COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,EUROGROUP,update

 

Press material Tuesday, 13 May 2025

● Council of the EU   13/05/2025 06:14 | Press release | Council and Parliament secure deal to harmonise collection of population statistics   The Council has reached an agreement with the European Parliament on new rules to ensure that statistics collected on population and housing at EU level are complete, coherent and comparable. The aim of the new legal framework is to improve the overall quality of population and housing statistics by introducing a harmonised definition of the term ‘population’, providing for easier access to data sources, and streamlining and improving statistical production in this regard. Detailed, coherent and comparable data across the EU European statistics on population and housing are necessary for the design, implementation and evaluation of EU policies, including economic and social planning, cohesion policy, and the green and digital transitions. They are also essential for administrative purposes and determining qualified majority voting in the Council. For this purpose, member states currently provide Eurostat with data on the total populations at national level. However, according to an evaluation carried out by the European Commission, under the current legal framework, member states have been using different definitions of the population, which made it difficult to compare collected data. Moreover, in order to develop effective EU policies across several sectors, it is necessary to collect more detailed and timely statistics on population and housing, including socio-economic characteristics, migration or building characteristics. The new rules agreed on today establish a common legal framework for the development of European statistics on population and housing in order to: ensure complete, coherent and comparable statistics provided in a timely manner improve quality of population data, acknowledging the challenges faced by member states be flexible enough to adapt to changing policy needs and to the use of new sources avoid unnecessary burden on national statistical authorities through gradual implementation of changes Background The Commission submitted its proposal on 20 January 2023, in order to address the need for timelier, more frequent and more detailed European statistics on population and housing, particularly in view of the evolving demographic situation and recent migration trends, climate change and the digital transformation. The Council agreed its negotiating mandate on 21 June 2023 and revised it on 6 March 2024. Negotiations with the European Parliament began on 8 November 2023 and ended with the provisional agreement reached today. Next steps The agreement reached today is provisional and additional technical work will take place in order to finalise the text of the deal. It will then be confirmed by the Council and the Parliament before it can be formally adopted by both institutions following legal-linguistic revision.

