European Council

Tuesday 9 February 2016
11.00 Meeting with the Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili (photo opportunity - press statements ±11.30)
13.00 Meeting with President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker (Berlaymont)

Wednesday 10 February 2016
(European Parliament)
15.15 Meeting with President of the EU Committee of the Regions Markku Markkula
15.30 Address to the EU Committee of the Regions plenary session

Thursday 11 February 2016
11.00 Meeting with the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland (photo opportunity)

On 16 December 2015, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2015/2359[1] implementing Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP.

The Decision amends the list of persons and entities subject to restrictive measures as set out in Annex I to Decision 2013/255/CFSP.

The Candidate Countries the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Serbia* and Albania*, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia align themselves with this Declaration.

They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision.

The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it.

 [1] Published on 17.12.2015 in the Official Journal of the European Union no. L 331, p. 26.

* The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

On 21 December 2015, the Council adopted Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/2431[1]. The Council Decision extends existing measures until 31 July 2016.

The Candidate Countries Montenegro* and Albania*, and the EFTA countries Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine align themselves with this Declaration.

They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision.

The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it.

 [1] Published on 22.12.2015 in the Official Journal of the European Union no. L 334, p. 22.

* Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

On 29 October 2015, the Council adopted Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/1957[1] amending Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP.

The Decision extends the existing measures until 29 February 2016 and at the same time suspends the measures for 170 persons and 3 entities designated under Decision 2012/642/CFSP until 29 February 2016. The Decision also amends the list of persons and entities as set out in Annex to Decision 2012/642/CFSP.

The Candidate Countries the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Serbia* and Albania*, the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area align themselves with this Declaration.

They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision.

The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it.

 [1] Published on 30.10.2015 in the Official Journal of the European Union no. L 284, p. 149.

* The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

We are here today to forge a common response to the biggest humanitarian challenge of our time: the Syrian refugee crisis. Refugees have had little choice but to flee their country. Many of them have lost everything. And now after so many years of conflict, people have lost hope. We have a moral duty to bring their hope back.

Syria's neighbours have shown tremendous efforts in accommodating over 4.6 million refugees. The international community recognizes that countries like Lebanon, Jordan or Turkey are providing a global public good in assisting refugees. We are all here because this public good has to be financed by the global community. We have to support Syria's neighbours in accommodating refugees.

Since the start of the conflict the European Union has spent 5 billion euros helping to manage this crisis. Last year, the European Union exceeded its commitment to give an additional 1 billion euros to the region. We now stand ready to offer more help.

I am pleased to announce that the European Union and its member states will commit more than 3 billion euros to respond to the needs of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey for 2016. Looking beyond that, from 2017 onwards, the EU and Member States intend to maintain this level of financing.

On top of this pledge, the EU's bank will also play its part. The European Investment Bank plans to lend around 12.5 billion euros to Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt over the next five years. This could be stepped up to a possible total of 23 billion euros for the whole of the Middle East and North Africa. President Hoyer from EIB will present the details later today.

I will continue to convince my G7 and G20 partners to step up our global efforts.

The European Union and its Member States pledged today more than € 3 billion to assist the Syrian people inside Syria as well as refugees and the communities hosting them in the neighbouring countries for the year 2016.

The pledge triples the EU support offered at the last donor conference in Kuwait on 31 March 2015, and comes on top of the €5 billion that the EU has already committed in response to the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II. 

The announcement was made at the Supporting Syria and the Region conference hosted by the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Kuwait and the United Nations by the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk and High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini.

Tusk and Mogherini represented the EU alongside Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement and Christos Stylianides, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management.  The London-based conference drew leaders from of over 70 delegations.

European Council President Tusk conveyed a message of hope: "With this pledge we hope to offer millions of people better lives. Refugees have had little choice but to flee their country. Many of them have lost everything. And now after so many years of conflict, people have lost hope. We have a moral duty to bring their hope back."

HRVP Mogherini recalled that only a political solution would put an end to the immense suffering experienced by the Syrian people and reiterated the EU's full support to the efforts undertaken by UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura to ensure constructive peace talks.

