EUROGROUP,COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,UPDATE

 

Press material Saturday, 17 January 2026

● European Council   17/01/2026 20:40 | Statements and remarks | Joint statement by President Costa and by President von de Leyen on Greenland   Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law. They are essential for Europe and for the international community as a whole. We have consistently underlined our shared transatlantic interest in peace and security in the Arctic, including through NATO. The pre-coordinated Danish exercise, conducted with allies, responds to the need to strengthen Arctic security and poses no threat to anyone. The EU stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland. Dialogue remains essential, and we are committed to building on the process begun already last week between  the Kingdom of Denmark and the US. Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty.   Visit the website ● European Council   17/01/2026 17:59 | Speech | Discurso del presidente António Costa en la ceremonia de firma de los acuerdos UE-Mercosur   Presidente de la República del Paraguay, Santiago Peña, Presidente de la República Argentina, Javier Milei, Presidente de la República Oriental del Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, Presidente del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia, Rodrigo Paz, Presidente de la República de Panamá, José Raúl Mulino, Presidenta de la Comisión, Ursula von der Leyen, Ministro de Asuntos Exteriores de la República Federativa de Brasil, Mauro Vieira, Buenas tardes a todos, muchas gracias presidente Peña por su excelente acogida en este día histórico. Es un placer estar hoy aquí en Asunción, en la misma ciudad donde en 1991 Paraguay, Argentina, Brasil y Uruguay decidieron sumar fuerzas y crear el "Mercado Común del Sur", la mayor zona económica de América Latina. Hoy, con la firma del acuerdo entre la Unión Europea y el Mercosur, estamos muy cerca de hacer realidad el sueño común en el que nos embarcamos hace un cuarto de siglo: estrechar todavía más los lazos económicos y políticos de nuestras regiones, y crear la mayor zona de libre comercio del mundo, un mercado que tendrá más de setecientos millones de consumidores, y que generará enormes oportunidades para nuestras empresas y nuestros ciudadanos, con bienes más accesibles, más inversiones y más empleo. Si hace 25 años ya vimos clara la importancia de la asociación de nuestras dos regiones, hoy por hoy es aún más evidente que su relevancia va más allá del terreno económico, más allá de las cifras, por impresionantes que sean. Porque con este acuerdo enviamos un mensaje claro al mundo, un mensaje de defensa del comercio libre basado en reglas, del multilateralismo y del derecho internacional como base de las relaciones entre países y regiones. Este acuerdo es una apuesta decidida por la apertura, el intercambio y la cooperación, frente al aislacionismo, el unilateralismo y al uso del comercio como arma geopolítica. Por eso, puede que este acuerdo llegue tarde, pero llega en el momento más oportuno. No aspiramos a crear esferas de influencia, sino esferas de prosperidad compartida basadas en la confianza, la cooperación y el respeto a la soberanía de nuestras democracias. No pretendemos ni dominar ni imponer, sino promover y reforzar los vínculos entre nuestros ciudadanos y entre nuestras empresas, para crear riqueza de una forma sostenible, protegiendo el medioambiente y los derechos laborales. No queremos generar dependencias; queremos crear redes: redes de comercio, de reglas y de confianza. Mientras otros levantan barreras, rompen lazos y violan las normas de la competencia, nosotros tendemos puentes, tejemos alianzas y pactamos normas, porque creemos en el comercio justo como fuerza generadora de prosperidad, empleo y estabilidad. Por todo esto, estoy convencido de que este acuerdo nos ayudará a ambos bloques a navegar un entorno geopolítico cada vez más turbulento y a hacerlo sin renunciar a nuestros valores. El acuerdo con el Mercosur es un auténtico hito dentro de la decidida apuesta de la Unión Europea para apuntalar nuestra seguridad económica mediante la apertura de nuevos mercados, la diversificación de las cadenas de suministro y la reducción de dependencias excesivas. En este esfuerzo, América Latina es un socio natural y estratégico para nosotros, como reafirmamos en la reciente cumbre de Santa Marta. Porque juntos somos más fuertes para enfrentarnos a desafíos comunes, desde la transición climática hasta la promoción de la paz, la libertad, la seguridad y el respeto por el derecho internacional y los valores inscritos en la Carta de las Naciones Unidas, como la soberanía y la integridad territorial. Europeos y latinoamericanos sabemos perfectamente que la alternativa a un orden internacional basado en normas es un mundo más caótico y violento, regido por la ley del más fuerte. Eso es exactamente lo contrario de lo que defienden la Unión Europea, América Latina y el Mercosur. Este acuerdo refleja esa visión compartida del mundo y nos abre el camino hacia una mayor prosperidad compartida. Por eso su firma hoy aquí en Asunción es una excelente noticia para todos. Pongámoslo en marcha cuanto antes, con agilidad y con todas las garantías, para que nuestros ciudadanos y empresas puedan beneficiarse de él lo más rápidamente posible. No quiero despedirme sin aprovechar esta oportunidad para agradecer el enorme trabajo de los negociadores de este tratado a lo largo de todos estos años y, en especial, en nombre de los estados miembros de la Unión Europea, quiero dar las gracias a la Presidenta Ursula von der Leyen, a su equipo y al Comisario Maroš Šefčovič. La firma que hoy celebramos no es el final del camino. Hoy estamos dando un paso decisivo. Pero el paso más importante es el que pronto van a poder dar nuestras empresas y sectores económicos y los setecientos millones de ciudadanas y ciudadanos que lo van a poner en marcha. Avanzando juntos, iniciando un nuevo capítulo de cooperación más profunda, que acercará, como nunca, a todos nuestros países en beneficio de nuestros ciudadanos, nuestros emprendedores y de un mundo anclado en un comercio justo y abierto. Muchas gracias.   Visit the website

