European Union

Yanukovych v Council
External relations
The Court of Justice confirms the freezing of funds of Mr Viktor Yanukovych, former President of Ukraine, and of his son Oleksandr for the period from 6 March 2015 until 6 March 2016

Istanbul Lojistik
Transport
The Hungarian tax on motor vehicles is incompatible with the EEC-Turkey Association Agreement

The Civil Liberties Committee approved proposals for a new Dublin regulation, the cornerstone of the EU asylum system, in a vote on 19 October. It suggests ways to remedy current weaknesses and deliver a robust system for the future. The European Parliament is now ready to start negotiations with member states.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

The Civil Liberties Committee approved proposals for a new Dublin regulation, the cornerstone of the EU asylum system, in a vote on 19 October. It suggests ways to remedy current weaknesses and deliver a robust system for the future. The European Parliament is now ready to start negotiations with member states.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

The European Council today and tomorrow is an important staging post for the Article 50 process. It marks the point at which the EU27 had decided they would review the negotiations and take stock.

More particularly, the original mandate for the Commission suggested that this was the point at which the European Council would take a view on whether ‘sufficient progress’ had been made on the Phase I topics; the immediate issues that needed settling of citizens’ rights, financial liabilities and the Irish border. Only with that sufficiency would there be a movement on to Phase II, the transition talks to set up a new relationship.

Already we know that the European Council will not give the green light to this, with the Commission, the General Affairs Council and the European Parliament all having already weighed in to say that there has been progress, but not enough to suffice. The drafts of the European Council conclusions take the same line.

So far, so unsurprising: ever since the summer break there has been a growing feeling that the negotiations had run into difficulties, not least because of the on-going inability of the British government to settle on a preferred outcome: there is a good understanding of the points to be discussed and agreed, but a lack of political direction from the UK on how to resolve them.

As such, the non-progression this week has already been largely priced into the process.

However, this comes with some significant costs. The most obvious is that it will not now be until December that any move to Phase II takes place, leaving very little time to reach a full deal by October 2018 (which is when one is needed, if ratification is to take place by March 2019).

Moreover, a blockage now will rob Article 50 of whatever momentum it might have picked up from May’s Florence speech, which sought to advance the financial side of things.

So, that’s the context. But what does it suggest everyone wants or needs to get from the European Council?

For the EU27, Brexit remains a side-show to all the other things that they are dealing with at the moment. With only a handful of states deeply involved in the process, most will be happy to know that the Commission is on the case and that there remains collective buy-in to the mandate for Phase I: no-one wants to get rolled over on the finances and citizens’ rights are a concern for many. As long as they can go back with a message that the EU is still fighting for those things, then they will be happy.

Likewise, for those member states most closely involved, upholding the mandate is also the best course of action. For Ireland, it keeps their priorities front-and-centre, while for Germany it keeps everyone on-board for a process to find a deal with the UK. However, the blockages seen suggest that they will be working with the European Council President and the Commission.

And the Commission itself is in a more tricky position. It has a very strong interest in making Article 50 work, both because it wants to keep the UK in a functioning relationship with the EU, and also because it wants to demonstrate its problem-solving abilities. At the same time, it needs to protect the core values and benefits of the EU for its members, which limits what it can give way on to help the UK.

The compromise that seems to be emerging is that while there will be insufficient progress, the Commission will push for the EU27 to start preparing a Phase II mandate, so that as-and-when approval is given, both sides can hit the ground running, rather than lose another month or so to Phase II prep. Moreover, since that prep will be in public, it will also allow the Commission to provide some additional signalling to the UK of its intentions, which might in turn help with outstanding Phase I problems.

Which leaves the UK.

If the EU side seems to be pointing towards a tough-but-accommodating position, then the British government is in more of a bind. The strength of feeling from hard-brexiteers makes it hard for any concessions, especially with the calls to simply walk away from the talks altogether. That such calls are self-evidently self-defeating just points out how limited May’s position is, with little agency in either Brussels or London.

Since May does not intend to – or, indeed, is able to – make any new offers at the European Council itself, much will rest on the presentation of matters. In that, she might obviously go for the lines taken in the Barnier-Davis press conferences in previous rounds of negotiations: the EU says ‘insufficient progress’, the UK says ‘progress’.

But the big danger is the one that has lurked ever since June, namely a further compromise to May’s position. If tempers flare and EU leaders come out with doom-laden messages, then May risks finding herself with her cornerstone policy priority looking even worse than before, and MPs might increasingly feel there’s little to be lost by changing horses mid-stream.