She added: "As the European Union, we share with the entire international community the responsibility to save Syria, for the sake of its citizens and the whole region. That's why we bring proposals to further step up our existing engagement of the last five years, when the EU has already been the leading donor on the Syria crisis. While we provide humanitarian and development aid, and propose economic and financial support in different forms also for Jordan and Lebanon, we keep working for a political transition in Syria that can put an end to the war. The intra-Syrian talks in Geneva have opened a window of opportunity.  This window will not be open forever, and it is crucial that all the parties engage constructively in a dialogue that has to bring concrete results on the ground. The EU and its Member States will continue to provide life-saving assistance, but also to push all parties to ensure access to those in need across Syria, to work on ceasefires and to protect civilians. The humanitarian work and the diplomatic efforts have to go hand in hand: they can reinforce each other, or weaken each other. The EU is committed to making both deliver."

Over the past five years, the war has claimed more than 250,000 lives, most of them civilians, while over 18 million people are in need of assistance, including 13.5 million inside Syria. The war has led to major displacements inside the country (6.5 million internally-displaced) and beyond. With over 4.6 million people having fled primarily to Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, the war has had a deep impact on Syria's neighbours.

The continued hospitality and generosity of Syria's neighbours and especially the communities hosting the refugees is widely appreciated by the international community. At the London conference, the EU announced its intention to significantly increase its support in particular to Lebanon and Jordan, the two countries with the biggest number of refugees in terms of proportion of refugees to the host population. The EU is ready to start negotiating 'EU Compacts' with both countries, to strengthen its political, economic, trade and social ties in addition to improving the living conditions of refugees and affected host communities. 

On 3 February 2016, the 28 member states agreed on how to finance the €3 billion EU refugee facility for Turkey. This will allow the EU to deliver additional humanitarian assistance to refugees in Turkey and their host communities. The help is mainly focused on meeting immediate needs by providing food, health services and education.

“We are working continuously to stem the flow of migrants to Europe. The agreements between the EU and Turkey are a vital part of this. They aim at targeting human traffickers and launching projects which will help give those in and around the refugee camps the hope of a better future. Europe is following  up on its decision to make 3 billion euro available for the Turkey Refugee Facility and we will continue to work hard with our Turkish partners to turn this into concrete results”, said Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, which is currently holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU.

This agreement puts into practice the commitment made by the EU at its summit with Turkey on 29 November 2015 to provide €3 billion additional resources to assist Turkey in addressing the immediate humanitarian and development needs of refugees and their host communities. €1 billion of this will be financed from the EU budget and the remaining €2 billion by contributions from the member states according to their share in EU GNI.

The facility will include a governance and conditionality framework. Its respect is an essential element for the execution of assistance actions.

The distribution of member states' contributions is set out in the following table and graphic: 

[1] Contributions made by member states could be adjusted downwards in 2017 according to the final contribution from the EU budget, without prejudice to the total amount planned for the instrument and without prejudice to the prerogatives of the budgetary authority.

[2] National contributions for the Facility will not be taken into account for the calculation of a member state's deficit under the Stability and Growth Pact.

[3] A contribution from Cyprus in the amount of € 2.3 million will be made to the EU budget for Jordan and Lebanon.

Keeping the unity of the European Union is the biggest challenge for all of us and so it is the key objective of my mandate. It is in this spirit that I put forward a proposal for a new settlement of the United Kingdom within the EU. To my mind it goes really far in addressing all the concerns raised by Prime Minister Cameron. The line I did not cross, however, were the principles on which the European project is founded.

I deeply believe that our community of interests is much stronger than what divides us. To be, or not to be together, that is the question which must be answered not only by the British people in a referendum, but also by the other 27 members of the EU in the next two weeks.

This has been a difficult process and there are still challenging negotiations ahead. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. I am convinced that the proposal is a good basis for a compromise. It could not have been drafted without the close and good cooperation of the European Commission. In order to facilitate this process the Commission also made political declarations that are included in this package.

Let me briefly refer to all the four baskets of the proposal.

On economic governance, the draft Decision of the Heads sets out principles to ensure mutual respect between the Member States taking part in further deepening of the Economic and Monetary Union and those which do not. By doing that we can pave the way for the further integration within the euro area while safeguarding the rights and competences of non-participating Member States.

The respect for these principles is backed up by a draft Decision establishing a mechanism that while giving necessary reassurances on the concerns of non-euro area Member States, cannot constitute a veto nor delay urgent decisions. The exact conditions for triggering this mechanism remain to be further discussed.

