EUROGROUP,COUNCIL OF THE EU...update

Diploma mobility in the EU: having ambitions for our students 01/03/2024 | Press release Diploma mobility in the EU: having ambitions for our students The informal meeting of higher education ministers took place at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on Thursday 29 February and Friday 1 March 2024. This was an opportunity to look at a key theme for European integration, i.e. student mobility leading to qualifications.

Press material Friday 1 March 2024

● Eurogroup   01/03/2024 14:32 | Press release | Eurogroup statement on the updated draft budgetary plan of Slovakia for 2024   We welcome the submission of the updated draft budgetary plan (DBP) for 2024 of Slovakia on 12 December 2023, as well as the Commission´s Opinion published on 16 January 2024. We note that the budget was passed into law on 21 December 2023, shortly after the submission of the updated DBP and ahead of the publication of the Commission Opinion. In this respect we recall that the Two Pack Code of Conduct requires Member States to submit their DBPs well in advance of the envisaged budget approval by the national Parliament, allowing the Commission to issue an opinion and the Eurogroup to have a discussion on this basis, before the budget adoption. In this case, Slovakia’s submission did not respect the Two-Pack Code of Conduct, due to the decision to have a budget in place before the year-end and to avoid operating under a provisional budget and the related uncertainty following elections over the autumn. We recall the importance of adhering to the Two Pack Code of Conduct requirements.

Agenda highlights - Justice and Home Affairs Council, 4-5 March 2024

 

Meetings Thursday 29 February 2024

● Council of the EU   29/02/2024 17:14 | MEETING | Agenda highlights - Justice and Home Affairs Council, 4-5 March 2024   Combatting drug trafficking and organised crime will take central role in the meeting of home affairs ministers with the adoption of a recommendation on member states best practices. Ministers will also discuss the security situation in light of the conflict in the Middle-East and Russia's aggression against Ukraine. A legislative proposal to counter migrant smuggling and judicial cooperation to fight drug trafficking and organised crime will be among the main issues of the meeting of justice ministers.

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Press material Wednesday 28 February 2024

● Council of the EU   28/02/2024 18:37 | Press release | EU long-term budget for 2021-2027: Council concludes the mid-term revision   The Council today adopted three legislative acts related to the revision of the EU multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027, giving the final go-ahead for the package, which is aimed at reinforcing the EU long-term budget in a targeted manner and addressing new challenges, such as the consequences of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The package includes a regulation amending the multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027, as well as regulations establishing the Ukraine Facility and the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP). Revision of the EU multiannual financial framework The amendments to the multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027 reflect the agreement reached by EU leaders on 1 February 2024 and reinforce the EU long-term budget in a limited number of priority areas.

EESC Civil Society Organisations' Group:INVITATION ** CONFERENCE "STRENGHTENING CIVIL SOCIETY "

 

Version française ci-dessous

INVITATION

How can the EU work towards effective sustainable civil dialogue and participatory democracy? How can this dialogue be implemented? How does dialogue with civil society organisations and with citizens interlink? On 25 March from 14.30 to 18.00 CET, the Civil Society Organisations' Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will address these and other questions during its conference on "Strengthening civil society and participatory democracy in the EU: the way forward". The Civil Society Organisations' Group kindly invites you to take part in the debates with panellists from European Institutions and civil society organisations! Amongst other speakers, we will have the pleasure of welcoming: Pedro Silva Pereira, Vice-President of the European Parliament replacing President Metsola for contacts with civil society organisations representing citizens, and His Excellency Willem van de Voorde, Belgian Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Belgium to the EU. The event will feed into the work of the Civil Society Organisations' Group. More information and the draft programme are available on our regularly updated website. The conference will take place in hybrid format. You may join us either at the premises of the EESC in Brussels or online via the video conferencing platform Interactio. Simultaneous interpretation will be available in several languages (to be defined). Interested? Register HERE for in-person and remote participation before 21 March at 12 noon (CET). This invitation and registration link is personal to you. If you were forwarded this invitation, please use the link here. We look forward to your attendance and contribution! Should you have further questions, please write to: EU-Democracy@eesc.europa.eu. If you want to stay informed about the activities of the Civil Society Organisations' Group, please click here. The Civil Society Organisations' Group