The EU might ask itself whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, both given where we are and what might follow.

The post Who needs what from the European Council? appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

The European aircraft manufacturer Airbus takes control of the CSeries medium-haul aircraft program of Canadian Bombardier. By this operation Airbus puts 50.01% of the flagship program of the family business in Quebec. A "win-win" operation Airbus shares took 4% on the Paris Stock Exchange.

The company that built the medium-haul jet was created in 2016 by Bombardier and the Government of Quebec to save the bankruptcy program. Ultimately, Airbus will take the majority stake in this company alongside family shareholders (31%) and Quebec authorities (19%). Indeed, under pressure from Boeing, the Trump administration, on the pretext of this subsidy, had overwhelmed the CSeries with an exceptional tax of 300%. A sort of death sentence for a program that has accumulated only 350 orders, but $ 450 million in losses in 2016. Yet the Quebec builder had spared no effort to try to sell his new plane. According to some analysts, the discounts could reach 75% for a device billed about $ 70 million at the list price.

Indeed, this program of medium-haul aircraft perfectly complements the range of Airbus. The CSeries is a 100 to 150-seat airplane of the latest generation, launched in 2013. It is located at the very beginning of the range of Airbus single-aisle aircraft, with 150 to 240 seats. It replaces an aging A319. Once integrated into the industrial aircraft of the European aircraft manufacturer, the CSeries should prove its full commercial potential.

Aircraft are expected to require more than 6,000 aircraft with 100 to 150 seats within 20 years. More importantly, the entry of the CSeries into the bosom of Airbus reinforces the dominance of the European aircraft manufacturer in the medium-haul segment. Airbus already holds more than 60% of a market estimated at more than 25,000 aircraft by 2037.

Tag: AirbusBombardier

At the "Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region" Conference in Brussels on 4-5 April 2017, the international community and the governments of refugee hosting countries came together to reaffirm commitments to help millions of affected civilians in Syria as well as Syrian refugees and the communities generously hosting them.

The international community pledged US$6 billion in funding to support humanitarian, stabilisation and development activities in 2017 in Syria and the region, and a further US$3.7 billion for 2018-20. International financial institutions and donors also announced almost US$30 billion in loans. The Brussels conference co-chairs (the EU, Germany, Kuwait, Norway, Qatar, the United Kingdom and the United Nations) published today a report on progress against these pledges.

In the light of today's incident in the Europa building, it has been decided, as a precautionary measure, that the European Council of 19-20 October will take place in the Justus Lipsius building.

The programme and schedule remain unchanged.

An updated media advisory will follow with all practical details. 

I cannot start our conference today without first paying tribute to the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, killed in a car bomb in Malta on Monday. I am convinced that the Maltese authorities will do everything in their power to investigate and bring to light all the circumstances of this hideous crime. In this extraordinary moment, we remember all the journalists who have lost their lives realising their mission. I have been a journalist myself for many years and this is why I know what you feel today. Let us observe a minute's silence for Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Turning to our work today. Yet again, our Tripartite Social Summit took place in the context of positive economic news. The European economy has finally woken up. GDP growth in the European Union is above 2 per cent, unemployment has fallen to below 8 per cent. The euro area is recording its fastest growth rate since 2011. In fact, the European recovery is no longer a recovery but a European economic expansion. In short, the economic success story of 2017.

It is our common task now to ensure that the benefits of economic growth are shared as widely as possible. And this is why in our meeting today we discussed, in very concrete terms, how the social partners can be better involved in national policy-making. I remain convinced that only by taking the views of social partners into account can we make real progress. This is especially important in today's digital age, where citizens, young and old, need to be equipped with the right skills to prosper. This is what I discussed not only with the social partners today but also with the European leaders at the Digital Summit in Tallinn. And at the meeting of the European Council tomorrow, the spirit of Tallinn will drive our political decisions.

The leaders will also discuss migration. As you all know, the Italian government under the leadership of Prime Minister Gentiloni has effectively begun stemming the high flows on the Central Mediterranean we have witnessed since 2014. Thanks to Italy, the numbers of irregular migrants and deaths at sea are finally coming down. But we cannot only remain grateful to Italy. The European Union must now step up its efforts to help. Our Member States should be ready to commit more money to the Trust Fund for Africa. And the European Commission, which is managing this Fund, should make sure that the money is well targeted on stemming irregular migration. I will invite a frank and serious debate among the leaders, so that we sort out this problem once and for all.

