COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Fisheries ministers launch strategic discussions on the future of the Common Fisheries Policy 05/05/2026 | Article Fisheries ministers launch strategic discussions on the future of the Common Fisheries Policy The future of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) came into focus in Lefkosia, as EU Fisheries Ministers launched an initial political discussion on its evaluation during an informal meeting held in the context of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union.   Visit the website   More news about the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the EU Follow us:

Press material Monday, 04 May 2026

● Council of the EU   05/05/2026 17:15 | Press release | European Peace Facility: Council adopts assistance measure under the EPF in support of Senegal   Today, the Council adopted an assistance measure under the European Peace Facility (EPF) in support of the Armed Forces of Senegal in the framework of the Yaoundé Architecture. The objective is to protect the sovereignty of Senegal at sea and improve regional maritime security. This measure benefitting Senegal is worth €15 million over 36 months. Thanks to this support, the EU will provide key non-lethal equipment to strengthen the capabilities of the National Navy of Senegal in the following areas: naval operations, naval education and naval command support. The assistance measure will also reinforce Senegal’s cooperation with EU member states’ navies, notably in the framework of the Coordinated Maritime Presence initiative. This EPF measure is in line with the shared commitment of Senegal and of the EU to strengthen their cooperation on security and defence in order to tackle common security threats and contribute to stability in Senegal and the broader region. Background 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 EPF 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) Security and defence (background information)   Visit the website ● Council of the EU   05/05/2026 16:11 | Meetings | Main results - Economic and Financial Affairs Council, 5 May 2026   Ministers agreed on new rules to help fight value added tax (VAT) fraud in the EU. The Council also held a policy debate on the market integration and supervision package – a key part of the EU’s saving and investment union.   View meeting page ● European Council   04/05/2026 15:54 | Statements and remarks | Press statement by President António Costa following the meeting of the European Political Community   Thank you, Prime Minister Pashinyan, dear Nikol, for your warm welcome to Yerevan. You and your team have done an exceptional job of hosting this summit of the European Political Community, bringing together more than 40 leaders from across our continent. Dear Nikol, the fact that Armenia is hosting this summit, the fact that we are all here today – it is a powerful illustration of the country’s courageous geopolitical path. A path that Armenia and the European Union are walking together. That is also why tomorrow we will hold the first-ever EU-Armenia summit. Today’s EPC Summit was truly historic. For the first time, the EPC met in the South Caucasus. And the day started with President Aliyev’s participation by videoconference: that means this summit will forever be remembered as a summit of peace in the Caucasus – brought about by brave political choices and patient diplomatic efforts.  This story of peace in Europe, in a world where escalation and war seem to dominate, is something to be celebrated. There is a European way of doing things – through multilateralism, with the UN system at its heart, and in respect for international law. In the current geopolitical context, it is increasingly clear that our continent needs a 360º degree vision for its security. Meeting here, in Armenia, in the South Caucasus, so close to the Middle East – it is a stark reminder that war in Europe’s neighbourhood has a direct impact on our common security, our energy supply and our economy.  That is why, more than ever, the European Union needs to work hand in hand with Armenia and the region for peace and stability. Lasting peace and stability must be anchored in resilient democratic institutions and strong economic bonds between neighbours. That is why today’s EPC summit focussed on the fight against foreign interference in democratic processes, as well as on the power of connectivity to create win-win economic partnerships.  