INVITATION Comment l’UE peut-elle œuvrer en faveur d’un dialogue civil et d’une démocratie participative durables et efficaces? Comment ce dialogue peut-il être mis en œuvre? Quels sont les liens qui relient le dialogue mené avec les organisations de la société civile au dialogue avec les citoyens? Le 25 mars prochain, de 14 h 30 à 18 heures, heure de Bruxelles, le Groupe des organisations de la société civile du Comité économique et social européen (CESE) abordera ces questions ainsi que d’autres thématiques à l’occasion de la conférence qu’il organisera sur le thème «Renforcer la société civile et la démocratie participative dans l’UE: la voie à suivre». Le Groupe des organisations de la société civile a le plaisir de vous inviter à participer aux débats au cours desquels échangeront des intervenants des institutions européennes et des organisations de la société civile. Parmi ces intervenants, nous auront notamment le plaisir d’accueillir: M. Pedro Silva Pereira, vice-président du Parlement européen, en sa qualité de suppléant de la présidente, Mme Metsola, pour les contacts avec les organisations de la société civile représentant les citoyens, et M. Willem van de Voorde, représentant permanent de la Belgique auprès de l’UE Cette manifestation permettra d’éclairer les travaux du Groupe des organisations de la société civile. De plus amples informations ainsi que le projet de programme sont disponibles sur notre site web, qui est régulièrement mis à jour. La conférence se déroulera dans un format hybride. Vous pourrez y assister soit au siège du CESE, à Bruxelles, ou bien en ligne via la plateforme de visioconférence Interactio. Une interprétation simultanée sera assurée en plusieurs langues, qui restent à définir. Si cette manifestation vous intéresse, veuillez vous inscrire ICI pour enregistrer votre participation en présentiel ou à distance, avant le 21 mars, à 12 heures, heure de Bruxelles. Cette invitation et ce lien d’inscription vous sont adressés à titre personnel. Si cette invitation vous a été transmise par un tiers, veuillez utiliser le lien figurant ici. Nous nous réjouissons par avance de votre participation et de vos contributions. Pour toute autre question, veuillez écrire à l’adresse EU-Democracy@eesc.europa.eu. Si vous souhaitez rester informé des activités du groupe des organisations de la société civile, cliquez ici. Le Groupe des organisations de la société civile

European Economic and Social Committee I Comité économique et social européen Rue Belliard 99 1040 Bruxelles Belgique

Maritime safety: Council and Parliament strike deals to support clean and modern shipping in the EU

 

Press material Tuesday 27 February 2024

● Council of the EU   27/02/2024 18:35 | Press release | Maritime safety: Council and Parliament strike deals to support clean and modern shipping in the EU   To support clean and modern shipping in the EU, the Council presidency and European Parliament’s negotiators reached provisional agreements on two pieces of legislation of the ‘maritime safety’ legislative package, namely those amending the 2009 directives on compliance with flag state requirements and on port state control. "Today’s agreements will substantially contribute to safer and cleaner maritime transport in Europe. Our marine environment will be better protected, and the highest standards of shipping will be adequately preserved with the use of modern tools and through an enhanced cooperation between competent authorities." Paul Van Tigchelt, Belgian deputy prime and minister of justice and the North Sea The revised directives achieve a careful balance between, on the one hand, the need to ensure a high quality of shipping and, on the other, the need to safeguard the competitiveness of the European shipping sector, while also maintaining reasonable costs for operators and member states' administrations. Directive on compliance with flag state requirements The directive regulates the enforcement of rules applicable to flag state at the EU level. The responsibility for monitoring the compliance of ships with IMO conventions lies with the state where the ship is registered and whose nationality the ship holds: the flag state.

Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union,update

 

EU gender equality ministers discuss how to keep gender policy central to the future EU institutional setting and actions 27/02/2024 | Press release EU gender equality ministers discuss how to keep gender policy central to the future EU institutional setting and actions On 27 February 2024, the EU gender equality ministers have met in Brussels to look back at the series of achievements of the current term of the European Parliament and Commission and lay ground for the mandate of the next Parliament and Commission. 27/02/2024 | Event Informal meeting of education ministers Informal meeting of higher education ministers, on 29 February and 1 March 2024, at the Egmont Palace (Brussels)

EU:Κύρια αποτελέσματα - Συμβούλιο Γεωργίας και Αλιείας, 26 Φεβρουαρίου 2024

 

Meetings Monday 26 February 2024

● Council of the EU   26/02/2024 18:07 | MEETING | Main results - Agriculture and Fisheries Council, 26 February 2024   Against the backdrop of ongoing farmers' protests and based on information from the Belgian presidency and a non-paper on simplification prepared by the European Commission, agriculture ministers discussed the current crisis and challenges in the sector. The Council confirmed its political will to respond effectively to the concerns of farmers and, as a first step, agreed on a set of concrete measures that should be a priority for the short-term response to the current crisis, and offered political guidance for the way forward and for a structural approach in the medium and long term.