● Council of the EU

16/01/2026 17:08 | Media advisory | Media advisory – Eurogroup meeting of 19 January and Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 20 January 2026   Indicative programme All times are approximate and subject to change Monday 19 January - Eurogroup meeting Place: Europa building Chair: Kyriakos Pierrakakis, President of the Eurogroup 14.00 Arrivals (live streaming) +/- 14.40 Doorstep by Kyriakos Pierrakakis (live streaming) 15.00 In regular format (roundtable): Euro area enlargement: update on euro cash changeover in Bulgaria Euro area recommendations 2026 – discussion of the priorities Debrief from G7 Selection process for the ECB Vice-President Miscellaneous At the end of the meeting (+/- 18.45) - Press conference with President of the Eurogroup Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, Implementation and Simplification, Valdis Dombrovskis and ESM Managing Director, Pierre Gramegna (live streaming). Videos and photos from the event Tuesday 20 January - Economic and Financial Affairs Council Place: Europa building Chair: Makis Keravnos, Minister of Finance of Cyprus 08.00 Arrivals (live streaming) +/- 08.40 Doorstep by Makis Keravnos (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 Presidency work programme (public session) +/- 10.35 Russia’s aggression against Ukraine +/- 10.55 Recovery and Resilience Facility +/- 11.10 European Semester 2026 +/- 11.20 Implementation of the economic governance framework At the end of the Council (+/- 12.00) - Press conference with Minister Makis Keravnos and Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis (live streaming) Videos and photos from the event Meeting page - Eurogroup of 19 January 2026 Meeting page - Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 20 January 2026   Visit the website ● Council of the EU   16/01/2026 13:11 | Press release | Artificial intelligence: Council paves the way for the creation of AI gigafactories   The Council has adopted today an amendment to the regulation governing the activities of the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU), extending its objectives to facilitate the creation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) gigafactories in Europe and to include a dedicated quantum technologies pillar. The amended regulation allows for the development and operation of AI gigafactories in Europe, a world-class AI compute infrastructure that will strengthen Europe’s industry and competitiveness, while fostering cooperation through public-private partnerships that include member states and industry stakeholders. It also sets rules for funding and procurement, while safeguarding the interests of start-ups and scale-ups. The amendment provides flexibility for partners, enabling them to optimise results while advancing Europe's leadership in AI and quantum technologies. “Today, we’ve taken a bold and swift step towards proceeding with establishing AI gigafactories in Europe. AI is one of the most critical technologies of our time, defining our digital future, and investing in the needed infrastructure capacity for AI is essential for boosting Europe’s resilience, competitiveness, and sovereignty. This move demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that Europe leads in this transformative field.” — Nicodemos Damianou, Cyprus deputy minister of research, innovation and digital policy Next steps Following the Council’s approval, the legislative act has been adopted. The regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 19th of January and will enter into force on the following day. Background EuroHPC aims to develop, deploy, and maintain supercomputing, quantum computing, and data infrastructure in the EU, while also supporting the growth of high performing computing (HPC) systems, technologies, and skills for European science and industry. The EuroHPC regulation was amended in 2024 to include the development and operation of AI Factories —dynamic ecosystems that promote innovation and collaboration in artificial intelligence. The Commission's proposed second amendment, introduced on 15 July 2025, builds on this by supporting the establishment of AI gigafactories, further advancing Europe's leadership in AI innovation. Commission proposal Amending Council Regulation establishing the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking Council adopts regulation on use of supercomputing in AI development (press release, 17 June 2024) EU plans to boost AI with supercomputers (background information) Artificial intelligence (background information)   Visit the website ● Council of the EU   16/01/2026 12:00 | Meetings | Economic and Financial Affairs Council, 20 January 2026   Background brief - Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 20 January 2026   View meeting page ● General Secretariat of the Council   Career opportunities at the General Secretariat, 16/01/2026   Vacancy title: Temporary agent (AST4) - Network Security Specialist - Service Delivery Manager Reference: CONS/1/2026 Closing date for applications: 30/01/2026 at 12:00 noon (CET)   Visit the website ● Council of the EU   16/01/2026 11:46 | Press release | Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad: Council prolongs restrictive measures for another year   The Council today decided to extend by one year, until 20 January 2027, the existing restrictive measures against those who support, facilitate or enable violent actions by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Those designated are subject to an asset freeze and EU citizens and companies are prohibited from making funds available to them. Individuals are additionally subject to a travel ban, which prevents them from entering or transiting through EU member states. As a result of the annual review, the Council also decided to remove a deceased individual from the list. Therefore, a total of 11 individuals and three entities are currently sanctioned under this framework of restrictive measures. Background On 7 October 2023, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy issued a statement on behalf of the EU on the attacks against Israel, condemning in the strongest possible terms the multiple and indiscriminate attacks by Hamas and deeply deploring the loss of lives. On 19 January 2024, the Council established a dedicated framework of restrictive measures and listed six individuals, to hold them accountable of supporting, facilitating, or enabling violent actions by Hamas and the PIJ. This regime also complements the restrictive measures previously adopted against Hamas and the PIJ under Common Position 2001/931/CFSP (the ‘EU Terrorist List’). In its conclusions of 18 December 2025, the European Council welcomed the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2803 on the establishment of the Board of Peace and of a temporary International Stabilisation Force, as outlined in the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict. It called on all parties to implement the resolution in its entirety, and in line with relevant international political and legal principles. In this context, the European Council reaffirmed the EU’s strong commitment to international law and to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution in accordance with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side-by-side in peace within secure and recognised borders. The European Union will contribute to all efforts towards this solution. The European Union is committed to contributing to this implementation, including through an enhanced mandate for its two civilian missions EU BAM Rafah and EUPOL COPPS, as well as through engagement in the Civil-Military Coordination Centre. The EU stands ready to support the establishment of the Board of Peace and will actively engage with partners on the next steps. Consolidated text: Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/385 of 19 January 2024 establishing restrictive measures against those who support, facilitate or enable violent actions by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (15 January 2025) European Council conclusions, 18 December 2025 Israel/Palestine: statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on Gaza (2 October 2025) EU position on the situation in the Middle East (background information) Sanctions against terrorism (background information)   Visit the website ● Council of the EU   16/01/2026 09:43 | Media advisory | Press briefing - Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 20 January 2026   The press briefing ahead of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council will take place on Monday, 19 January 2026 at 10.30 in the Europa building press room. This briefing will be "off the record". The press briefing will take place in a hybrid format: EU accredited journalists will be able to participate and ask questions either remotely or in person. To attend the event remotely, please use the link below to register and have the possibility to ask questions. Those who already registered for previous press events of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council do not need to do it again. Deadline for registration: Monday, 19 January 2026 at 09.30 Further instructions will be sent to all registered participants shortly after the deadline. Registration page Media accreditation for journalists   Visit the website ● Eurogroup   16/01/2026 10:08 | Meetings | Agenda highlights - Eurogroup, 19 January 2026   The Eurogroup will update ministers on the state of play on the changeover to the euro in Bulgaria. Ministers will exchange views on the policy priorities based on the Commission’s draft euro area recommendation for 2026. They will also be briefed on the most recent G7 meetings and discuss the candidacies for the post of European Central Bank Vice-President.   View meeting page