The Council presidency has reached a provisional agreement with the European Parliament representatives on the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP). The agreed regulation will urgently mobilise €500 million from the EU budget (in current prices) to support the ramp-up of the manufacturing capacities for the production of ground-to-ground and artillery ammunition as well as missiles. In doing so, it […]
President von der Leyen and the College of Commissioners will participate in the inauguration of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU in Madrid
President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Madrid today, Monday, together with the other European Commissioners, to participate in the inauguration of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. They will first visit the Galería de las Colecciones Reales and will be received by Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain, and members […]
EU fisheries ministers discuss fisheries policy and fishing quotas for 2024
Common Fisheries Policy and fishing opportunities for 2024 On the basis of the communication published by the Commission, ministers discussed the state of play of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and their priorities for fishing opportunities for 2024. After the Commission took the floor to outline the main aspects of its communication and its approach to formulating […]
Council reaches agreement on new European Media Freedom Act
EU member state ambassadors have agreed the Council’s position on a new law to safeguard media freedom, pluralism and independence in the EU. The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) will establish a common framework for media services in the EU internal market and introduce measures aimed at protecting journalists and media providers from political interference while also making it easier for […]
The Council reached an agreement on the nature restoration law
The Council reached an agreement on the nature restoration law. The proposal aims to put in place recovery measures that will cover at least 20 % of the EU’s land and 20 % sea areas by 2030, and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. The general approach will serve as a mandate for […]
Council reaches agreement on parts of electricity market reform
The Council has agreed its stance (general approach) on a proposal for regulation on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency (REMIT). The proposal aims to support an open and fair competition in the European wholesale energy markets, by banning trading based on inside information and deterring market manipulation. The proposal on REMIT is part […]
Council and European Parliament agree on rules to digitalise the visa procedure
Council negotiators and the European Parliament have provisionally agreed on rules to digitalise the visa procedure. The regulation introduces the possibility to apply for a visa online and replaces the current visa sticker with a digital visa. The goal of the proposal is twofold: to make the visa application procedure more efficient and to improve […]
Council agrees on new migration and asylum rules
The Council took a decisive step towards a modernisation of the EU’s rulebook for asylum and migration. It agreed on a negotiating position on the asylum procedure regulation and on the asylum and migration management regulation. This position will form the basis of negotiations by the Council presidency with the European Parliament. Streamlining of asylum […]
Council approves EU accession to the Istanbul Convention
The Council has approved the EU’s accession to the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention). The Convention provides a binding legal framework The Convention creates a legal framework to protect women against violence. It covers a broad range of measures, from data collection and awareness raising to legal […]