● Συμβούλιο της Ε.Ε

26/02/2024 18:07 | ΣΥΝΑΝΤΗΣΗ |

Κύρια αποτελέσματα - Συμβούλιο Γεωργίας και Αλιείας, 26 Φεβρουαρίου 2024

Στο πλαίσιο των συνεχιζόμενων διαμαρτυριών των αγροτών και με βάση πληροφορίες από τη βελγική προεδρία και ένα non paper για την απλούστευση που εκπόνησε η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή, οι υπουργοί Γεωργίας συζήτησαν την τρέχουσα κρίση και τις προκλήσεις στον τομέα. Το Συμβούλιο επιβεβαίωσε την πολιτική του βούληση να ανταποκριθεί αποτελεσματικά στις ανησυχίες των αγροτών και, ως πρώτο βήμα, συμφώνησε σε μια δέσμη συγκεκριμένων μέτρων που θα πρέπει να αποτελούν προτεραιότητα για τη βραχυπρόθεσμη απάντηση στην τρέχουσα κρίση, και προσέφερε πολιτική καθοδήγηση για την μια διαρθρωτική προσέγγιση μεσοπρόθεσμα και μακροπρόθεσμα.

Council of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council, 26 February 2024

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

It’s a competitive world: key takeaways from the Informal Ecofin Meeting in Ghent 24/02/2024 | Press release It’s a competitive world: key takeaways from the Informal Ecofin Meeting in Ghent EU Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors gathered in Ghent on the 23rd and 24th of February to tackle the EU competitiveness challenge. Dr. Mario Draghi and European Investment Bank (EIB) President Calviño were invited to share their insights.

Press material Monday 26 February 2024

● Council of the EU   26/02/2024 13:04 | Press release | Belarus: EU prolongs restrictive measures for another year   Today the Council has decided to prolong the restrictive measures linked to internal repression in Belarus and regime’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine for another year, until 28 February 2025. The decision was taken on the basis of the annual review of the restrictive measures and in view of the continuing repression and drastically deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus, and the ongoing involvement of the country in Russia’s illegal military aggression against Ukraine. Since August 2020, the EU has imposed several successive rounds of individual and sectoral sanctions, against those responsible for internal repression and human rights abuses in Belarus, and in the context of Belarus’ involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine. With these measures, the EU is signalling to the political and economic actors responsible that their actions and support for the regime and to Russia come at a cost.

Human rights: EU appoints a new Special Representative

 

Press material Monday 26 February 2024

● Council of the EU   26/02/2024 15:27 | Press release | Human rights: EU appoints a new Special Representative   Today the Council appointed Olof Skoog as EU Special Representative (EUSR) for human rights succeeding Eamon Gilmore whose tenure of 5 years comes to an end on 29 February. Mr Skoog will take up his duties on 1 March 2024 for an initial period of two years. The new EU Special Representative will continue the work of his predecessors to contribute to the implementation of the EU’s policy on human rights, EU’s positions on promoting compliance with international humanitarian law and support for international criminal justice. Furthermore, he will help establish a stronger European voice through dialogues on human rights with governments in third countries and international and regional organisations, as well as with civil society organisations and other relevant actors. The Special Representative will work closely with the European External Action Service and EU institutions to ensure the effectiveness and visibility of EU human rights policy in external actions. Mr. Skoog is a Swedish diplomat with extensive national and EU experience across a wide range of positions. Most recently, he was Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations from December 2019 until August 2023. EU Special Representatives are proposed by the High Representative to promote the EU's policies and interests in certain regions and countries, as well as issues of particular concern or interest for the EU. They play an active role in efforts to consolidate peace, stability and the rule of law. The first EU Special Representatives were appointed in 1996. Currently, ten EUSRs support the work of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. Olaf Skoog – CV EU Special Representatives (EEAS website) Protection and promotion of human rights (background information)