The Council has given its final approval to a new Schengen Borders Code, the EU’s rulebook that deals with the management of internal and external borders as well as the rules governing border control of persons crossing the external EU borders. The reform is instrumental in making the Schengen area more resilient to present and […]
Agreement on use of super-computing for AI development
The Council has reached a political agreement on a regulation to expand the objectives of the European High Performing Computer Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC), aimed at boosting Europe’s leadership in artificial intelligence (AI). The regulation adds an additional objective for the Joint Undertaking: to develop and operate AI Factories in support of an artificial intelligence ecosystem […]
Foreign interference: Council advocates safeguarding elections
The Council approved conclusions on democratic resilience and safeguarding electoral processes from all forms of foreign interference. As billions of citizens cast their ballots globally in 2024 – including in the European Parliament elections – the conclusions underline that democratic resilience remains a central focus of the Council’s agenda. In an evolving security environment, […]
Council approves gas and hydrogen market package
The Council has adopted a regulation and a directive establishing common internal market rules for renewable and natural gases and hydrogen and reforming the existing EU gas legislation. The new rules will help make the shift to renewable and low-carbon gases, in particular hydrogen, in the energy system, with a view to achieving the EU’s […]
Artificial intelligence act: Council gives final green light to the first worldwide rules on AI
Today the Council approved a ground-breaking law aiming to harmonise rules on artificial intelligence, the so-called artificial intelligence act. The flagship legislation follows a ‘risk-based’ approach, which means the higher the risk to cause harm to society, the stricter the rules. It is the first of its kind in the world and can set a global standard for AI regulation. […]
Council position on increasing the safety level of toys
The Council has adopted its position (negotiating mandate) on the toy safety regulation that updates the rules to protect children from risks related to the use of toys. While the current legislation makes EU toy safety rules among the strictest in the world, the proposed legislation aims to increase protection from harmful chemicals (e.g. endocrine […]
The Council adopts the EU’s pact on migration and asylum
The Council adopted a landmark reform of the European asylum and migration system. This establishes a set of rules that will help to manage arrivals in an orderly way, create efficient and uniform procedures and ensure fair burden sharing between member states. Complete overhaul of EU asylum and migration system The Council today adopted in […]
Council gives final green light to a targeted review of the common agricultural policy
The Council formally adopted a targeted review of certain basic acts of the common agricultural policy (CAP). This review comes as a response to concerns voiced by farmers in recent months and takes into account the impact of geopolitical developments, such as the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and of extreme weather events. Main elements of the […]
EU economic governance review: Council adopts reform of fiscal rules
The Council adopted three pieces of legislation that will reform the EU’s economic and fiscal governance framework. The main objective of the reform is to ensure sound and sustainable public finances, while promoting sustainable and inclusive growth in all member states through reforms and investment. “The new legislation will significantly improve the existing framework and provide effective and applicable […]