COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Press material Tuesday, 17 June 2025

● Council of the EU   17/06/2025 08:55 | Press release | Visa policy: Council and European Parliament secure a deal on rules about the suspension of visa-free travel for third countries   The Council and the European Parliament (EP) settled on an update of the mechanism that allows the EU to suspend visa-free travel for citizens of third countries who are exempt from applying for a visa when travelling to the Schengen area. With this amended law the EU will be better placed to react to situations where visa-free travel is being abused or works against the interests of the EU. New grounds to suspend visa-free travel The Council and the EP agreed on a number of new grounds which will trigger the suspension mechanism: lack of alignment of a country’s visa-free regime with the EU’s visa policy, in cases where – owing to this country’s geographical proximity to the EU – this may lead to increased non-authorised arrivals of citizens of other third countries the operation of an investor citizenship scheme, whereby citizenship is granted to people who have no genuine link to the third country concerned, in exchange for pre-determined payments or investments hybrid threats and deficiencies in document security legislation and procedures a deterioration in the EU’s external relations with a third country, in particular when it comes to human rights and fundamental freedoms or serious breaches of the UN Charter. These reasons for suspension are added to existing grounds such as an increase in the number of asylum applications from nationals of a country for which the asylum recognition rate is low or an increase in the number of third-country nationals who are refused entry or found to be overstaying. Thresholds to trigger the suspension mechanism The new legislation will contain thresholds for some of these suspension grounds. This will lead to more clarity about when the suspension of visa freedom should kick in and make the mechanism more effective. A threshold of 30% quantifies substantial increases of cases of refused entry and overstay, asylum applications and serious criminal offences. The threshold to assess whether an asylum recognition rate should be considered low has been fixed at 20%. Duration of the visa suspension The Council and the EP want the duration of temporary suspension of the visa exemption to increase from the current period of 9 months to 12 months. This initial period can be extended by a further 24 months (instead of 18 months under the current system). This temporary suspension phase will allow the European Commission to engage in a dialogue with the third country so that the country in question can remedy the circumstances that led to the suspension. The EU can decide to permanently revoke the visa-free travel regime if the third country does not address the reasons that led to the temporary suspension. Targeted application of the suspension mechanism The Council and the EP also agreed to improve the mechanism by making it possible to only limit the visa freedom of decision-makers responsible for breaching fundamental rights and external relations obligations. Currently, all citizens are affected in the second phase of the suspension, but this can be disproportionate where a government is clearly responsible for the situation. Under the new rules, the additional 24-month suspension phase would not automatically affect the entire population. Instead, in the above situations, the EU could decide to continue targeting  government officials and diplomats. Next steps The provisional agreement will now need to be confirmed by both institutions before it can be formally adopted. Background The visa suspension mechanism, in place since 2013, is a safeguard against the abuse of visa-free travel. It allows the EU to temporarily suspend the visa exemption under certain conditions. Abuse of visa freedom can be a cause of irregular migration. This is the case, for example, when third-country travellers overstay after their visa expires. In recent years, the EU has also witnessed high numbers of unfounded asylum applications from people who arrived visa-free in the Schengen zone. An increase in asylum applications can also occur when people use countries that are close to the EU, and whose visa policy is not aligned with that of the EU, as a stepping stone for irregular travel irregularly into the EU.   Borders and visa (background information)

● General Secretariat of the Council

Think Tank Review - June 2025   Analysing the European Union and the principle of national sovereignty; the industrial strategy in the forefront of EU policymaking coupled with the creation of the European Competitiveness Fund; the externalisation of migration management; a new strategic playbook to counter the Kremlin; security of supply in defence and the NATO June summit expected to set a much higher defence spending target are some of the topics covered in the June Think Tank Review.   ● Council of the EU   16/06/2025 18:41 | Press release | Data protection: Council and European Parliament reach deal to make cross-border GDPR enforcement work better for citizens   The Council, represented by the Polish presidency of the Council of the EU, and the European Parliament secured a provisional deal on a new law which will improve cooperation between national data protection authorities when they enforce the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in cross-border cases. “We have taken a big step towards improving cooperation between national data protection bodies when they enforce citizens' rights under the General Data Protection Regulation. The objective is to speed up the process of handling cross-border GDPR complaints filed by citizens or organisations.” — Krzysztof Gawkowski, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Digital Affairs The European co-legislators agreed on rules that will streamline administrative procedures relating to, for instance, the rights of complainants or the admissibility of cases, and thus make enforcement of the GDPR, which has been in application since 25 May 2018, more efficient. Admissibility Once adopted, the regulation will speed up the process of handling cross-border GDPR complaints filed by citizens or organisations, and any follow-up investigations. This is due in particular to the harmonisation of the requirements for the admissibility of cross-border action. Regardless of where in the EU a citizen files a complaint relating to cross-border data