On competitiveness, the draft Decision of the Heads, together with a more detailed European Council Declaration and a draft Commission Declaration, will set out our commitment to increase efforts to enhance competitiveness. We will regularly assess progress in simplifying legislation and reducing burden on business so that red tape is cut.

On sovereignty, the proposed Decision of the Heads recognises that in light of the United Kingdom's special situation under the Treaties, it is not committed to further political integration. It also reinforces respect for subsidiarity, and I propose that the Member States discontinue the consideration of a draft legislative act where a number of national parliaments object to it on the grounds of subsidiarity, unless the concerns raised can be accommodated. The importance of respecting the opt-out regime of Protocols 21 and 22, as well as national security responsibilities is also underlined.

On social benefits and free movement, we need to fully respect the current treaties, in particular the principles of freedom of movement and non-discrimination. Therefore the proposed solution to address the UK concerns builds on the clarification of the interpretation of current rules, including a draft Commission Declaration on a number of issues relating to better fighting abuse of free movement.

The draft Decision of the Heads notes, in particular, the Commission's intention to propose changes to EU legislation as regards the export of child benefits and the creation of a safeguard mechanism to respond to exceptional situations of inflow of workers from other Member States. A draft Commission Declaration also relates to this mechanism. This approach, as well as the exact duration of the application of such a mechanism need to be further discussed at our level.

Most of the substance of this proposal takes the form of a legally binding Decision of the Heads of State or Governments. We should also be prepared to discuss the possible incorporation of the substance of a few elements covered by the Decision into the Treaties at the time of their next revision.

Our Sherpas and Permanent Representatives will meet on Friday this week to have the first discussion of the proposal. The clear objective is to have an agreement of all 28 at the February European Council. To succeed we will all need to compromise. To fail would be compromising our common future.

Donald Tusk, President of the European Council

Sunday 31 January 2016
London
18.30 Meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron

Tuesday 2 February 2016
17.00 Meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (photo opportunity)

Thursday 4 February 2016
London - Supporting Syria and the Region conference

(local time)
11.00 Intervention at the Supporting Syria and the Region conference

11:25 Meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
12.30 Meeting with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron
13.00 Meeting with President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz
14.30 Meeting with Prime Minister of Slovenia Miro Cerar
15.00 Meeting with Prime Minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoğlu, German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras and Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann

On 28 January 2016, the Council extended until 31 January 2017 a freeze on the assets of 48 persons deemed to be responsible for the misappropriation of state funds in Tunisia and those associated with them. 

The decision will be published in the Official Journal of the EU on 29 January 2016.

The sanctions were initially introduced on 31 January 2011, targeting former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, his wife and 46 other persons. They have been renewed annually.

On behalf of the European Council, I wish to congratulate you on becoming Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia. 

Your nomination comes at a crucial time both for Croatia and the European Union. Today, more than ever, we need unity and solidarity in Europe, in order to deal with the refugee crisis effectively. Bearing in mind the region's role as a key transit route for large numbers of migrants, Croatia will continue to be an important and valued partner in this effort. 

Europe also needs to show determination in carrying out economic reforms necessary to create jobs and growth. I trust that under your leadership Croatia will contribute constructively in rising to these as well as other challenges facing Europe today. 

I look forward to working closely with you and welcoming you at the European Council of 18 and 19 February.

It is my pleasure to extend my wholehearted congratulations to you on your election as President of the Portuguese Republic. On behalf of the European Council and personally, I wish you every success in your work. I trust that under your term, Portugal will benefit from the political stability and social cohesion that are necessary to respond to the challenges lying ahead.

In 2016 Portugal  celebrates 30 years of accession to the European Communities. I am pleased to note that the political commitment and popular support of your Nation to the European project and values have always remained among the strongest. I have the firm conviction that Portugal will continue to contribute to the development of the European Union, the completion of monetary union and appropriate responses to geopolitical threats. 

Today I met with Prime Minister of Lebanon Tammam Salam to prepare for the upcoming London Conference, "Supporting Syria and the region", on 4 February. We discussed topics of common concern, such as the impact of the refugee crisis, the  joint fight against terrorism, and the Syria crisis.

