Brussels, 28 January 2025
The presidency presented its priorities in the area of the General Affairs Council and ministers held an exchange of views on the rule of law situation in Hungary, Portugal, Romania, and Slovenia.
The Polish presidency comes in turbulent times. The risks are real, so our responsibilities are serious. We will work hard with other EU ministers in this Council on enlargement, EU-UK relations and launch the talks on the EU multiannual budget. EU enlargement is key and we are eager to accelerate this process, both in the eastern direction – Ukraine, Moldova – and the Western Balkans.
Adam Szłapka, Minister for the European Union of Poland
Presidency priorities
The Polish presidency presented the priorities for its term of office. The main priority is security in its 7 dimensions: external, internal, information, economic, energy, food, and health. In this context, the Polish presidency has established the following overall priorities for its semester:
- defence and security
- protection of people and borders
- resistance to foreign integration and disinformation
- ensuring security and freedom of business
- energy transition
- competitive and resilient agriculture
- health security
As regards the General Affairs Council configuration, work will focus on safeguarding the rule of law, EU enlargement and internal reforms, countering foreign information manipulation and interference, strengthening the democratic resilience in the EU and its neighbourhood, developing cooperation with the UK, and laying ground for the negotiations of the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
Annual rule of law dialogue
As part of the annual rule of law dialogue, ministers held an extensive exchange of views on the rule of law situation in Hungary, Portugal, Romania, and Slovenia.
This was the eleventh round of country-specific discussions after the ones held in November 2020, April and November 2021, April and December 2022, March and October 2023, and January, May, and November 2024.
During the debate and for each member state, the Commission presented the main findings of the respective country specific chapter in its 2024 rule of law report. The member state concerned then presented key national developments and particular aspects of their national rule of law framework. This was followed by a round of comments and questions in which other delegations had the opportunity to share their experiences and best practices in relation to the developments mentioned.
Another country-specific discussion is expected to take place at the General Affairs Council of 27 May 2025 focusing on Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, and Belgium.
- 2024 Rule of law report (European Commission)
- Rule of law report 2024: with the fifth edition, the EU is better equipped to face rule of law challenges (European Commission press release, 24 July 2024)
- Evaluation of the Council’s rule of law dialogue – Presidency conclusions (Council press release, 12 December 2023)
- Mechanisms to uphold the rule of law (background information)
- Rule of law (background information)
Any other business
The French delegation raised the issue of the integrity of electoral processes in Europe, particularly in the context of a growing threat of foreign interference.
The Czech delegation presented a non-paper underlining the importance of further advancing the gradual integration of Ukraine and Moldova in the EU’s single market.
Preparatory documents
- List of A items, non-legislative activities
- Provisional list of A items, non-legislative activities
- Provisional agenda
- Background brief
Outcome documents
Source – EU Council
General Affairs Council: Remarks by High Representative Kaja Kallas at the joint press point following the informal breakfast meeting
Brussels, 28 January 2025
Check against delivery!
Thank you.
[This is a] great initiative from Minister Rosencrantz. I am also very happy to have you here, Olha. Always good to cooperate together with the Enlargement Commissioner.
Ukraine is our priority. That is very clear. We have to support Ukraine in the really immediate term but also looking to the future. Therefore, the enlargement process is extremely important because it gives hope to the people of Ukraine as well. And, therefore, of course, we can talk about clusters, we can talk about chapters, but, for people, it means that there will be a better future for Ukraine when Ukraine will be built up after the war.
Of course, right now the war is going on, so we need to also increase the pressure on Russia to stop this war. Therefore, I am very happy that we agreed to extend the sanctions, yesterday, with the Foreign Affairs Ministers. We are also working on the next sanctions package to come.
We really need to keep up the economic pressure on Russia while also giving military support to Ukraine. To strengthen Ukraine, so that the stronger they are on the battlefield, the stronger they are also behind the negotiation table.
What we also raised today – and I am happy that we have this core group gathering on the 3 and 4 of February – regarding accountability: I think this is extremely important.
It cannot be that you attack another country, you kill civilians, and you get away with it. It is clear that we need to work for the accountability today and really have the clear rules in place.
