European Union

Plenary sessions : Rules on maternity leave vary widely between EU countries, however plans to harmonise them have been blocked by national governments since 2008. With the European Commission now threatening to withdraw its proposal, MEPs debate the situation on 19 May and will vote the next day on a resolution urging member states to resume negotiations. Follow it live on our website.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : Could creating a digital single market in the EU and removing barriers online help give a boost to European companies? The European Commission outlined its strategy on 6 May, while it will also feature on the agenda of the European Council on 25-26 June. Meanwhile the Parliament is planning to respond with an own-initiative report on the digital market. They debated the issue on 19 May, during which MEPs highlighted the challenges and potential benefits involved.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : Could creating a digital single market in the EU and removing barriers online help give a boost to European companies? The European Commission outlined its strategy on 6 May, while it will also feature on the agenda of the European Council on 25-26 June. Meanwhile the Parliament is planning to respond with an own-initiative report on the digital market. They debated the issue on 19 May, during which MEPs highlighted the challenges and potential benefits involved.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

AMENDMENTS 1 - 80 - Draft opinion on the private sector and development
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : Suggested ways to improve patient safety, including tackling growing resistance to human and veterinary antibiotics, using today’s treatments more responsibly and promoting innovation, are set out in a resolution voted on Tuesday. MEPs note that 8 - 12% of patients in EU hospitals suffer adverse events, such as healthcare-related infections, which are implicated in 37,000 deaths a year and place a heavy burden on limited health service budgets.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : Suggested ways to improve patient safety, including tackling growing resistance to human and veterinary antibiotics, using today’s treatments more responsibly and promoting innovation, are set out in a resolution voted on Tuesday. MEPs note that 8 - 12% of patients in EU hospitals suffer adverse events, such as healthcare-related infections, which are implicated in 37,000 deaths a year and place a heavy burden on limited health service budgets.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : MEPs urged EU member countries to respect their Official Development Assistance (ODA) target of 0.7% of national income and to set timetables for reaching it by 2020 in a resolution adopted on Tuesday. They also stressed the need to mobilise domestic resources efficiently in developing countries as a key source of financing.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : MEPs urged EU member countries to respect their Official Development Assistance (ODA) target of 0.7% of national income and to set timetables for reaching it by 2020 in a resolution adopted on Tuesday. They also stressed the need to mobilise domestic resources efficiently in developing countries as a key source of financing.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : MEPs will debate the situation in Hungary with Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans late on Tuesday afternoon. The debate follows Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's remarks on the possibility of reinstating capital punishment in Hungary and a public consultation on immigration launched by the Hungarian government. Mr. Orbán will also be present during the debate.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : MEPs will debate the situation in Hungary with Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans late on Tuesday afternoon. The debate follows Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's remarks on the possibility of reinstating capital punishment in Hungary and a public consultation on immigration launched by the Hungarian government. Mr. Orbán will also be present during the debate.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : Military groups in conflict areas such as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo often use the sale of minerals found in their territory to fund their activities. A new EU proposal aims to put an end to this by setting up an EU system of self-certification to encourage importers, smelters and refiners to source their minerals responsibly. MEPs will debate the plans on Tuesday 19 May and vote on them the following day. Follow it live on our website.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : Military groups in conflict areas such as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo often use the sale of minerals found in their territory to fund their activities. A new EU proposal aims to put an end to this by setting up an EU system of self-certification to encourage importers, smelters and refiners to source their minerals responsibly. MEPs will debate the plans on Tuesday 19 May and vote on them the following day. Follow it live on our website.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

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The European Union Military Committee (EUMC) is the highest military body set up within the Council. It directs all EU military activities and provides the Political and Security Committee (PSC) with advice and recommendations on military matters.

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The Cooperation Council between the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Uzbekistan held its twelfth meeting on Monday, 18 May 2015. The Cooperation Council reaffirmed the commitment of both parties to see their bilateral relations strengthened across a number of areas and took stock of the progress made since the eleventh Cooperation Council between the EU and the Republic of Uzbekistan in March 2014, including in the implementation of the EU Strategy for Central Asia. 

The Cooperation Council underscored the intensification of the political dialogue between the EU and the Republic of Uzbekistan over the past years.  

The Cooperation Council reiterated its attachment to a comprehensive implementation of the EU Strategy for Central Asia both, on a regional and national basis, welcomed Uzbekistan's involvement in the EU regional initiatives for Central Asia and discussed possible orientations in relation with the current review of the EU-Central Asia strategy. The EU expressed its expectation to see Uzbekistan actively participate in the EU - Central Asia High Level Security Dialogue as well as in the EU regional cooperation projects on drugs (CADAP and border management (BOMCA).  