● Eurogroup

12/05/2025 21:01 | Meetings | Main results - Eurogroup, 12 May 2025   The Eurogroup in the banking union format were briefed from the Chairs of the Single Supervisory Mechanism and the Single Resolution Board. Ministers also exchanged views on the health of the euro area financial system in light of recent geopolitical challenges. In regular format, they reviewed preparations for the June annual meeting of the ESM Board of Governors. In inclusive format, ministers discussed global economic developments and key takeaways from the recent international meetings, including the G7, and reflected on next steps for the digital euro. ● Eurogroup   12/05/2025 20:59 | Statements and remarks | Remarks by Paschal Donohoe following the Eurogroup meeting of 12 May 2025   We started our meeting by welcoming the new Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister of Germany, Lars Klingbeil, who outlined the main economic priorities of the new German government. We continued with our biannual discussion with the chair of the Single Supervisory Mechanism, Claudia Buch, and the chair of the Single Resolution Board, Dominique Laboureix. They provided insights into their respective activities in the fields of resolution, preparedness, supervision and regulatory issues. I want to thank Claudia and Dominique for their work. Today's discussion came at the right moment as we have recently experienced significant market events. They remind us that financial stability needs to remain at the core of our priorities, as it interacts with a lot of our work in areas such as economic resilience and competitiveness. It is important to acknowledge the overall good condition of the banking sector of Europe. The capital and liquidity positions of banks, as well as their balance sheets, have strengthened significantly in recent years. And this progress is notably due obviously to the banks themselves but in particular to the efforts of supervisors and regulators in enhancing the resilience of our banks. That being said there are still a number of challenges that have to be actively addressed including digital transformation, cyber threats and climate change. We also need to continue to monitor the impact on the banking sector of global trade tension. Our exchange confirms and indeed reinforces our dedication to further strengthening the banking sector and advancing the banking union. We need concerted efforts to fulfil our existing commitments including finalising the reform of the crisis management framework. We then held an exchange of views on a range of issues relating to the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) in preparation for the upcoming annual meeting of the ESM in June, and the Managing Director of the ESM, Pierre Gramegna, gave an overview of the work that is underway. This was an opportunity to take stock of the current state of play and reflect on the broader context with a view to shaping a more structured dialogue next month at the Eurogroup and also at the ESM Board of Governors meetings. We discussed how we can ensure the ESM's toolkit remains fit for purpose in light of evolving challenges. We also had an update on the ratification of the revised ESM treaty in Italy to deliver on commitments that all countries have undertaken. Today's discussion was a valuable step in framing the work ahead and will support efforts to shape a common way forward. We also welcomed our non-euro colleagues for two topical discussions. The first was a discussion stemming from the recent G7 meeting in Washington, which allowed ministers to take stock of global economic developments. All ministers agreed on the need to work towards reducing trade and geopolitical tensions. While monitoring the impact of trade uncertainty on the euro area economy, there will of course be an impact on growth. But I think there is also recognition that amidst all that is going on, the euro area's resilience, stability and reliability are seen as strengths and increasingly as a safe haven for investors, innovators and of course for our own citizens. And while the external challenges that we face are significant, we will not lose sight of the opportunities to deliver on a positive and clear policy agenda that we have framed for the euro area. It was in that spirit we turned our attention down to the digital euro. We took stock of the work of the Council, of the Commission, and of the European Parliament on the legal framework. There is good progress, but there are some areas that require further work. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank also continues its technical work. We agreed again that this initiative is crucial, given the changing geopolitical landscape and the importance of diversification of strategically important payment systems. The sense of urgency for this project is increasing for ministers. So we agreed to speed up work and aim to find compromises on the remaining issues as soon as possible. This means that the Eurogroup, in conjunction with the Polish and Danish presidencies, will continue its political engagement with this common European project. ● Council of the EU   12/05/2025 18:47 | Meetings | Main results - Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Council, 12-13 May 2025     Ministers for education and youth met in Brussels to discuss a joint European degree label and the impact of online disinformation on young people. ● Council of the EU   12/05/2025 15:49 | Press release | Council takes steps towards a new joint European degree label   The Council has set out its vision for the future of European higher education. In a recommendation and parallel resolution agreed at today’s meeting, education ministers have laid the groundwork for the implementation of a joint European degree label and set out the next steps towards the possible introduction of a joint European degree. “The agreements reached today bring us a step closer to one of the key strategic priorities for the future of higher education in the EU: a possible joint European degree that would boost the attractiveness and competitiveness of European higher education on a global scale. They represent an important milestone in our efforts to deepen European cooperation in the higher education sector and reinforce its global standing.” — Marcin Kulasek, Polish Minister for Science and Higher Education Two complementary texts The two texts approved at today’s meeting set out the Council’s ambition for the future of European higher education, while also outlining the practical elements of the process towards achieving this ambition. Taken together, they respond to the pressing need to strengthen the attractiveness of Europe’s universities and raise their global standing at a time of increasing geopolitical challenges.  