COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Press material Friday, 05 September 2025

● European Council   05/09/2025 22:00 | Speech | Speech by President António Costa at the Congress of Regional and Local Authorities in Uzhhorod (Ukraine)   It is a great honour to join the Congress of Regional and Local Authorities on the invitation of President Zelenskyy. This is my third visit to Ukraine in less than a year, but my very first time in Western Ukraine, in this very beautiful trans-Carpathian region.  Ukrainian local and regional communities have shown incredible resilience and have inspired Europe in many ways. Despite Russia’s unprovoked and brutal war, you have continued to provide essential services and kept your people safe. Your determination and creativity show the best of democracy and the European way of life. Your strength is crucial for Ukraine’s future. To all Ukrainians from Zakarpattia to Donbass, from Sumy to Odesa, my message is clear: we are your closest friends and partners and you can count on our support. Russia’s war continuously causes enormous suffering, destroying cities, displacing families, and damaging Ukraine’s natural beauty. We are ready to do more, including through more sanctions and economic measures, to pressure Russia to stop this war. Any peace settlement must ensure Russia can no longer threaten Ukraine, Europe, or its neighbours. Together with partners we are committed to providing strong security guarantees to help prevent future attacks. As you know, yesterday in Paris, the Coalition of the Willing endorsed politically the plans made by our military chiefs to ensure strong and effective security guarantees for peace in Ukraine. And 26 different nations are fully committed to participate in these security guarantees with boots on the ground, air defence and defence of the sea. This is a clear commitment for our common future. Ukraine’s future is in the European Union — a project of peace and prosperity. Local authorities play an important role in this process. Decentralisation is a key pilar of European democracy. The multilevel government is essential to have an administration that is efficient, transparent and close to its citizens. Decentralisation reform that is giving more power to the local level is vital for moving closer to the EU. I encourage you to continue to strengthen local decision-making and build capacity at regional level. As a former mayor of my city, Lisbon, I can reassure you that much of the EU’s laws and policies are carried out by local authorities. Ukraine’s EU future, therefore, depends on active, engaged, and empowered local authorities. The EU will continue to support this through our flagship U-lead program for decentralisation. And we can never forget that an essential element of our prosperity is based on regional policy. Together, we will build a brighter future, a prosperous and resilient Ukraine. You can count on us. We stand firmly with Ukraine today and always. Now in war, in the future, in peace. And as a full member of the European Union. Thank you very much for your work.   Visit the website

• Council of the EU ­ 05/09/2025 | Press release | Presidency press release: Bye-bye Russian fuels: More clean European energy is the answer Europe is under pressure. The geopolitical scene is changed, the global competition is more intense, the supply chains are strained, and the consequences of climate change are growing.   An important part of the answer to the challenges lies in creating an energy independent Europe. Because a Europe that produces sufficient clean energy is a safer and more competitive Europe.    Read the full presidency press release below.   Bye-bye Russian fuels: More clean European energy is the answer (Danish presidency website) Further information Danish presidency website