At the same time, we continue to pursue the goal of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. That is why support for Ukraine continues to be a key focus of the European Political Community. And these were my messages to President Zelenskyy today: first, the European Union will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes to achieve a sustainable, just, and lasting peace, in full respect of Ukraine’s territorial integrity;  second, we need to take Ukraine’s accession process forward, by opening the first negotiation cluster as soon as possible. Any discussion about peace and stability in our continent must include our likeminded partners beyond Europe. The participation of Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, in today’s summit – the first time, we have invited a non-European guest to an EPC summit – is therefore politically very significant. It is a reflection of the strong and growing alignment between Europe and Canada. And a powerful reminder that a principles- and rules-based international order, with multilateralism and the UN system at its heart, are objectives widely shared around the world. To conclude, today’s summit, in this region, shows that Europe’s way of doing things – diplomacy, multilateralism, and respect of international law – yields results, it yields peace. I want to thank, once again, Prime Minister Pashinyan again – for hosting this summit of the European Political Community. And, beyond that, for grasping the historic opportunity to bring Armenia closer to the European Union.  And a final word to the Irish Taoiseach, dear Micheál – to say how much I am looking forward to the next EPC summit in Ireland. I am sure it will be as successful as today’s meeting here in Yerevan. Thank you.    Visit the website ● European Council   04/05/2026 15:15 | Media accreditation | One-year badge 2026 - accreditation is open   If you applied for the one-year badge 2026 in December 2025 or February 2026, you do not need to register again.  This badge is intended for journalists resident in Belgium and gives access, during the whole calendar year 2026, to the Council premises during summits and high-level meetings, as well as on regular working days.  Application deadline: Friday 29 May 2026 at 14:00 Apply for the one-year badge More information on the one-year badge (PDF) Procedure Before starting the online procedure please make sure to have at hand the following piece of information and documents: the number of your valid identity document (national identity cards are only accepted for EU and EFTA nationals) or passport, as well as the issuing and expiry dates thereof a scanned copy of your EU or Belgian press card, OR of the assignment letter signed by your editor-in-chief confirming that you are covering EU affairs during the current year a passport-type picture in .jpeg format (max. 500KB) you will also be asked to print, sign and upload a form to give your authorisation to be security screened by the Belgian authorities. You will be able to download your consent form from your account Collection of badges You will receive an automatic email to inform you once your application has been validated and the badge is ready to be collected. One-year badges can be collected, on an individual basis only, at the JL main accreditation desk on working days. Please ensure you have your ID/passport when collecting the badge.   Visit the website ● European Council   05/05/2026 09:03 | Statements and remarks | Opening remarks by President António Costa at the EU-Armenia summit   Dear Prime Minister, dear Nikol, allow me to start, on behalf of the European Union, by thanking you once again for your warm hospitality. Yesterday, we had a very historic moment with the first meeting of the EPC in the region.  But today, we have a new very important historic moment, the first ever summit between the European Union and Armenia. This sends a clear signal of how the EU wishes to engage with Armenia.  Now Armenia is living a new momentum of peace, of consolidation of your democratic regime, and this of course is the good environment to develop our bilateral relationship. The strategic agenda for the European Union-Armenia partnership was adopted last December, and since then we have been strengthening our relationship. We are also working very closely on security and defence, from the European Peace Facility to joint efforts against the hybrid threat. As you know, the European Union partnership mission that was decided last April, that aims to strengthen Armenia's democratic resilience, is a tangible sign of our shared commitment to addressing common challenges. And of course, for us it's very important to protect the freedom of Armenian people to choose their own destiny. And you can count on us to work together and to develop together our common destiny. Armenia is a key pillar in our relationship with the South Caucasus, but also to interconnect Europe through the South Caucasus to Caspian Sea, Central Asia. This is the history of our regions, and this will be also the future of our regions. And that's why the European Commission and President von der Leyen for sure will focus on the concrete deliverables of this summit and how we can build on, in our strategic partnership, our common future in peace and for the prosperity of Armenian people and Europe.  Thank you very much, Prime Minister.    