The Council’s resolution sets out the member states’ vision for a joint European degree label and proposes a roadmap towards a possible joint European degree, with three phases to be carried out by 2029. The accompanying recommendation specifies the criteria for awarding the joint European degree label. The label would be granted to joint programmes delivered via transnational cooperation between universities from different countries, including at least two EU member states. Quality assurance and mutual recognition Guaranteed quality standards across all participating universities are a key prerequisite for the implementation of a joint European degree label and the possible introduction of a joint degree. The recommendation therefore aims to boost quality assurance processes within universities across Europe, in particular by: ensuring quality assurance processes are agile, internationalised and fit for purpose, allowing universities to respond and contribute to the dynamic societal transformations affecting them supporting the implementation of automatic mutual recognition of qualifications across member states In an annex to the recommendation, the Council lays out building blocks for exploring the development of a dedicated framework for quality assurance for alliances of higher education institutions. The implementation of the joint European degree label will build on the foundations provided by the Bologna process. The label will act as a guarantee of compliance with the highest quality standards and will have a significant European dimension. Background On 27 March 2024, the European Commission adopted a package regarding Europe’s higher education sector, looking to encourage enhanced cooperation among higher educational institutions in the EU and the eventual establishment of a European degree. The package included proposals for Council recommendations on attractive and sustainable careers in higher education, and on a European quality assurance and recognition system in higher education. The Council adopted the recommendation on attractive and sustainable careers in higher education on 25 November 2024. Council recommendation on a European quality assurance and recognition system in higher education Council resolution on a joint European degree label and the next steps towards a possible joint European degree Council adopts recommendation on attractive and sustainable careers in higher education (press release, 25 November 2024) European Education Area (background information) A European degree (European Commission) ● Council of the EU   12/05/2025 16:56 | Press release | Cyber-attacks: Council extends sanctions and legal framework   The Council today decided to prolong the restrictive measures (sanctions) against cyber-attacks threatening the EU and its member states for a further year, until 18 May 2026. The legal framework (sanctions regime) for these measures is extended for three years until 18 May 2028. This framework allows the EU to impose targeted restrictive measures on persons or entities involved in cyber-attacks which cause a significant impact, and constitute an external threat to the EU or its member states. Restrictive measures can also be imposed in response to cyber-attacks against third states or international organisations, where such measures are considered necessary to achieve the objectives of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). With these restrictive measures, the EU seeks to deter malicious cyber activities and uphold the international rules-based order by ensuring that those responsible are held to account. Restrictive measures currently apply to 17 individuals and four entities, and include an asset freeze and the provision of funds or economic resources, directly or indirectly, to them or for their benefit is prohibited. Additionally, a travel ban to the EU applies to the natural persons listed. These individual listings will continue to be reviewed every 12 months. Today’s decision confirms the willingness of the EU and its member states to provide a strong and sustained response to persistent malicious cyber activities targeting the EU, its member states and partners. The EU and its member states will continue to cooperate with our international partners to promote an open, free, stable and secure cyberspace. Background In June 2017, the EU established a Framework for a Joint EU Diplomatic Response to Malicious Cyber Activities (the "cyber diplomacy toolbox"). The framework allows the EU and its member states to use all CFSP measures, including restrictive measures if necessary, to prevent, discourage, deter and respond to malicious cyber activities targeting the integrity and security of the EU and its member states. The cyber diplomacy toolbox was revised in 2023 to allow the development of sustained, tailored, coherent and coordinated strategies towards persistent cyber threat actors. The EU framework for restrictive measures against cyber-attacks threatening the EU and its member states was set up in May 2019. Cyber-attacks: three individuals added to EU sanctions list for malicious cyber activities against Estonia (press release, 27 January 2025) Council decision concerning restrictive measures against cyber-attacks threatening the Union or its Member States (consolidated text dated 27 January 2025) How the EU is strengthening its cybersecurity (background information) ● Council of the EU   13/05/2025 06:14 | Press release | Council and Parliament secure deal to harmonise collection of population statistics   The Council has reached an agreement with the European Parliament on new rules to ensure that statistics collected on population and housing at EU level are complete, coherent and comparable. The aim of the new legal framework is to improve the overall quality of population and housing statistics by introducing a harmonised definition of the term ‘population’, providing for easier access to data sources, and streamlining and improving statistical production in this regard. Detailed, coherent and comparable data across the EU European statistics on population and housing are necessary for the design, implementation and evaluation of EU policies, including economic and social planning, cohesion policy, and the green and digital transitions. They are also essential for administrative purposes and determining qualified majority voting in the Council. For this purpose, member states currently provide Eurostat with data on the total populations at national level. However, according to an evaluation carried out by the European Commission, under the current legal framework, member states have been using different definitions of the population, which made it difficult to compare collected data. Moreover, in order to develop effective EU policies across several sectors, it is necessary to collect more detailed and timely statistics on population and housing, including socio-economic characteristics, migration or building characteristics. The new rules agreed on today establish a common legal framework for the development of European statistics on population and housing in order to: ensure complete, coherent and comparable statistics provided in a timely manner improve quality of population data, acknowledging the challenges faced by member states be flexible enough to adapt to changing policy needs and to the use of new sources avoid unnecessary burden on national statistical authorities through gradual implementation of changes Background The Commission submitted its proposal on 20 January 2023, in order to address the need for timelier, more frequent and more detailed European statistics on population and housing, particularly in view of the evolving demographic situation and recent migration trends, climate change and the digital transformation. The Council agreed its negotiating mandate on 21 June 2023 and revised it on 6 March 2024. Negotiations with the European Parliament began on 8 November 2023 and ended with the provisional agreement reached today. Next steps The agreement reached today is provisional and additional technical work will take place in order to finalise the text of the deal. It will then be confirmed by the Council and the Parliament before it can be formally adopted by both institutions following legal-linguistic revision. ● General Secretariat of the Council   Think Tank reports on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine   Securing the digital and orbital frontiers in Ukraine; peace negotiations in President Trump’s new world; how Europeans can impact US-Russia talks on Ukraine; experience of forced displacement abroad and thoughts about returning to Ukraine; advancing Ukraine’s reconstruction through G7 leadership, and the question if elections in Ukraine can help to end the Russo-Ukrainian war are some of the issues dealt with in the present update.