● European Council

05/09/2025 14:47 | Press release | CORRIGENDUM - António Costa's 'Tour des Capitales': preview for week 2   The President of the European Council, António Costa, is visiting EU leaders in their member states in the first three weeks of September. This 'Tour des Capitales' allows President Costa to gather views from the heads of state or government about the EU’s agenda and to prepare the ground for upcoming European Council meetings and international summits. In his meetings with leaders, President Costa will discuss their political priorities as well as working methods of the European Council. Schedule for week 2 During the second week of his tour, President Costa will meet the Prime Minister of Finland, Petteri Orpo, in Helsinki on 8 September. On the same day, he will hold meetings with the Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, in Stockholm and the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kristen Michal, in Tallinn.   On 9 September, he will meet the Prime Minister of Latvia, Evika Siliņa, in Riga, as well as President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda in Vilnius and Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk in Warsaw.   On 10 September, he will be in Budapest for a meeting with the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, and in Berlin for a meeting with German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz.   The week will end a meeting with the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, in Bratislava. The meeting with the Prime Minister of Spain originally foreseen for 11 September has been rescheduled for 16 September.   The details of the following week will be announced on Friday 12 September. Background The President will visit most EU countries between 1 and 19 September. President Costa visits EU capitals   Visit the website ● Council of the EU   05/09/2025 14:28 | Press release | Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime: Council imposes sanctions on two individuals over abuses in detention centres in Crimea   The Council today adopted additional restrictive measures against Vadim Bulgakov and Aleksei Pikin under the European Union's Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime. Bulgakov and Pikin are respectively the head and deputy head of the Directorate of the Russian Federal Penal Enforcement Service for the 'Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol', and therefore responsible for detainees and prisoners, in particular political prisoners, in Crimea. Under their leadership, widespread and systematic human rights violations in Crimean detention centres have been documented by the United Nations and the European Court of Human Rights. In particular, the administrative practice of ill treatment and denial of medical care to political prisoners has repeatedly occurred at the Simferopol detention centre in Crimea and has affected, among others, human rights defenders Iryna Danylovych and Amet Suleymanov. As a consequence of today’s decision, Bulgakov and Pikin are now subject to 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 them. Since the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation in 2014, the human rights situation in the Crimean peninsula has significantly deteriorated. Residents of the peninsula face systematic restrictions on their fundamental freedoms, and serious human rights violations occur in Crimean detention centres, including torture or cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of detainees. 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. The relevant legal acts have been published in the Official Journal of the EU. Background The EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, established on 7 December 2020, enables the EU to target individuals, entities and bodies – including state and non-state actors – responsible for, involved in or associated with serious human rights violations and abuses worldwide. On 4 December 2023, the Council prolonged the framework for restrictive measures under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime for three years, until 8 December 2026. The listings under the regime expire and are reviewed every 12 months. The EU follows the developments in this domain closely and, as a result, ensures that the listings are kept under constant review. Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1789 of 5 September 2025 implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1998 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1790 of 5 September 2025 amending Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses Consolidated text: Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999 of 7 December 2020 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses (23 June 2025) Sanctions against human rights violations (background information) How and when the EU adopts sanctions (background information)   Visit the website Υλικό για τον Τύπο Παρασκευή, 05 Σεπτεμβρίου 2025     ● Γενική Γραμματεία του Συμβουλίου   05/09/2025 16:50 | Δελτίο τύπου | Προσεχώς: 8 – 21 Σεπτεμβρίου 2025   Επισκόπηση των κύριων θεμάτων και εργασιών του Συμβουλίου της ΕΕ και του Ευρωπαϊκού Συμβουλίου για το επόμενο δεκαπενθήμερο. Συμβούλιο Γενικών Υποθέσεων, 16 Σεπτεμβρίου 2025 Οι αρμόδιοι για τις ευρωπαϊκές υποθέσεις υπουργοί θα αρχίσουν τις προετοιμασίες για το Ευρωπαϊκό Συμβούλιο του Οκτωβρίου με τη συζήτηση σχεδίου σχολιασμένης ημερήσιας διάταξης. Η Επιτροπή θα υποβάλει επιστολή προθέσεων και το Συμβούλιο θα ανταλλάξει απόψεις σχετικά με τον νομοθετικό προγραμματισμό της ΕΕ. Στο πλαίσιο του ετήσιου διαλόγου για το κράτος δικαίου, οι υπουργοί θα πραγματοποιήσουν οριζόντια συζήτηση για τις γενικές εξελίξεις σχετικά με την κατάσταση του κράτους δικαίου στην ΕΕ. Οι υπουργοί θα ανταλλάξουν επίσης απόψεις για τη γενική τάση που παρουσιάζει η κατάσταση του κράτους δικαίου σε επιλεγμένες υποψήφιες χώρες, και συγκεκριμένα στην Αλβανία, το Μαυροβούνιο, τη Βόρεια Μακεδονία και τη Σερβία. Τέλος, κατά τη διάρκεια γεύματος εργασίας, οι υπουργοί θα συζητήσουν για την απλούστευση και τη βελτίωση της νομοθεσίας. Περισσότερες πληροφορίες Συμβούλιο Περιβάλλοντος, 18 Σεπτεμβρίου 2025 Οι υπουργοί θα συζητήσουν και θα επιδιώξουν να συμφωνήσουν γενική προσέγγιση για την τροποποίηση του ευρωπαϊκού νομοθετήματος για το κλίμα, με την οποία θεσπίζεται ενδιάμεσος στόχος μείωσης των καθαρών εκπομπών για το 2040. Εξάλλου, στη σύνοδο αυτή, οι υπουργοί Περιβάλλοντος θα συζητήσουν την έγκριση της υποβολής επικαιροποιημένης εθνικά καθορισμένης συνεισφοράς της ΕΕ στη UNFCCC, η οποία θα περιλαμβάνει ενδεικτικό στόχο για το 2035 ενόψει της COP30. Περισσότερες πληροφορίες Άλλες σύνοδοι και συνεδριάσεις Άτυπη σύνοδος των υπουργών Γεωργίας, 7-9 Σεπτεμβρίου 2025 Άτυπη σύνοδος των υπουργών Παιδείας, 11-12 Σεπτεμβρίου 2025 Άτυπη σύνοδος των υπουργών Υγείας, 15-16 Σεπτεμβρίου 2025 Άτυπη σύνοδος των υπουργών Οικονομικών και Δημοσιονομικών Θεμάτων, 19-20 Σεπτεμβρίου 2025 Ενδεικτικό χρονοδιάγραμμα των συνόδων και των συνεδριάσεων υπό τη δανική Προεδρία (1 Ιουλίου – 31 Δεκεμβρίου 2025) Δανική Προεδρία   Επισκεφτείτε τον ιστοχώρο