Then, of course, enlargement. The Enlargement Commissioner can really go in depth here, but I think what is important is that enlargement works as a conversions machine. It helps the Member States that are joining Europe, the European Union, but it also is necessary for the European Union to really develop itself further and have new Member States.
So, therefore, I am very grateful for this breakfast. This was a very interesting exchange of views, and thank you again for being here.
Q&A
We have all heard Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary, recently called Ukraine an economical threat to Europe. If Ukraine would be a Member of the European Union, how are you going to handle this and make every European Member allow Ukraine to start negotiations?
On Hungary – we have in the European Union 27 different countries, and 27 different internal democracies. So, every decision we make we discuss, and it is always difficult. I do not have any illusions that it is going to get any easier, but in the end we have always managed. Thank you.
People have been talking about the opportunity now with Ukraine to apply pressure , you kind of address that a little bit. I wonder if you could flesh it out, if you have a message for the new administration in the United States about why it is important to apply pressure now, what are the circumstances that you see make this a good time to do it. An additional point on NATO, the US does not want Ukraine to join NATO, if you heard that, if you have any comments on that as well.
Putin can end this war very well – if he realises he made a mistake and cannot win in Ukraine – when he stops bombing the civilians and civilians infrastructure and withdraws its troops. So it is clear that the pressure to end this war has to be on Putin. It seems to me that the new administration in America also understands that, if you see the messages that President Trump has said regarding Putin. So, we need to work together. That is very clear. If the United States is worried about China, then they should first be worried about Russia, because how we react [faced with] Russia’s aggression also gives a signal to China, in this regard. So, that is extremely important. When it comes to NATO membership, then we have agreed in NATO that Ukraine’s path is towards NATO membership. The question is: when can that really happen? When we talk about security guarantees then the strongest security guarantee that there is, is a NATO membership – and the security guarantee really needs to be credible. But of course, Member States, everybody in NATO has to agree to this, and not everybody is there yet. Thanks.
Since you mentioned security guarantees, how big do you see the danger that European Union membership could become mixed up in the discussion of negotiations? Would you or can we say that with certainty this prospect of Ukraine joining Ukraine is not negotiable?
On the negotiations, I think what is important to say is really that whether it comes to NATO or whether it comes to European Union, it is only for the members of these organisations to decide who gets to be in and who gets to be out. If we give the power to any third parties to say and agree that “this country cannot be in” and that is a bargaining chip, then we give a lot of power away. I think it should not be like this. We are the members of these organisations that need to decide ourselves.
So far, every country that joined the EU had been a member of NATO.
That is not true. No, I mean [take] my own country.
I am talking about the big wave in the Eastern part of Europe. So, the question is: is there an intrinsic link between the two of them?
First, on the European Union and NATO membership. So, I remember I saw this process very closely because my father was the one who was negotiating as well. One time he said: “NATO is not going to happen” and then you know, “EU is not going to happen”. It went [as if] you made the step here and then you made the step there. Actually, we were not in NATO before we joined the European Union, or vice versa. It was kind of almost at the same time, the same year. But it was not a precondition for this. I think the importance of NATO has grown over time, because we see the aggressiveness of Russia. Why Finland and Sweden joined, when they were not part of NATO? Because they did not feel the necessity. But when it was clear that Russia had these very imperialistic goals, then the only thing that really protects is the umbrella of NATO. That is why countries want to be in. I totally understand that, but it is not a precondition, no.
Will sanctions happen on the anniversary of the war? And how dramatic and significant will the next sanctions be?
On the first I want to correct: there was no gas deal yesterday, but a statement made regarding energy solidarity. So, to be clear on that. Then of course we are working on the next sanctions package and hopefully we really want to get it ready by February. There are different items there, but as you always know this is a negotiation between Member States. We are really looking into all types of things that really help Russia to wage this war – to put them on the sanctions list. Even elements like the consoles for the video games, because apparently these are the ones that they operate the drones with. So, really being creative. [Even] chemicals that are needed for the Russian military industry. There are a lot of items. Of course, LNG is as well on this list. What the final agreement is will then be clear when we have agreed, but we are working for it to be ready in February.
Link to the video (starting at 2:50): https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-266409
Source – EEAS