The Cooperation Council discussed important issues of interest to both parties, notably political reforms, rule of law and human rights, trade and economic relations, energy cooperation, education, regional cooperation in Central Asia and international issues.  

The EU welcomed Uzbekistan's readiness to discuss about human rights with the EU in an increasingly open fashion within the Human Rights Dialogue. Both sides reviewed the situation concerning human rights and fundamental freedoms in Uzbekistan, especially in key areas of concern to the EU. The EU welcomed the adoption of a National Action Plan aimed at ensuring the implementation of the recommendations accepted by Uzbekistan under the 2013 Universal Periodic Review exercise and strongly encouraged Uzbekistan to step up its cooperation with the United Nations to ensure that this Plan is properly implemented and duly monitored, in cooperation with international partners. The EU expressed its readiness to support Uzbekistan in this international cooperation exercise.  

The EU welcomed the increasing momentum in the cooperation between Uzbekistan and the ILO, in particular on child labour, and took note of the positive findings of the ILO regarding the 2014 cotton harvest, which corroborated the conclusions of the ILO High Level Monitoring Mission on child labour during the cotton 2013 harvest and the subsequent report of the ILO Committee of Experts of 2014. The EU welcomed the adoption in 2014 of a Decent Work Country programme between Uzbekistan and the ILO covering, in addition to child labour, wider labour issues. The EU called upon Uzbekistan to engage further with the ILO on the implementation of the ILO conventions and to address all outstanding labour issues pertaining to these conventions, in particular aspects related to forced labour. The EU welcomed the on-going constructive discussions between Uzbekistan and the ILO to this effect.  

The Cooperation Council emphasised the great potential of the economic and trade component of EU-Uzbekistan relations and discussed how to improve the business and investment climate. The EU reiterated its support for Uzbekistan's plan to accede to the WTO and its readiness to provide assistance to this aim. The Cooperation Council welcomed the progress already made towards the creation of a Business and Investments Council aimed at promoting bilateral trade and investments between the EU and Uzbekistan, and the readiness of both parties to establish this new body in the best possible delays.    

 The Cooperation Council noted the converging views of the EU and Uzbekistan as regards the main priorities of the on-going EU bilateral development cooperation with Uzbekistan, which is focused on the sector of rural development.  

The Cooperation Council emphasised the mutual interest of the EU and Uzbekistan in a strengthened cooperation in the field of energy and underlined the importance of an effective implementation of the bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on energy.  

In the area of education, the EU underlined the importance of EU programmes in higher education and technical and vocational education that could foster socio-economic development and encouraged Uzbekistan to actively benefit from these programmes. In this regard, Uzbekistan was invited to attend the first EU-Central Asia Education Ministerial conference in Riga on 25 and 26 June 2015.  

The Cooperation Council discussed regional cooperation in Central Asia and international issues, including Afghanistan. The Cooperation Council underlined the importance of regional cooperation in Central Asia as an effective means of conflict prevention and socio-economic development in the region. In this context, the Cooperation Council also underlined the importance for the Central Asian partners to seek a sustainable settlement regarding water management, security and energy issues in the region, which would take into account the interests of all countries and preserve the unity in the region, in line with the relevant international water conventions and the guiding principles of the EU Water Diplomacy adopted in July 2013.  

The Cooperation Council noted the importance of cooperation between the EU and Uzbekistan to promote regional stability and face external challenges.  

The Cooperation Council was chaired by H.E. Abdulaziz KAMILOV, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The EU delegation was led by H.E.Edgars Rinkevics, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia on behalf of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in her capacity as President of the EU's Foreign Affairs Council.  

 

 

1.      The global and European security environment has changed dramatically in recent years. This calls for a stronger Europe, with a stronger and more effective Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The conflicts, threats and instability in the EU's immediate and wider neighbourhood, affecting inter alia Iraq, Libya, the Sahel, Syria and Ukraine, as outlined in the report from the High Representative, together with long standing and newly emerging security challenges, are significantly impacting European security as well as international peace and security, and challenging our fundamental values and principles. 

2.      By addressing these conflicts, sources of instability and other security challenges, the EU and its Member States are assuming increased responsibilities to act as a security provider, at the international level and in particular in the neighbourhood, thereby also enhancing their own security and their global strategic role by responding to these challenges together. The EU and its Member States, through the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and other policies and instruments, have a strong role to play through the unique EU Comprehensive Approach to preventing and managing conflicts and addressing their causes.