Visit the website ● Council of the EU   05/05/2026 11:27 | Press release | VAT fraud: Council agrees to strengthen cooperation with EU investigative bodies   The Council today provisionally agreed new rules to strengthen the fight against value added tax (VAT) fraud in the EU by ramping up cooperation between member states, the European public prosecutor’s office (EPPO) and the European anti-fraud office (OLAF). The new framework will give EPPO and OLAF more direct access to key VAT data on cross-border business transactions in the EU, including information held by Eurofisc - the EU’s anti-VAT fraud network. “We have taken massive strides in tackling VAT fraud over recent years. But our budgets still lose out to the tune of billions of euros every year and authorities need the right tools to tackle these criminal activities more quickly. Today’s agreement will give EU investigative bodies the targeted information they need to pursue criminals swiftly and to protect national and EU revenues that benefit us all.” — Makis Keravnos, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Cyprus Cross-border VAT fraud, in particular missing trader intra-community fraud (commonly known as carousel fraud), is a serious problem in the EU. According to the European Commission, this criminal activity costs member state treasuries and the EU budget between €12.5 billion and €32.8 billion annually and is carried out mostly by organised crime groups. In practice, the new framework means that EPPO and OLAF will have the first-hand information they need to launch and support investigations under their competences into suspected cross-border VAT fraud. This will improve coordination between the various actors, speed up investigations, and strengthen the EU’s overall capacity to detect and combat VAT fraud affecting the Union’s financial interests. At the same time, it will help put the EU’s legitimate businesses on a more level playing-field. Background The new rules take the form of a regulation amending Council regulation 904/2010 on administrative cooperation and combating VAT fraud. The measure follows the agreement in March last year to make VAT reporting obligations for companies who sell goods and services to businesses in another EU member state fully digital by 2030 which should further support the fight against VAT fraud. Next steps Once the European Parliament has adopted its opinion on the file – currently expected in July 2026 – the Council will proceed to formally adopt the new rules. The regulation will enter into force twenty days after its publication in the official journal of the EU. Council regulation on EPPO and OLAF access to VAT information at EU level (compromise text) Council Regulation 904/2010 on administrative cooperation and combating VAT fraud EU Law tracker Value added tax in the EU (background information)   Visit the website ● European Council   04/05/2026 15:12 | Media accreditation | Media advisory - European Council meeting of 18 and 19 June 2026   The meeting of the European Council will take place on 18 and 19 June 2026 in the Europa building in Brussels. Address: Rue de la Loi 155/Wetstraat 155, 1040-Brussels. Registration Media representatives wishing to cover the meeting in person are required to register in advance, following this link. The deadline to register is Friday 29 May 2026 at 14:00 CEST.  IMPORTANT: Media representatives are strongly advised to apply by the deadline to allow for sufficient time to process the requests especially those attending a European Summit for the first time or who have not completed a full security screening during the European Council meeting on 19 and 20 March 2026. Due to organizational and security constraints, the Council cannot guarantee the verification of applications for accreditation received after the deadline. Without such verification, the access to the summit will be denied.  There is no need to register or collect any badge for the media representatives already in possession of the European Council annual badge. For more information, please also consult the Media accreditation page. Badge Collection A media accreditation desk will be set up at the LEX building (Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 145) outside the security perimeter, to allow for collection of badges during the events. Opening hours will be communicated at a later stage. Media opportunities A detailed programme, including information on media opportunities, will be published at a later stage. Press materials Videos and photos of the summits will be available on: Council Newsroom EC Audiovisual Service Council Live   Visit the website ● European Council   05/05/2026 09:15 | Statements and remarks | Joint declaration following the first Armenia–EU Summit   On 5 May 2026, the European Union and Armenia held their first-ever summit in Yerevan. The summit was a key opportunity to further strengthen bilateral relations, in particular on connectivity, energy, transport and digital cooperation. During the summit, leaders adopted a joint declaration reaffirming the EU’s steadfast commitment to further strengthen its relations with Armenia and to support Armenia's sovereignty, resilience, and comprehensive reform agenda. The full text of the declaration is available below: Joint declaration following the first Armenia–EU Summit   Visit the website ● General Secretariat of the Council   Library guides on defence and security   In a complex security environment, reliable information matters more than ever. Council Library guides curate trusted resources on Europe’s key defence and security issues.   Read full post