The European Union is committed to support Lebanon to sustainably address the consequences of the Syrian crisis. Ahead of London, we agreed with Prime Minister Salam to do more to address the needs of refugees and host communities. This includes by creating job opportunities and providing education, offering greater hope for the future.

The European Union also appreciates Lebanon's efforts in countering violent extremism and fighting terrorism, particularly in the light of the brutal terrorist attacks in Beirut of 12 November. I hope that the EU and Lebanon will be able to further strengthen our cooperation. The upcoming counter-terrorism Dialogue in Beirut is an important opportunity to do so.

I expressed to the Prime Minister our appreciation for his commitment and efforts to govern in such challenging times. I also renewed our call on all political forces to elect a new President and foster reforms to strengthen democracy, justice and the rule of law.

The European Union is committed to working with Lebanon, especially during challenging times. We will continue our joint efforts to make the EU-Lebanon partnership stronger.

The December European Council debated in fact all the major crises that confronted Europe in 2015. Whether it was the migration and refugee crisis, EMU reform or Brexit, in all of these discussions we made some progress but for sure not enough. Let us have no doubt that 2016 will also be overshadowed by these challenges. Our community is experiencing a stress test. And what is most challenging is that we are being tested on all possible fronts at the same time. Today, let me say it loud and clear. I will not rest until we work out solutions to all these challenges. Our strength comes from our unity. Therefore keeping European unity will continue to be my main goal in 2016.

Dear members, let me start with the migration and refugee crisis, an existential challenge for the EU. As you remember I have emphasised for months, in fact from the very beginning of the migration crisis that there is no good alternative to border protection. This is a conditio sine qua non of any effective migration policy.

After the December European Council, we can be a bit more optimistic. The leaders' discussion concentrated on ways and means to strengthen external border control. All leaders acknowledge that protecting Schengen requires difficult decisions. In this context, we agreed to rapidly examine the European Commission's proposal to strengthen the EU's external borders, including the idea of the European Border Guard. This is a priority for the Dutch Presidency and we should have political agreement in the Council by June.

The agreement of by Greece to accept a Rapid Border Intervention Team from Frontex already in December is another indication that we have started to move in the right direction when it comes to guarding the external border.

Despite political progress, I have to admit that there is a clear delivery deficit on many fronts, from hotspots and security screening in frontline countries to relocation and returns. The action plan with Turkey, although promising, is still to bear fruit.

I share the sentiment expressed by Prime Minister Rutte that we have no more than two months to get things under control. The statistics over the Christmas period are not encouraging with over 2,000 arrivals to the EU per day, according to Frontex. The March European Council will be the last moment to see if our strategy works. If it doesn't we will face grave consequences such as the collapse of Schengen. For sure this kind of alternative to our strategy is not pleasant and so I appeal that Member States implement our agreements in full.

Dear members, let me turn to the UK. In December, leaders had a substantive and constructive discussion on the UK question. Prime Minister Cameron set out his position in detail, in particular regarding benefits and free movement. He explained his request for a model based on four years and reiterated the openness to alternative solutions but only if they achieve the same objective. Leaders voiced their concerns on specific issues, but also demonstrated willingness to look for compromises. Building on this positive debate, we agreed to work together to find solutions in all four baskets raised by PM Cameron: relations with the euro area, sovereignty, competitiveness and on benefits and free movement. Hard work on all these baskets is progressing and as we speak my people are working with the Commission to bring us closer to the solution. In the run-up to the February European Council, I will table a concrete proposal for a deal with the UK to all EU leaders. Let me stress again that from the very beginning of these negotiations I have been very clear. There will be no compromise on fundamental values like non-discrimination and free movement. At the same time I will do everything in my power to find a satisfactory solution, also for the British side. As of today the result of the referendum is more unpredictable than ever before. Time is of essence here. And this is why I will work hard to strike a deal in February. It will not be easy but it is still possible.

Dear members, the European Council also discussed counter-terrorism in light of the Paris tragedy. These outrageous acts only have strengthened Europe's resolve to fight terrorism. Leaders agreed to operationalise our policies, including systematically sharing information on foreign fighters through Schengen and Europol, as well as between Member States' authorities. Security services should conduct joint threat analysis if it can prevent future attacks. Europol has already reported a significant rise in information-exchange on foreign fighters through its new Counter Terrorism Centre with almost every Member State contributing data. Without vigilance and real co-operation, we cannot defeat this threat and the likelihood of further attacks remains very high. I urge all states to cooperate fully.