1.           The forty-third meeting of the EEA Council took place in Brussels on 18 May 2015 under the Presidency of Ms Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Parliamentary State Secretary for EU Affairs of Latvia, representing the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The meeting was attended by Mr Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Mr Vidar Helgesen, Minister of EEA and EU Affairs at the Office of the Prime Minister of Norway, and Ms Aurelia Frick, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liechtenstein, as well as by Members of the Council of the European Union and representatives of the European Commission and the European External Action Service. 

2.           The EEA Council noted that, within the framework of the Political Dialogue, the Ministers would discuss 1) Ukraine and Russia; 2) the Eastern Partnership and 3) Syria, Iraq, Libya and ISIL- Da'esh, including combating radicalization and extremist violence in Europe. An orientation debate was held on the Digital Agenda.

3.           The EEA Council welcomed that the conclusions on a homogenous extended single market and EU relations with Non-EU Western European countries adopted by the Council of the EU in December 2014 acknowledged the key role played by the EEA Agreement throughout the last 20 years in advancing economic relations and internal market integration between the EU and the EEA EFTA States. The EEA Council highlighted that the Agreement had been robust and capable of adapting to changes in EU treaties and EU enlargements. The EEA Council recognised that the good functioning and further development of this extended Single Market would be a key driver for renewed growth in Europe.

4.           The EEA Council emphasised the need for responsibility and solidarity among the countries of Europe to overcome the social and economic challenges that had arisen from the economic crisis. In particular, the EEA Council expressed concern regarding the continued high level of youth unemployment in some EEA Member States. 

5.           Emphasising the fact that greater knowledge of the EEA Agreement throughout the EEA would be in the interest of all Contracting Parties, the EEA Council urged them to ensure that the appropriate information on the EEA Agreement was made readily and easily available to all.

6.           The EEA Council noted that free movement of capital is a fundamental internal market freedom and an integral part of the EEA acquis and acknowledged that restrictions can be implemented only temporarily on the basis of the provisions of Article 43 of the EEA Agreement.

7.           Noting the Progress Report of the EEA Joint Committee, the EEA Council expressed its appreciation for the work of the Joint Committee in ensuring the continued successful operation and good functioning of the EEA Agreement.

8.           The EEA Council stressed the need to swiftly conclude the work necessary for the incorporation into the EEA Agreement of the EU Regulations on the European Supervisory Authorities in the area of financial services to ensure effective and homogenous supervision throughout the EEA, as called for in the Conclusions approved by the EU and EFTA Ministers of Finance and Economy at their informal meeting of 14 October 2014. The EEA Council also highlighted the high importance of a swift incorporation and application of the outstanding legislation in the field of financial services in order to ensure a level playing field throughout the EEA in this important economic sector.

9.           Acknowledging the contribution made by EU programmes to building a more competitive, innovative and social Europe, the EEA Council welcomed the participation of the EEA EFTA States in EEA-relevant programmes to which they contribute financially. 

10.        The EEA Council recognised the still existing need to alleviate social and economic disparities in the EEA, as well as the positive contribution of the EEA and Norway Financial Mechanisms 2009-2014 and their predecessors in reducing economic and social disparities throughout the EEA. It noted that more than one year after the launch of the negotiations on the renewal of the EEA and Norway Financial Mechanisms for another term, the negotiations were still on-going and the progress achieved was still mixed. In light of the delay incurred, the EEA Council called for increased efforts in view of a swift conclusion of these negotiations. 

11.        The EEA Council also took note of the on-going negotiations in parallel with the Financial Mechanism negotiations on bilateral issues between each of the EEA EFTA States and the EU, and also called for a swift conclusion of these negotiations. 

12.        The EEA Council welcomed the ongoing efforts made to both reduce the number of EEA-relevant EU acts awaiting incorporation into the EEA Agreement and to accelerate the incorporation process. While commending all the steps undertaken in the course of the last years, the EEA Council noted that the number of acts awaiting incorporation was still too high. The EEA Council called for continued work in order to significantly and durably reduce the current backlog and thereby ensure legal certainty and homogeneity in the EEA. It urged all parties to engage constructively to find solutions to pending difficult issues.

