New Director-General appointed in the EU Council’s General Secretariat
The EU Council today appointed Preben Aamann as the new Director-General for Communication and Information. He will start in his…
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad: EU Council extends restrictions by one year
All individuals and entities previously identified as responsible for participating in the financing of Hamas and PIJ, or enabling their…
Political situation in Venezuela: EU Council statement and renewal of sanctions
The European Union stands in solidarity with the people of Venezuela, who voted peacefully on 28 July 2024 to determine…
Travellers’ protection: EU Council adopts mandate on package travel directive
Today, the EU Council adopted its negotiating mandate on a revised package travel directive making the protection of travellers more…
EU deforestation law: EU Council formally adopts its one-year postponement
Today, the EU Council formally adopted the regulation postponing the application of the EU deforestation law by one year. This…
EU lawmakers reach provisional agreement on tool to empower EU border regions
EU Parliament and Council teams have reached an agreement on an instrument for overcoming administrative cross-border obstacles that hold back…
Migrant smuggling: EU Member States reach agreement on criminal law
Today the Council agreed its position on an EU law on preventing and countering migrant smuggling. The objective of this…
Combatting child sexual abuse: EU Council adopts its position
Today, the EU Council agreed its position on a proposal to update the EU’s criminal law rules on child sexual…
Fighting terrorism: EU Council approves conclusions on future priorities
To further enhance counterterrorism measures, on 16 December 2024 the Council will approve conclusions on reinforcing external-internal connections in the…
Bulgaria and Romania: EU Council decides to lift land border Schengen controls
EU member states have decided to remove checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and…
Financial Data Access (FiDA): EU Associations call for thorough impact assessment
Financial associations call on the EU co-legislators to boost European competitiveness and to avoid concluding the Financial Data Access (FiDA)…
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Digital infrastructure: EU Commission’s White Paper approved by EU Council
In light of the Commission’s White Paper and the recent Draghi and Letta reports, the Council conclusions aim to take…
Intermodal transport: EU Council adopts negotiating position on passenger rights
To reinforce the application of passenger rights across the EU, today the EU Council adopted its negotiating position on two EU…
Deforestation Regulation: EU Council and MEP negotiators reach provisional agreement
The EU Commission welcomes the provisional political agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council on the Commission's proposal to grant…
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EU Council adopts new laws to strengthen cybersecurity capacities in the EU
The EU Council adopted two new laws part of the cyber security legislative ‘package’, namely the so-called ‘cyber solidarity act’,…
EU Council gives go-ahead to EU annual budget for 2025
Today, the EU Council approved the joint text on the EU’s general budget for 2025. The joint text was agreed…
Maritime safety: EU Council adopts new laws to modernise shipping in the EU
To support clean, safer, and modern shipping in the EU, today the EU Council adopted a "maritime safety package". It…
Sahel region: EU Council appoints João Cravinho as new Special Representative
Today the Council appointed João Cravinho as EU Special Representative (EUSR) for the Sahel region. The new EUSR will actively contribute…
Ukraine Facility: EU Commission paves the way for 2nd payment of nearly €4.1bn
The EU Commission has paved the way for the second regular payment of close to €4.1bn under the EU's Ukraine…
EU Council endorses further assistance to member states affected by natural disasters
Member states' representatives in the Special Committee on Agriculture have endorsed providing further assistance to EU countries affected by recent unprecedent natural disasters through…
Hydrogen: EU Council calls for swift action for networks, industry and investors
The EU Council has today adopted conclusions on the special report of the Court of Auditors on the EU’s industrial…
EU statistics: EU Council adopts revised regulation and approves conclusions
The EU Council today adopted changes to the EU legal framework on the development, production and dissemination of European statistics,…
EU Council adopts rules to better measure the environment’s impact on the economy
The new rules extend the scope of the European environmental economic accounts, introducing forest accounts, ecosystem accounts, and environmental subsidies accounts. The…
EU Council publishes 2023 international climate finance figures
In 2023, the European Union and its 27 member states contributed €28.6 billion in climate finance from public sources and…
EU Integrated Resolve 2024: EU concludes wide crisis response exercise
Over the past 6 months, the EU has planned and tested its overall preparedness and capacity to manage complex crises.…
Cohesion policy: EU Council agrees mandate on facilitating cross-border solutions
EU ambassadors today reached agreement on the Council’s negotiating mandate for a new regulation on facilitating cross-border solutions. The proposed…
EU Council greenlights up to €35bn assistance and G7 loan mechanism for Ukraine
The EU Council today adopted a financial assistance package to Ukraine, including an exceptional macro-financial assistance (MFA) loan of up…
Baltic Sea: EU Council agrees on fishing catch limits for 2025
The EU Council today reached a political agreement on new limits on fish catches for the Baltic Sea's key fish…
Deforestation law: EU Council agrees to extend application timeline
The postponement allows 3rd countries, member states, operators and traders to be fully prepared in their due diligence obligation to…
EU Commission: Negotiating mandates for COPs on climate, biodiversity, and desertification
The EU Environment Council in Luxembourg and the EU Commission secured ambitious negotiating mandates for the upcoming COP29 Climate Conference, the COP16…
UN climate conference COP29: EU calls for efforts to keep 1.5°C goal within reach
At the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), the EU will support an effective, achievable and ambitious global goal…
Combating desertification in Europe: EU Council urges action
The EU Council has adopted conclusions addressing the urgent challenges posed by desertification, land degradation, and drought, underscoring the critical need…
UN Biodiversity Convention: EU Environment Council reaffirms global pledge
Today, the EU Council approved conclusions in view of the Conference of Parties on the Convention on biological diversity (COP16)…
Frozen Russian assets: EU Council clears up to €35bn assistance to Ukraine and G7 loan mechanism
The EU Council today reached an agreement on a financial assistance package to Ukraine, including an exceptional macro-financial assistance (MFA)…
Russia: EU Council sharpens sanctions tools against destabilising activities
The EU Council today established a new framework for restrictive measures in response to Russia’s destabilising actions in Europe and…
COP29: EU Council approves conclusions on climate finance
In its conclusions, the EU Council underlines that the EU and its member states are committed to the current goal…
EU Member States confirm countervailing duties on battery electric vehicles from China
Today, the European Commission's proposal to impose definitive countervailing duties on imports of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from China has…
MEPs recommend rejecting discharge for the EU Council and urge it to cooperate
The Budgetary Control Committee (CONT) of the EU Parliament on Monday proposed to refuse discharge for the management of the…
Consumer rights: EU Council adopts position on measures to facilitate dispute resolution
The EU Council has today adopted its negotiating mandate on a package of measures to adapt the alternative dispute resolution…
Disaster relief aid 2023: EU Council mobilises €1,03bn for several EU regions
The EU Council agreed to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to several regions in Italy, Slovenia,…
EU Council Research: Harnessing wind power – navigating the EU energy transition
The EU’s renewable energy ambitions face key challenges, particularly due to its reliance on China's critical raw materials. The latest…
Russia: EU Council prolongs individual sanctions for a further six months
The EU Council decided today to prolong the restrictive measures targeting those responsible for undermining or threatening the territorial integrity,…
Ukraine Facility: EU Council approves first payment of nearly €4.2bn
Ukraine is set to receive close to €4.2 billion in funds after the EU Council greenlighted the first regular payment…
Anti-terrorist sanctions: EU Council adds “The Base” to EU Terrorist List
The Base is an organisation of right-wing extremists involved in terrorist acts, which was founded by Rinaldo Nazzaro in 2018.…
Mauritania: EU Council adopts EPF support to the armed forces
The EU Council today adopted an assistance measure under the European Peace Facility (EPF) worth €15 million to the benefit of the armed forces of…
Sexual and gender-based violence: EU Council sanctions four individuals and two entities
Today the EU Council approved additional restrictive measures against four persons and two entities under the European Union's Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime. The…
2025 EU annual budget: EU Council agrees its position on draft
Today, the EU Council reached an agreement on its position on the 2025 EU draft budget. In total, the Council's…
EU Court of Justice: EU Member States appoint three judges and an advocate-general
The term of office of Mr Irmantas Jarukaitis as judge was renewed. Mr Bernardus Smulders and Mr Fredrik Schalin were…
European Works Council Directive: EU Council finds common position
The European Works Council Directive will amend the existing directive on European Works Councils (EWCs), making them easier to set up,…