The European Council was an opportunity for the leaders to assess the state of play in building the Energy Union. There is a significant progress in the level of interconnections between states on the gas and electricity markets, including the parts of Europe that have been isolated until now. When I proposed the energy union concept as Polish prime minister, this was one of my major goals.

I am happy to see clear progress but still we need more. The European Council asked for all relevant legislation to be brought forward, including on strengthening the transparency on the gas market. Talking about the Energy Union, leaders had an exchange on the Nord Stream II project, some of them were very critical, and we also discussed the conditions that need to be met by major energy infrastructure projects. We reiterated that any new infrastructure should be fully in line with the Energy Union objectives. Not to mention the obvious obligation that all projects have to comply with all EU laws, including the third Energy Package. These are clear conditions for receiving support from the EU institutions or any Member State - political, legal or financial. Now the ball is in the court of the European Commission. But the political message of the European Council is clear and goes in a similar direction as the position expressed by the European Parliament.

Leaders praised President Hollande and congratulated him on the successful hosting of the COP21 and on the agreement of the first ever, legally-binding global climate deal. We have asked the Commission and the Council to assess fully what the Paris Agreement implies for our own energy and climate policy mix.

Last, but certainly not least, the European Council addressed economic challenges.  Leaders confirmed their commitment to work towards completing EMU further based on the Five Presidents' report. Even if Europe is overwhelmed by the migration crisis, we cannot afford to wait with the necessary EMU reforms for better days. In this spirit ministers were asked to advance their work rapidly on a number of areas, including the banking union.

The European Council also emphasised the importance of deepening the single market in key areas. Delivering a digital single market and building a capital markets union are our top priorities.

Finally, I want to warn against the increasingly alarmist rhetoric on the future of Europe. Neither naivety nor excessive pessimism will get Europe the results it needs. As Europeans we have to be both realistic and confident about our values and beliefs. I am reminded of Arnold Toynbee's famous remark that civilisations die from suicide, not by murder. Europe is stronger than some may think, and we still have the power and the public mandate to do what is necessary. Thank you.

The Cooperation Council between the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Armenia held its sixteenth meeting on Monday, 18 January 2016. The EU was represented by Mr. Bert KOENDERS, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, acting as head of the European Union delegation on behalf of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Ms Federica Mogherini, and by Mr Johannes HAHN, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations. The Armenian delegation was led by Mr Edward NALBANDIAN, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, acting this year as Chair of the Cooperation Council. 

The European Union and Armenia reconfirmed their joint commitment to enhance and deepen their cooperation in all areas possible and compatible with Armenia's new international obligations deriving from its accession to the Eurasian Economic Union.

Both sides welcomed the launch of negotiations and provided further political guidance and impetus as regards the future EU-Armenia Agreement, meant to replace the current outdated Partnership and Cooperation Agreement and to reset their relations within the wider framework of the reviewed European Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership.

The EU and Armenia reviewed activities undertaken and meetings held during the past year in the context of the Eastern Partnership and underlined the importance of effective joint actions to build on the successful 2015 Eastern Partnership Summit held in Riga. They addressed issues related to the implementation of the reviewed European Neighbourhood Policy and shared the view that updated Partnership Priorities should be defined after the conclusion of the new EU-Armenia agreement.  

The Cooperation Council reviewed recent political, economic and social reforms in Armenia. The EU took note of progress achieved in implementing these reforms and of Armenia's commitment to continue on this positive trajectory, while at the same time encouraging Armenia to accelerate reforms in specific areas, notably democracy and the rule of law, anti-corruption, human rights and fundamental freedoms, constitutional and judicial reform. Particular attention was drawn to the need for reform of the electoral system, to the need to appropriately implement the new constitution and assure media freedom, as well as to the important role of civil society. 

The EU confirmed its continued support for Armenia's reform efforts, including implementation of the visa facilitation and readmission agreements, and encouraged Armenia to make best use of the assistance it receives to this end from the EU. For 2014-2017, between 140 and 170 million EUR, focused on private sector development, public administration reform, and justice sector reform, are to be disbursed. 

