Luxembourg, 12 April 2024
Recovery and Resilience Facility
Ministers exchanged views and adopted conclusions on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
The conclusions take stock of progress achieved in implementing the RRF and serve as political guidance to the Commission and member states in the context of the mid-term evaluation of the RRF that the Commission submitted to the Council on 21 February 2024.
- Recovery fund: Council approves conclusions on the midterm evaluation (press release, 11 April 2024)
- Commission mid-term evaluation of the RRF
- A recovery plan for Europe (background information)
Russia’s aggression against Ukraine
The Council took note of the state of play of the economic and financial impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Ministers received an update from the Commission on the economic and budgetary situation in Ukraine, including the implementation of the Ukraine Facility.
- EU solidarity with Ukraine (background information)
- EU response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (background information)
- The Ukraine Facility (background information)
- The REPowerEU plan explained (infographic)
G20
The Council approved the EU’s mandate for the G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors of 17-18 April 2024. The Council also approved an EU statement for the International Monetary and Financial Committee.
Other business
Under any other business the European Chief Prosecutor presented the work of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), in particular as regards detecting and bringing to justice large-scale criminal networks which committed national and transnational VAT fraud. She thanked member states’ taxation and customs authorities for their valuable help in reporting suspicions of fraud. This led to the exposure and dismantling of cross-border criminal networks which had damaged the EU budget as well as national budgets to the extent of €11 billion.
The EPPO is the EU’s first independent and decentralised prosecution office. It has the power to investigate, prosecute and bring to judgment crimes against the EU budget, such as fraud, corruption or serious cross-border VAT fraud.
Items without discussion
Under items without discussion, the Council adopted a decision for urgent short-term macro-financial assistance for an overall amount of € 1 billion in loans to Egypt to help the country stabilise its economy.
The Council adopted a decision increasing the EU’s shares in the capital of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). This capital increase should ensure the Bank’s support for resilience and reconstruction in Ukraine beyond 2023 and the continued support in all of its countries of operation.
The Council also adopted the other legislative and non-legislative acts on the list of A-items below.
Preparatory documents
- Provisional agenda
- List of A items, non-legislative activities
- List of A items, legislative deliberations
- Background brief
Outcome documents
Press releases
- Legal migration: Council gives green light to single work and stay permit for non-EU nationals
- The Gambia: visa fees down to normal level
- Council adopts €1 billion macro-financial assistance to Egypt
- Council agrees to increase EU’s shares in European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
- Industrial emissions: Council signs off on updated rules to better protect the environment
- Euro 7: Council adopts new rules on emission limits for cars, vans and trucks
- Tourist bus drivers: Council adopts new law to improve their working conditions
- Recovery fund: Council approves conclusions on the mid-term evaluation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility
- 7 October 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel: Council sanctions three entities over widespread sexual and gender-based violence
- EU-Central America: Council greenlights association agreement
- Towards zero-emission buildings by 2050: Council adopts rules to improve energy performance