On Friday, the European Council will be meeting at 27 to discuss Brexit. I have worked for a balanced message to come out of this meeting. There is clearly not the "sufficient progress" that we had hoped for. So we cannot yet proceed to the second phase of negotiations. However, while progress is not sufficient, there is promising progress, especially following the speech by Prime Minister May in Florence. I will therefore recommend the EU27 to begin internal preparations for talks on the transition and the future relationship.

Last night, I circulated to EU leaders a new agenda to guide the work of the European Union up to June 2019. This is the result of a full round of one-to-one consultations with leaders since our meeting in Tallinn a few weeks ago. From all quarters, there is now a new willingness to energise and enrich our work, draw on new ideas, maintain our unity and increase the dynamism of the EU. I will be calling on leaders to work together according to a strict timetable on the issues we have identified as the most pressing, from migration to EMU reform, where we are deadlocked and where the Gordian knot needs to be cut.

Unity is the objective of the Leaders' Agenda. Because it is my firm belief that unity is a value in itself and that ambition should not be an excuse for division. So the starting point will always be EU27 or, where appropriate, EU28. However, unity cannot be a synonym for stagnation either.

The social dimension will be an important part of this new agenda. And already in a month from now, at the Göteborg Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth, leaders will have the opportunity to discuss social issues. Today's summit with the social partners was an excellent beginning in this regard. Thank you.

On 14 September 2017, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2017/1560[1]. 

The Council Decision extends the existing restrictive measures, imposed by the Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/1693, until 31 October 2018. 

The Candidate Countries the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, Montenegro* and Albania*, the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the EFTA countries Iceland and Liechtenstein, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia align themselves with these Council Decisions. 

They will ensure that their national policies conform to these Council Decisions.

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

[1] Published on 15.9.2017 in the Official Journal of the European Union no. L 237, p.71.
* The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

Place:
European Convention Center Luxembourg (ECCL)

Chair:
Urve Palo, Estonia's Minister for Entrepreneurship and Information Technology 

All times are approximate and subject to change

from 09.00
Arrivals 

+/- 10.00      
Doorstep by Minister Urve Palo 

+/- 10.30      
Beginning of Council meeting (Roundtable)
Adoption of the agenda 
Digital Single Market strategy (public session)

+/- 12.30
Working lunch debate on 5G connectivity and investment

+/- 14.30
Any other business (public session):
- 5G connectivity
- Tallinn eGovernment Declaration
- Eastern Partnership Digital Ministerial meeting

+/- 14.50
Cybersecurity 2.0

+/- 16.30      
Press conference (live streaming)

Place:
European Convention Center Luxembourg (ECCL)

Chairs:
Jevgeni Ossinovski, Minister for Health and Labour
Kaia Iva, Minister for Social Protection

All times are approximate and subject to change   

from 08.00   
Arrivals 

+/- 08.30     
Doorstep by Minister Ossinovski

+/- 09.30      
Beginning of Council meeting (Roundtable)
Adoption of the agenda 
Adoption of legislative A items (public session)
Adoption of non-legislative A items

+/- 09.45
European Pillar of Social Rights (public session)

+/- 11.00
Posting of workers directive (public session)

+/- 13.30
Working lunch debate - Improving cooperation in cross-border labour mobility to fight fraud and abuse

+/- 15.30
Any other business (Roundtable):
- European Institute for Gender Equality (public session)

+/- 16.00
European Semester 2018 (public session)

+/- 16.30
Revision of Regulations on Coordination of Social Security systems (public session)

+/- 16.35
Any other business:
- Tripartite Social Summit
- Tallinn Digital summit
- New Skills Agenda for Europe

+/- at the end of the meeting      
Press conference (live streaming)

This Autumn Social Summit was devoted to "Shaping Europe's future: strengthening resilience and promoting economic and social progress for all". Three sub-themes fed into this discussion: The social dimension of Europe; The involvement of the social partners in policies and reforms at national level - progress made and ways to improve; and Investing in learning in a digital economy and society.

In his statement, the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said that: "It is our common task now to ensure that the benefits of economic growth are shared as widely as possible. And this is why in our meeting today we discussed, in very concrete terms, how the social partners can be better involved in national policy-making. I remain convinced that only by taking the views of social partners into account can we make real progress. This is especially important in today's digital age, where citizens, young and old, need to be equipped with the right skills to prosper. Because in the digital age, the quickest way to go backward is to stand still. This is what I discussed not only with the social partners today but also with the European leaders at the Digital Summit in Tallinn. And at the meeting of the European Council tomorrow, the spirit of Tallinn will drive our political decisions."