processing, admissibility will be judged on the basis of the same information. Rights of complainants and parties under investigation The new regulation will harmonise the requirements and procedures for the complainant to be heard if a complaint is rejected and provides common rules on the involvement of the complainant in the procedure. The right to be heard for the company or organisation that is being investigated is also ensured at key stages throughout the procedure. The complainant and the company or organisation under investigation will be given the right to receive the preliminary findings (i.e. before the final decision) in order to express their views on it. Deadlines The new rules introduce deadlines for the completion of investigations. The co-legislators agreed on an overall investigation deadline of 15 months, which can be extended by 12 months for the most complex cases. In the case of a simple cooperation procedure between national data protection bodies, the investigation should be wrapped up within 12 months. Swifter resolution of complaints The Council and the European Parliament agreed on a mechanism to resolve complaints more swiftly. This early resolution mechanism allows data protection authorities to resolve a case before triggering the standard procedures for handling a cross-border complaint – in other words, before involving other national authorities. This may be the case where the company or organisation in question has addressed the infringement and where the complainant has not objected to the early resolution of the complaint. Simple cooperation procedure In order to avoid protracted discussions between the different data protection bodies on a specific case, the new law introduces measures to facilitate consensus-building. One such measure is an obligation for the lead authority to send a summary of key issues to their counterparts in the EU. This will ensure that they have all the necessary information to express their views on the case early on. The final text maintains a proposal from the Council for a simple cooperation procedure, which offers the option of not applying all the additional rules when a case is more straightforward. This allows data protection authorities to avoid any administrative burden, to act swiftly on non‑contentious cases and to take advantage of the newly introduced additional cooperation rules for more complex investigations. Next steps The provisional agreement reached today will have to be confirmed by the Council and the European Parliament. The new rules will enter into force following the final adoption in both institutions. Background The GDPR, the EU's landmark data protection law, which harmonises data protection rights across Europe, has put in place a system of cooperation between national data protection bodies. Those authorities, which are responsible for enforcing the GDPR, are obliged to cooperate when a data protection case concerns cross-border processing. This is the case, for instance, when the complainant resides in a member state other than that of the company under investigation. In such cross-border cases, a single national authority will take on the role of lead authority in the investigation, but is required to cooperate with its counterparts in other member states. Data protection in the EU (background information) Data protection: Council agrees position on GDPR enforcement rules (press release), 13 June 2024 ● Council of the EU   16/06/2025 19:16 | Press release | Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol: EU renews restrictive measures until 23 June 2026   The Council today decided to renew the sanctions introduced by the EU in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation, until 23 June 2026. The restrictive measures currently in place were first introduced in June 2014, and include prohibitions targeting the imports of products originating from the illegally annexed Crimea or Sevastopol into the EU, and infrastructural or financial investments and tourism services from the illegally annexed Crimea or Sevastopol. Furthermore, the exports of certain goods and technologies to Crimean companies or for use in illegally annexed Crimea in the transport, telecommunications and energy sectors or for the prospection, exploration and production of oil, gas and mineral resources are also subject to EU restrictions. The EU does not recognise and continues to condemn the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation as a violation of international law. Since 2022, Russia has further violated Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity with its unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine. The EU remains steadfast in its commitment to Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and its inherent right of self-defence against the Russian aggression, and dedicated to fully implementing its non-recognition policy. EU sanctions against Russia (background information)

● Council of the EU

16/06/2025 18:33 | Meetings | Main results - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Energy), 16 June 2025   EU ministers responsible for energy held a discussion on the REPowerEU roadmap. The Polish presidency, supported by 25 member states, adopted conclusions on strengthening the Energy Union through reinforcing energy security. ● Council of the EU   16/06/2025 18:19 | Media advisory | Media advisory - Informal video conference of foreign affairs ministers of 17 June 2025   Indicative programme All times are approximate and subject to change Chair: Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy +/- 10.00 Beginning of the Informal video conference of foreign affairs ministers Situation in the Middle East following recent events +/- 13.00 At the end of the meeting, press conference in live streaming from Justus Lipsius main press room.   ● Council of the EU   16/06/2025 16:53 | Meetings | Agenda highlights - Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Health), 20 June 2025   EU health ministers will meet in Luxembourg to discuss the critical medicines act, mental health of children and adolescents in the digital era, and policy measures to prevent and reduce consumption of tobacco and alcohol.   16/06/2025 16:28 | Meetings | Agenda highlights - Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Social policy), 19 June 2025   Employment, social policy and equality ministers will meet in Luxembourg to discuss better working conditions for trainees, the equal treatment directive, AI and gender equality, the European Semester, and ways to support older people in staying active and reaching their full potential in the labour market and in society.   ● Council of the EU   17/06/2025 09:58 | Media advisory | Press briefings - Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 20 June 2025 and General Affairs Council of 24 June 2025   The press briefing ahead of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council will take place TODAY, Tuesday, 17 June 2025 at 16.00, followed by the press briefing ahead of the General Affairs Council. These back-to-back and "off the record" press briefings 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 or the General Affairs Council meetings do not need to do it again: Deadline for registration: Tuesday, 17 June 2025, 15.00 Further instructions will be sent to all registered participants shortly after the deadline. Meeting page - Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 20 June 2025 Meeting page - General Affairs Council of 24 June 2025 On generational renewal in agriculture - discussions at informal meeting of agriculture ministers 17/06/2025 | Article On generational renewal in agriculture - discussions at informal meeting of agriculture ministers Generational renewal is essential to sustaining vibrant rural areas and maintaining competitive, sustainable agriculture – this was the key message from EU agriculture ministers during the final day of the informal AGRIFISH Council, focused on the role of young people in transforming European agriculture. ● Council of the EU   17/06/2025 11:42 | Press release | Circular economy: Council adopts position on the recycling of vehicles at the end of their life   The Council has adopted its position on the end-of-life vehicles (ELV) regulation, which sets requirements to ensure that new vehicles are designed in a way that supports their re-use, recycling and recovery. The regulation in particular introduces a mandatory target for recycled plastics and opens the possibility to set future targets for recycled steel, aluminium, and critical raw materials. “The end-of-life vehicle regulation is a game-changer for Europe. It cuts waste, curbs our reliance on critical raw materials from abroad, and drives our car industry into the heart of the circular economy. With the Council's position, this legislation will not only boost the competitiveness of our car and recycling industries but also slash red tape to a minimum.” — Paulina Hennig-Kloska - Minister for Climate and Environment Trucks, motorbikes and quadricycles The Council’s position increases the level of ambition of the regulation, including in its scope heavy-duty trucks and two- or three-wheel bikes and quadricycles. As in the case of cars and vans, the design of these vehicles should enable the removal of parts and their producers must establish a circularity strategy and label the different parts. Certain special purpose vehicles have been added under the scope of the regulation to further increase circularity and treatment benefits. A special purpose vehicle is a motor vehicle designed for specific functions other than carrying passengers or goods, such as a mobile crane, fire truck, or ambulance. Used vehicles and end-of-life vehicles The Council added requirements that for every change of ownership of used vehicles, the seller should present documentation proving that the vehicle is not an ELV. This requirement will not apply to sales between individuals, except for those concluded online, since they constitute a higher-risk situation. The Council position clarifies the definition of ELV and introduces exemptions for vehicles of special cultural interest and for old cars restored to be used on the road again. Minimum recycled content The general approach proposes a three-stage approach to the target for a minimum percentage of recycled plastic content in vehicles, to ensure substantial, but realistic, circularity benefits: 15% by 6 years after the entry into force of the regulation 20% by 8 years after the entry into force of the regulation 25% by 10 years after the entry into force of the regulation The Commission will be empowered to lay down temporary derogations from these targets if there is a shortage of recycled plastics or prices are excessive. The Commission could also set a minimum share of different recycled materials other than plastics, after conducting a feasibility study. Less red tape To reduce the burden on vehicle manufacturers, the Council position propose that the circularity strategy must be established by vehicle category (cars, vans, etc.) rather than by model. In the same vein, the 'digital circularity vehicle passport' will be better aligned with other similar passports established by EU law. Extended producer responsibility Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is an environmental policy approach where producers are held responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, including post-consumer waste management. In the case of vehicles, the EPR regime was amended to provide member states with more flexibility to accommodate their specific circumstances (for instance in outermost regions) or pre-existing legislation. Under EPR, producers must also cover the cost of transport from a collection point to the treatment facility, and the costs for vehicles whose producer is unknown or does not exist, in proportion to their market share. Concerning trucks and motorbikes, the EPR fee should cover the costs of the whole treatment chain, and not only the collection and disposal, as proposed by the Commission. For third country vehicle producers, recycling costs must be covered by the producer who placed the vehicle on the EU market. Collection and treatment The Council position clarifies where vehicles should be delivered at the end of their life (either to an authorised treatment facility (ATF) or to a collection point,), and how they should be treated (i.e. storage, depollution, including removal of hazardous fluids and parts and time limit for it,  shredding). Mixed shredding of ELVs with other waste will be banned unless certain quality criteria and limit values are met by output fractions. Export of used vehicles To reduce the number of 'missing vehicles', the general approach clarifies that customs controls to verify that only roadworthy vehicles are exported from the EU should be fully automated and continue to be based on existing risk management principles. Member states may continue using current applications to connect to the MOVE-HUB, a platform to link national electronic registers and customs systems via the EU Single Window Environment for Customs. Next steps The Council is now ready to start negotiations with the European Parliament, as soon as the latter adopts its position. Background The review of the legislation on end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) stems from the broader context of the European Green Deal, which aims to promote more circular business models by linking design issues to end-of-life treatment. The production of vehicles is one of the most resource-intensive industries. Europe's automotive sector is responsible for 19% of demand for the EU's steel industry (over 7 million tonnes/year), 10% of overall consumption of plastics (6 million tonnes/year), and a significant share of the demand for aluminium (42% for all transport equipment, around 2 million tonnes/year), copper (6% for automotive parts), rubber (65% of the production of general rubber goods) and glass (1.5 million tonnes of flat glass produced in the EU). The circular economy is a production and consumption model focused on minimising waste by extending the life of products through sharing, reusing, repairing, and recycling. When a product reaches the end of its life, its materials are kept within the economy for as long as possible thanks to recycling. To maximise the advantages of circularity, products need to be designed in such a way that they can be easily recycled at the end of their life. The new legislation amends regulation (EU) 2018/858 on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles and repeals directive 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles ('ELV directive') and directive 2005/64/EC ('3R type-approval directive'). Council general approach on the end-of-life vehicles regulation Commission proposal: regulation on circularity requirements for vehicle design and on management of end-of-life vehicles Circular economy (background information) ● Council of the EU   17/06/2025 15:48 | Press release | European political parties and foundations: Council and Parliament strike a deal to improve transparency of funding and counter foreign interference   Today, the Council presidency and the European Parliament’s negotiators reached a provisional agreement on changes to the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations (EUPPFs). “The agreement on the recast of the regulation on the statute and funding of European political parties and foundations is a major step forward towards ensuring greater accountability in the rules governing these entities, particularly in terms of transparency, funding, and compliance with EU values. We are pleased to have been able to break the deadlock during our Presidency, and we hope that this will result in an increase in citizens' trust in democratic processes.” — Adam Szłapka, Minister for the European Union of Poland This revision aims to enhance transparency of European political parties and bolster the framework for their funding, particularly to counter the risks of foreign interference and manipulation. It will also reduce the administrative burden and increase the visibility of European political parties next to EU citizens. Main changes to the Commission proposal The co-legislators introduced several amendments to the Commission’s initial proposal with a view to strengthening the transparency of the European political environment, the visibility of EUPPFs and reinforcing the EU’s capacity to prevent the risk of foreign interference. These changes mainly aim to achieve the following objectives: Better visibility and increased transparency requirements The text specifies the type of activities that European political parties may organise jointly with their member parties, with a view to contributing to the formation of European political awareness. The co-legislators agreed, however, to maintain the prohibition for EUPPFs to finance national referendum campaigns, as it is currently the case. Moreover, the regulation ensures strong measures on gender balance in parties and on candidate lists for European Parliament elections. Financial viability for EUPPFs The regulation aligns the regimes for European political parties and European political foundations, bringing the co-financing rate to obtain European subsidies to 5% for both. The text also ensures appropriate monitoring of the new accounting category introduced by the Commission linked to the financial income generated by the EUPPFs’ activities (‘self-generated resources’) and provides that this source of revenue will be limited to 3% of their annual budget for European political parties and 5% for European political foundations. Limiting risks of foreign interference The text requires EUPPFs to submit a written declaration on their compliance and their members’ compliance with EU values while specifying that a new declaration should be produced following any change in membership. The regulation additionally limits the risk of foreign interference by applying limitations for the newly created categories of ‘associated member parties’ and ‘associated member organisations’. Moreover, the co-legislators agreed to prohibit membership fees or contributions to EUPPFs from parties or organisations outside the EU, while retaining the possibility for parties to maintain cooperation with their political partners beyond the borders of the EU. Finally, the text introduces safeguards to ensure that members of EUPPFs parties are not under restrictive measures. Next steps Following today’s provisional agreement, the draft regulation will be subject to legal/linguistic review before being formally adopted by the co-legislators. Background On 25 November 2021, the Commission adopted the ‘European Elections’ Democracy and Integrity Package’, which included a proposal for a recast of the regulation on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations. The package also included a legislative proposal on the transparency and targeting of political advertising, already adopted by the Council in March 2024, and two legislative proposals on the electoral rights of citizens residing in a member state of which they are not nationals in European and municipal elections, as well as a communication announcing a joint mechanism for electoral resilience. Regulation on transparency and targeting of political advertising, Council press release, 11 March 2024 Council of the EU takes step towards more transparent funding of European political parties, Council press release, 22 March 2022 Protecting election integrity and promoting democratic participation, Commission communication, 25 November 2021