13.        The EEA Council noted that progress was still needed on a number of outstanding issues and looked forward to reach a conclusion as soon as possible in particular regarding the Third Postal Directive, the 2009 TELECOM Package (including the Regulation on the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications - BEREC), the Directive on Deposit Guarantee Schemes, the Regulation on Novel Foods and Novel Food Ingredients, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Regulation on Medicinal Products for Paediatric use and the EU legal acts in the area of organic production. 

14.        The EEA Council recalled that there was still a number of Joint Committee Decisions, for which the six-month deadline provided for in the EEA Agreement with regard to constitutional clearance had been exceeded. It encouraged the EEA EFTA States to strengthen their efforts to resolve the pending cases as soon as possible and to avoid such delays in the future. 

15.        With regard to the Third Package for the Internal Energy Market, the EEA Council underlined the importance of stepping up efforts to incorporate this legislative Package into the EEA Agreement in order to establish a fully functional internal market for energy, and in particular encouraged the parties to identify mutually acceptable solutions for appropriate EEA EFTA participation in the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER). 

16.        The EEA Council placed great importance on continued close cooperation between the EU and the EEA EFTA States in environment, energy and climate change polices, particularly in light of the 2030 Framework for Climate and Energy and the proposal for A Framework Strategy for a Resilient Energy Union with a Forward-Looking Climate Change Policy. The EEA Council underlined in particular the importance of the EU, its Member States and the EEA EFTA States working closely together to achieve an ambitious and universal climate agreement during the COP21 Conference in Paris in December 2015 in order to contain global warming within the limit of 2ºC. The close cooperation should also continue in particular in the areas of security of energy supply, emissions trading, promotion of competitive, climate resilient, safe and sustainable low carbon energy, energy efficiency, renewable energy resources, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), marine environment and other environmental issues such as waste, chemicals, water resource management and industrial pollution.

17.        The EEA Council acknowledged the significance of the negotiations on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the European Union and the United States. The EEA Council welcomed the exchange of information between the European Commission and the EEA EFTA States initiated in the EEA Joint Committee in December 2014. Bearing in mind inter alia Protocol 12 to the EEA Agreement, the EEA Council encouraged a continuation of this exchange of information.

18.        The EEA Council acknowledged that the Contracting Parties, pursuant to Article 19 of the EEA Agreement, had undertaken to continue their efforts with a view to achieving the progressive liberalisation of agricultural trade. The EEA Council welcomed the launch in 2012 of negotiations on the further liberalisation of agricultural trade and on the protection of geographical indications between the EU and Iceland. The EEA Council also welcomed the launch of negotiations between the EU and Norway in November 2013 on the protection of geographical indications and on further liberalisation of agricultural trade within the framework of Article 19 in February 2015. The EEA Council noted that the EU had expressed its disappointment on the fact that the increased Norwegian customs duties for certain agricultural products, and the reclassification of hortensia, had not been revoked and that the EU had again encouraged Norway to reverse these measures. 

19.        The EEA Council welcomed the dialogue between Iceland and the EU on the review of the trade regime for processed agricultural products within the framework of Article 2(2) and Article 6 of Protocol 3 to the EEA Agreement in order to further promote trade in processed agricultural products and looked forward to the conclusion of this dialogue in the near future. The EEA Council encouraged the Contracting Parties to continue the dialogue on the review of the trade regime for processed agricultural products within the framework of Article 2(2) and Article 6 of Protocol 3 to the EEA Agreement in order to further promote trade in this area.

20.        The EEA Council underlined the importance of continuing the practice of inviting officials from the EEA EFTA States to political dialogues held at the level of the relevant Council working parties. 

21.        The EEA Council underlined the importance of inviting EEA EFTA Ministers to informal EU ministerial meetings and ministerial conferences relevant to EEA EFTA participation in the Internal Market, and expressed its appreciation to the current Latvian and incoming Luxembourg Presidencies for the continuation of this practice.

22.        The EEA Council recognised the positive contributions made by the EEA EFTA States to the decision-shaping process of EEA-relevant EU legislation and programmes through their participation in the relevant committees, expert groups and agencies, as well as through the submission of EEA EFTA Comments.

23.        The EEA Council noted the Resolutions of the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee adopted at its meeting in Strasbourg on 17 December 2014 on Follow-up to the Climate and Energy Policy Framework 2030 and on the Annual Report of the EEA Joint Committee on the Functioning of the EEA Agreement in 2013, and the Resolutions of the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee adopted on 31 March 2015 on The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and its possible implications for the EEA EFTA States - Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway and on Industrial Policy in Europe.