The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker underlined: "A fair and more social Europe is key in shaping our Union's future. This is what citizens rightly expect. I want the EU to stand up for the rights of its citizens in a fast-changing world. This is what the European Pillar of Social Rights is all about. I trust that we will be able to proclaim it at the Social Summit in Gothenburg on 17 November."

From the side of the rotating presidency, Estonia's Prime Minister, Jüri Ratas, said that "Less than three weeks ago I had the honour to host the first ever European Union Digital Summit in Tallinn. One of the topics was the future of the economy and society. EU leaders realise that a major shift is under way in society and that the social partners have an important role to play in this context. Indeed, their support for maintaining well-functioning EU labour market and welfare systems is vital. We already live in a digital society and we have to adapt rapidly in order to seize the economic opportunities that digitalisation presents, without leaving anybody behind. We have to provide the right skills as well as social protection to all people, whether they work in traditional companies or have cutting-edge jobs in the digital economy. The social partners have looked at these issues in depth. We are all committed to reviewing EU and national laws and policies in order to make sure they are fit for the digital age".

BusinessEurope's President, Emma Marcegaglia, representing employers (BusinessEurope, CEEP, UEAPME) said “Europe is one of the best places to live, work, and do business in the world. The European project made this possible. We should take full advantage of the current momentum - with unity backing the European project and an improved economic situation - to ensure that EU and national reforms necessary to modernise European economies and societies are put in place. The renewed focus on industrial policy is an important step. We now need to feed the strategy through a structured way forward. The EU needs to become more attractive for investment and to maintain a fair and ambitious trade agenda opening new markets and creating sustainable growth and new business opportunities for enterprises of all sizes. As regards the social dimension of Europe, the key challenge is to set in motion a partnership for reforms for improved employment outcomes. The EU should act where there is a shared understanding of its added value, respecting subsidiarity and social partner autonomy.”

"The European trade unions want to convince the EU member states to adopt, and the European Commission to follow up vigorously to fully implement, an ambitious and strong European Pillar of Social Rights” said Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). “We need more concrete measures to make a real difference in the lives of working people. Many working people are yet to feel any recovery, and need hard evidence that the EU is committed to social justice and social progress. The EU needs to make up for the lost years of crisis, and also to manage the changes that decarbonisation and digitalisation will bring so no worker is left behind."

The views cited in this text are those of the individual / organization concerned and do not collectively constitute the point of view of the Council or the European Council.

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The main theme of the meeting of the Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment, taking place in Brussels on 18 October 2017, is 'Shaping Europe's future: strengthening resilience and promoting economic and social progress for all'. Discussions are focused on three areas: the social dimension of Europe, progress achieved and ways to improve involvement of social partners in policies and reforms at national level, and investing in learning in a digital economy and society.

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A law that lays down, as a criterion for admission to a police school, a minimum height requirement irrespective of sex may constitute unlawful discrimination against women
Une réglementation qui prévoit, en tant que critère d’admission à l’école de police, une taille physique minimale indépendamment du sexe peut constituer une discrimination illicite envers les femmes

https://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu/uploads/council-images/thumbs/uploads/council-images/remote/http_7e18a1c646f5450b9d6d-a75424f262e53e74f9539145894f4378.r8.cf3.rackcdn.com/90d0a49a-1499-11e7-bfe6-bc764e093073_127.78_thumb_169_1504517203_1504517203_129_97shar_c1.jpg

EU Ministers of Foreign and European Affairs meet on 17 October 2017 in Luxembourg to discuss the state of play of Brexit negotiations and the relocation of EU agencies.

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EU Ministers of Foreign and European Affairs meet on 17 October 2017 in Luxembourg to discuss the draft conclusions of the European Council meeting on 19-20 October. The Council is also holding its third annual rule of law dialogue, centred on media pluralism and the rule of law in the digital age.

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DRAFT OPINION on the next MFF: Preparing the Parliament’s position on the MFF post-2020
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Pier Antonio Panzeri

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

On 16 October, Ana Fotyga, Chair of the SEDE committee, extended her condolences to the people of Somalia following the massive terror attack in Mogadishu. She said:

"This weekend's terror attack in Mogadishu is an unconscionable atrocity. I condemn the perpetrators in strongest terms and would like to extend my sincerest condolences to the people of Somalia. Terrorism is a threat that affects us all and knows no borders. We will continue to do our utmost to support the Somalis and our international partners including the African Union in their fight against this scourge."
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Length of video : 139'
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Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP