European Council

European Council President Charles Michel and EU leaders discussed via video conference five key topics in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic and how to strengthen EU health systems, coordination and preparedness for the future.

Weekly schedule of President Charles Michel 15-21 February 2021

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

The European Union and Ukraine issued a joint press release after the seventh Association Council meeting of 11 February 2021.

The Council adopted a regulation establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

Press briefing ahead of the informal video conference of economic and finance ministers will take place on 15 February 2021 at 11:00.

President Michel received the letters of credentials from six new ambassadors to the European Union.

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

Member states agreed on a negotiating mandate for revised rules on the protection of privacy and confidentiality in the use of electronic communications services (ePrivacy).

The proposed new rules will allow the EU and the member states to be better prepared for natural and man made disasters and to respond faster when they strike, including in cases which affect a majority of member states simultaneously.

Press briefing ahead of video conference of Eurogroup will be take place on 10 February 2021 at 15.00

The EU issued a declaration welcoming the agreement by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum on a transitional unified executive authority for Libya.

Weekly schedule of President Charles Michel 08-14 February 2021

On 5 February 2021, the President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, gave the 2021 Euro Lecture of the London School of Economics and Political Science’s German Symposium

Today, the Council appointed Maryem van den Heuvel as the new Director-General for External Relations (RELEX), and Didier Seeuws as the new Director-General for General and Institutional Policy (GIP).

The Council renewed the EU terrorist list setting out persons, groups and entities subject to restrictive measures with a view to combating terrorism for a further six months.

European Council President Charles Michel delivered a message of hope at an online event hosted in Abu Dhabi aimed at promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue.

The EU issued a declaration welcoming the agreement reached between the United States and the Russian Federation to extend the New START Treaty for an additional five years.

The EU issued a declaration condemning the Russian authorities’ decision to sentence Alexei Navalny and considering it unacceptable, politically motivated and running counter to Russia’s international human rights obligations.

Article by Charles Michel, President of the European Council; Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; Emmanuel Macron, President of France; Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany; Macky Sall, President of Senegal; António Guterres, UN Secretary-General.