European Council

Today the Council appointed three new directors-general: Isabel Riaño as the new Director-General for Competitiveness and Trade (COMPET), Cesare Onestini as the new Director-General for Agriculture, Fisheries, Social Affairs and Health (LIFE), and Thomas Westphal as the new Director-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (ECOFIN).

The Council extended existing restrictive measures against several individuals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo until 12 December 2022.

The Council today adopted the regulation establishing the EU asylum agency. This regulation aims to improve the application of asylum policy within the EU, by turning the current European asylum support office (EASO) into a fully-fledged agency.

Press briefing ahead of the upcoming Agriculture and Fisheries Council will take place on 10 November 2021 at 15.00.

The EU’s roam like at home scheme will be extended until 2032, according to the provisional agreement reached today.

The main aim of this system is to enable the digitalisation of cross-border judicial communication and facilitate better access to justice for citizens and businesses.

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

Press briefing ahead of the upcoming General Affairs Council will take place on 10 December 2021 at 17.00.

Media advisory and press arrangements for the upcoming European Council of 16 December 2021.

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

European Council President Charles Michel addressed the annual EU Ambassadors' conference, which brings together ambassadors from the EU delegations and offices around the world.

Media advisory and press arrangements for the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit of 15 December 2021

Press briefing ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council of 13 December will take place on 10 December 2021 at 14.00.

The fourth meeting of the Stabilisation and Association Council between the European Union and Kosovo took place on 7 December 2021 in Brussels.

The Council today reached agreement on a proposal to update EU rules on rates of value added tax (VAT). The new rules will grant member states more flexibility in the application of reduced rates and exemptions and create a level playing field between member states. The rules will also phase out preferential treatments for environmentally harmful goods.

European Council President Charles Michel addressed the annual conference of the European Defence Agency "Innovation in European Defence"

Press briefing ahead of Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Transport) will take place on Wednesday 8 December 2021 at 13.30.

Le président du Conseil européen Charles Michel s'est rendu à Dakar, Sénégal, pour participer au Forum sur le développement et la sécurité en Afrique.

EU to designate 2022 as the European Year of Youth.

At the press conference following the Eurogroup meeting, President Paschal Donohoe underlined the main topics of the discussions, including the economic situation in the euro area, Greece's progress with reform implementation and its macro-economic outlook and member states' draft budgetary plans for 2022.