the Western Balkans in general. It also reflects Montenegro’s full alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy. Concretely, the European Peace Facility will provide to the Armed Forces of Montenegro real life support equipment (for extreme cold weather), equipment for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence operations (CBRN), and equipment for the helicopter-borne search and rescue units. It will also provide, where needed, related supplies and services, including technical training. Background and next steps 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) ● European Council   28/02/2025 13:57 | Press release | President Costa to travel to London, Chișinău and Cairo (2-4 March 2025)   The President of the European Council, António Costa, will travel to the United Kingdom, Moldova and Egypt from 2 to 4 March 2025 to engage in high-level discussions on European security, support for Ukraine and Moldova, and the current situation in Gaza. Following the leaders’ informal meeting on Ukraine and Europe’s security in Paris on 17 February and the international summit on the support of Ukraine in Kyiv on 24 February, President Costa will take part in a leaders’ meeting in London on 2 March 2025. He will join UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and other European leaders to build on the growing momentum in enhancing support for Ukraine amidst Russia’s invasion and strengthening Europe’s security and defence. These talks will contribute to the discussions that EU leaders will hold during the Special European Council meeting convened by President Costa on 6 March.  The following day, the President will visit Chișinău, where he will engage with President Maia Sandu, to reaffirm the EU’s full support for Moldova’s government and its European integration process. Given the challenging political context and security concerns in the region, this visit underscores the EU’s commitment to Moldova’s sovereignty and European future. The meeting will also address Moldova’s progress in implementing reforms necessary for EU accession and the next steps in the enlargement process. On Tuesday, 4 March, President Costa will be participating in the emergency summit of the League of Arab States in Cairo on behalf of the EU to discuss the latest developments in Gaza. The summit will focus on plans for the safe return of Palestinian civilians to their homes and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip [and its future governance], in the context of the ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. The president will use this opportunity to further reiterate the EU’s commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the region based on the two-state solution in accordance with relevant UN resolutions where Israel and Palestine live side-by-side in peace within secure and recognised borders. President Costa will also have a series of bilateral meetings with regional leaders. Speaking ahead of the visit to Cairo, President of the European Council, António Costa said: “I am travelling to Cairo to emphasise that the EU will be present on the “day after” to work with partners on a lasting and sustainable peace based on the two-State solution. We will support early recovery and reconstruction efforts of Gaza as an essential part of the future Palestinian state, in line with UN resolutions and international law.” — António Costa, President of the European Council Special European Council, 6 March 2025 (meeting page) EU solidarity with Ukraine (background information) EU action in support of Ukraine (factsheet) EU security and defence (background information) EU defence in numbers (background information) EU position on the situation in the Middle East (background information) Moldova (background information)