The Cooperation Council welcomed the good progress made in implementing the Mobility Partnership. The EU reiterated its firm commitment to enhance the mobility of citizens in a secure and well-managed environment, which is a core objective of the Eastern Partnership, and recognised the high importance attached by Armenia to the mobility of its citizens. Moreover, both sides welcomed the overall good implementation of the Visa Facilitation and Readmission agreements since the previous Cooperation Council. 

The Cooperation Council addressed also regional issues of common interest, including the prospects for the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. On the latter, the EU reaffirmed that the status quo is unsustainable and that the peaceful resolution of this conflict remains a priority issue for the EU. The security situation along the Line of Contact and the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a matter of serious concern. The EU reiterated its call for restraint and further engagement in the OSCE-led negotiation efforts. Moreover, the EU reiterated its support to the negotiations mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs aimed at settling the conflict. It encouraged further dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including at the level of Presidents and welcomed the summit held on the initiative of the Co-Chairs in Switzerland on 19 December 2015 which provided an important opportunity for exchanges on the way ahead. Furthermore, the EU reiterated its willingness to support peace-building activities and its readiness to provide reconstruction and rehabilitation support to the regions affected by the conflict, once a peace deal is struck. 

Tuesday 12 January 2016
11.00 New Year's reception at the Royal Palace (Brussels)
17.00 Meeting with the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament  (EP)
18.00 Meeting with the S&D group in the European Parliament  (EP)

European Council meeting will take place on 18-19 February 2016 in Justus Lipsius building in Brussels. 

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On 7 January 2016, the Council appointed Mr Kęstutis Lančinskas, a senior Lithuanian police official, as head of the European Union Advisory Mission Ukraine. Mr Lančinskas will replace Mr Kalman Mizsei and is expected to take up his duties in Kyiv on 1 February 2016. 

The European Union Advisory Mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform Ukraine, EUAM Ukraine, was formally launched on 1 December 2014, with a mandate to support Ukrainian state agencies in the reform of the security sector. The mission is one the central elements of the EU's enhanced support to the Ukrainian authorities after the Maidan uprising in December 2013. It follows the signing of an Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU in 2014, which includes the establishment of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). The DCFTA came into effect on 1 January 2016. 

The EUAM aims to strengthen and support reform in state agencies such as the police, other law enforcement agencies and the overall judiciary, particularly the prosecutor's office. This process is ultimately designed to restore the trust of the Ukrainian people in their civilian security services, which have been beset by allegations of corruption and malpractice. 

Today's decision was taken by the Political and Security Committee. 

A Masters graduate of criminal law, Mr Lančinskas held several first secretary roles as part of Lithuania's diplomatic service during the 1990s. From 1998 to 2005, he served as the head of the international cooperation and European integration service at Lithuania's Ministry of the Interior, where he was also responsible for Lithuania's participation in peace-keeping missions, and its accession to the Schengen cooperation.

Mr Lančinskas became deputy police commissioner general of Lithuania in 2005, before taking over as chief of Vilnius County Police in January 2009, a position he has held until now.

On 21 December 2015, the Council prolonged EU economic sanctions against Russia until 31 July 2016. 

The sanctions were initially introduced for one year on 31 July 2014, in response to Russia's actions in the east of Ukraine.

On 22 June 2015, the Council prolonged the duration of the measures by six months until 31 January 2016. This followed an agreement in the European Council in March 2015, when EU leaders linked the duration of the sanctions to the complete implementation of the Minsk agreements, which was foreseen to take place by 31 December 2015. 

However, since the Minsk agreements will not be fully implemented by 31 December 2015, the duration of the sanctions has been prolonged whilst the Council continues its assessment of progress in implementation.

The measures originally imposed in July 2014 were reinforced  in September 2014. They target certain exchanges with Russia in the financial, energy and defence sectors and in the area of dual-use goods.

The 7th meeting of the accession conference with Montenegro at ministerial level was held on 21 December 2015. The conference opened negotiations on two chapters:

• Chapter 14, on transport policy;
• Chapter 15, on energy.

Accession negotiations with Montenegro started in June 2012. Twenty-two out of 35 chapters have now been opened, two of which have been provisionally closed.