European Union

The Informal meeting of Ministers and State Secretaries for European Affairs takes place on 24 July in Luxembourg.

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The Informal meeting of Ministers for the Environment takes place on 22 and 23 July in Luxembourg.

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1. The EU firmly condemns the brutal attack which killed 38 tourists and wounded many others, on 26 June near Sousse, three months after the deadly attack at the Bardo. It reiterates its solidarity with the Tunisian people and with the families of the victims. 

2. While Tunisia embodies the success of a genuine democratic revolution and has made a transition to being the kind of society that protects fundamental freedoms and human rights, it is also a target for terrorism. These attacks strengthen the EU's determination, expressed by the European Council of 20 March, to support the Tunisian transition so that it can maintain its ambitious aim of democratic consolidation, and to deepen the privileged partnership between the EU and Tunisia which manifests, in many fields, the shared ambition to bring Europeans and Tunisians closer together.

3. The EU reasserts its support for the efforts of the Tunisian authorities to implement the Constitution fully, to ensure that all on Tunisian territory are safe and to undertake the reforms that are needed in order to meet the social and economic challenges that confront the young above all. It reiterates its commitment to further intensify its cooperation with Tunisia, through substantial technical and financial support, within an integrated approach designed to respond to the numerous challenges facing the country.

1. The EU commends the work carried out by the transitional Central African authorities over the last few months, which has allowed major political progress to be made, and particularly welcomes the Bangui Forum, which is a crucial step towards national reconciliation. To complete the transition, these efforts must be continued in a spirit of inclusiveness and responsibility. The international community remains committed to helping the Central African Republic (CAR) recover from the crisis. In this context, the Council welcomes the High-Level International Conference which was organised in Brussels on 26 May and attended by the transitional president, Catherine Samba-Panza. This event was an important opportunity to confirm the EU’s comprehensive approach in the CAR and has encouraged the mobilisation of additional resources for the Bêkou Trust Fund and humanitarian aid. The EU also welcomes the positive political engagement in the region – on the part of the ECCAS and the AU – in support of the transitional government.

2. The EU acknowledges the role played in the stabilisation of the CAR by all the international troops on the ground, the MINUSCA peacekeepers and the French troops involved in Operation Sangaris. The work begun by EUMAM RCA should help launch security sector reform, which is crucial for the country's recovery. This work must be continued, in coordination with other actions by the international community.

3. The preparations for elections have progressed in the last few weeks. The EU welcomes the publication of the revised election timetable and the first voter registration operations. The EU encourages the Central African authorities to take further action in this priority area, to allow for the organisation on the agreed dates of credible, transparent and inclusive elections for all, including displaced populations and refugees in neighbouring countries, focusing in particular on women. The Bangui Forum has created a drive towards inclusiveness which must be maintained. The EU is providing substantial financial support for the electoral process. In order not to undermine this process, and given that funding is still insufficient, the EU calls for costs to be rigorously controlled and for all potential donors to be mobilised. In addition to its financial support, the EU reiterates its continued readiness to support the electoral process, including in the field of election observation. 

4. The Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) process must quickly generate a controlled drive towards disarmament further to the agreement signed on 10 May 2015 by a large number of the armed groups. The EU will work with MINUSCA, which is supporting the Central African authorities in this field, including through measures to promote voluntary disarmament. With this in mind, the EU stresses that it already supports several community integration and reconciliation projects funded by the European Development Fund (EDF) and the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP), as well as the actions supported by the Bêkou Trust Fund to create jobs for young Central Africans. The EU welcomes the agreement signed between the transitional authorities, the UN and the armed groups regarding the demobilisation of children from the armed groups. It calls for full implementation of this agreement. It is important that UNICEF – supported by the EU – should help to promote the reintegration of these children into society.

5. In the wake of the DDR process, progress is urgently needed on security sector reform conducted under the auspices of MINUSCA in cooperation with Operation Sangaris and the CSDP mission EUMAM RCA, which must cover all relevant areas, including the whole of the criminal justice chain. The EU believes that the role of the armed forces (FACA), their location, size, composition and weaponry, including the individual reintegration of former combatants into the uniformed services, will have to be precisely defined after the elections and will have to form part of the SSR process, which must start now.

6. The EU remains concerned about the difficult budgetary situation of the Central African state. Through its budgetary support, the EU contributes significantly to the CAR's functioning, and hopes the economic upturn will continue, in order to enable the CAR to meet its basic needs. The economic recovery, which may become reality thanks in part to the considerable natural resources the CAR has at its disposal, requires, in addition to improved security and political stability, better management of state finances.

7. The EU stresses, as it did at the Bangui Forum, that there can be no reconciliation without justice. The adoption and enactment of the law establishing the Special Criminal Court constitutes an important step in the fight against impunity. It must start its work without delay and ensure the CAR participates fully in its operation, given how high public expectations are in this area. The Central African authorities' cooperation with the United Nations human rights mechanisms, as well as with the International Criminal Court, must also continue. 

8. In solidarity with the people of the Central African Republic, the EU intends to pursue its humanitarian efforts, both inside the CAR and in neighbouring countries which have taken in very large numbers of Central African refugees. Humanitarian needs remain vast. Despite an improvement in the security situation, access to the populations in need inside the country remains highly problematic. In this transition phase, it is essential to ensure that the international community is committed to working alongside the CAR to continue to address the humanitarian crisis with a comprehensive strategy in support of displaced populations, including in the neighbouring countries and taking into account the impact on the host communities. At the same time the EU reiterates its commitment to strengthening the population's resilience to the impact of the crisis, in particular through the implementation of the Bêkou Trust Fund, launched by the EU, which brings together the contributions of several donors. The EU is also committed in the longer term to addressing the need for capacity building and for the restoration of the state's essential functions throughout the country, building on its social services.

The European External Action Service was established following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon in late 2009. It serves as a foreign ministry and diplomatic corps for the EU, under the authority of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

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Donald TUSK, President of the European Council, visits Azerbaijan on 22 July 2015 to follow-up on the results of the Eastern Partnership summit held in Riga on 21-22 May 2015.

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The Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) on 22 July 2015 approved, on behalf of the Council, an agreement reached with the European Parliament on a directive establishing new rules on insurance distribution.  

The text recasts and repeals directive 2002/92/EC on insurance mediation with a threefold objective. It seeks to improve retail insurance regulation in a manner that will facilitate market integration, and to establish the conditions necessary for fair competition between distributors of insurance products. It also sets out to strengthen policyholder protection, in particular with regard to life insurance products with an investment element.

Intermediaries play a central role in the distribution of insurance and reinsurance products. Various types of persons and institutions distribute insurance products, such as agents, brokers and insurance undertakings. Application of directive 2002/92/EC has shown a number of provisions to require greater precision.

More specifically, the new directive is aimed at: 

- extending the scope of application to all distribution channels, including proportionate requirements for those who sell insurance products on an ancillary basis; 

- identifying, managing and mitigating conflicts of interest; 

- strengthening administrative sanctions, as well as measures to be applied in the event of a breach of key provisions; 

- enhancing the suitability and objectiveness of insurance advice; 

- ensuring that sellers' professional qualifications match the complexity of the products they sell; 

- clarifying the procedure for cross-border market entry. 

In order to ensure consistency between financial sectors, the directive would take account of rules established for markets in financial instruments. 

The directive would not prevent member states from applying more stringent provisions to protect consumers, providing that such provisions are consistent with EU law. 

The agreement with the Parliament was reached during a trilogue meeting on 30 June 2015. The Council agreed its negotiating stance in November 2014. 

The directive will now be submitted to the European Parliament for a vote at first reading and to the Council for final adoption. 

Member states would have two years to transpose the directive into national laws and regulations.

Today President Aliyev and I had a wide-ranging discussion covering our extensive bilateral relationship. We talked about what we are already doing together now. But more important, we talked about what we should do together in the future, about the future direction of our important relationship in the years to come. 

Azerbaijan is our reliable and strategic partner in the energy field, and we want to take this partnership further. One aim of the European energy union is to exclude the possibility of using gas as a threat. The conflict in Ukraine shows that such threats are still possible. 

This is why the EU is dedicated to diversifying our supplies. And Azerbaijan is a main partner in this endeavour. Today, we agreed to stand united on developing the Southern Gas Corridor - a project which is in our common strategic interest - and to make sure it is completed on time, whatever our competitors do. For Europe, it is a question of diversifying supply. For Azerbaijan, it is a question of diversifying demand. 

Azerbaijan has the potential to become one of the EU's major commercial partners in the region. The EU is already Azerbaijan's main trade partner and one of its most important investors. We will expand these commercial relations further in the coming years. I recalled that good governance and rule of law are important for creating a favourable commercial and investment climate. The EU stands ready to assist here, if needed. 

I also hope very much that Azerbaijan will soon finalise its negotiations to join the WTO. 

We have discussed how best to move our relationship forward, through an ambitious new bilateral agreement. We agreed to set a brisk pace for our talks toward an Agreement on Strategic Partnership. 

I stressed the high importance we attach to human rights and fundamental freedoms. The EU believes that an open society is the best guarantee of long term stability and prosperity. I have discussed with the President our concerns with the detention of human rights defenders here and our hope that prompt action will be taken on the individual cases. We will continue to discuss these issues and to explore ways for good and mutually beneficial cooperation on human rights, also in the context of the future of our contractual relations. After this meeting, I will meet with representatives of the civil society. 

We also discussed the Eastern Partnership. The EU's intention is to better reflect the individual wishes and interests of each partner as we develop this policy. 

Let me also reiterate that the EU supports the territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. The EU and its Member States have not recognised Nagorno-Karabach. 

The status quo is unsustainable and the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains a priority for the EU. We continue to support the mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. 

Finally, we discussed the mobility of people and our strong common wish to facilitate travel and direct contacts between our peoples. I applaud the entry into force of the Visa Facilitation Agreement and the Readmission Agreement in the autumn of last year. This was an important step. Last year there were 70,000 visitors from Azerbaijan to the Schengen area. An increase by almost 20% from the year before. And one third of the visas we issue are now long-term multiple entry visas. 

I look forward to continue strengthening our important relationship in the coming years, and hope my visit today has contributed to this aim. Thank you!

The EU seeks to develop particular close relationship with Morocco, its geographical neighbour, and to support Morocco's economic and political reforms. The relationship emphasizes close cooperation on democratic reform, economic modernization, and migration issues.

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Dear soldiers, 

I want to thank you for your service to Europe and to peace and security abroad. Your hard work and sacrifice is appreciated in the European Union. I am personally very proud of you and of what you have done in Central African Republic. Thanks to you, your residence for sacrifice, your courage, your professionalism, your dedication, Georgia is maybe the best example of the international solidarity in the whole world. Thank you very much.

Our military operation in the Central African Republic has created security within a very difficult theatre, protected populations at risk and helped humanitarian aid reach the people that really need it. This is something we have done together on behalf of the global community, based on a UN Security Council mandate and part of wider international efforts.

Georgia's participation, as the second largest contingent in the operation, has been essential to its success.

I welcome your country's decision to stay engaged in these important efforts by providing the Immediate Reaction Team for the EU's Military Advisory Mission in the Central African Republic.

Together, we are achieving something very important in a spirit of both global and European solidarity and cooperation. I commend and thank you for your service. All the best.

The Informal meeting of Ministers of Competitiveness takes place on 20 July 2015, in Luxembourg.

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Donald TUSK, President of the European Council, visits Georgia on 20 July 2015 to follow-up on the results of the Eastern Partnership summit held in Riga on 21-22 May 2015.

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