European Council

Joint Statement by the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon, Gebran Bassil, following the 8th EU-Lebanon Association Council 

The eighth session of the Association Council of the European Union and Lebanon took place in Brussels on 18 July 2017. The session was formally chaired by Gebran Bassil, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Lebanon. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, led the EU delegation. 

The session confirmed the strong partnership between the EU and Lebanon and the solid diplomatic relationship that has been established over the years. The EU underscored the importance of promoting Lebanon's example of a pluralistic and democratic society based on the values of freedom of belief and opinion.   The European Union and Lebanon see mutual benefit in working together to address global challenges such as the fight against terrorism and climate change. The Association Council confirmed that the European Union and Lebanon share similar views on many key regional issues and agree on the need to find political solutions to the crises affecting the region. A just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East remains a priority for the EU and Lebanon, as well as finding political solutions to the different crises in the region, particularly in Syria. 

The EU commended Lebanon for the important recent achievements including the election of President Aoun in October 2016, the formation of a new government led by Prime Minister Hariri in December 2016 and the endorsement of a new electoral law by parliament on 16 June 2016 on the basis of which parliamentary elections will take place by May 2018. The Association Council confirmed the EU's readiness to support Lebanon in preparing and holding fair, transparent and inclusive elections, including through the deployment of an EU Election Observation Mission once officially requested. 

The EU and Lebanon reviewed the outcome of the Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region of 5 April. They reiterated their full support to UN initiatives in view of a political solution to the Syria conflict as the only way ahead. The EU and Lebanon also reviewed the mutual commitments agreed and contained in the Lebanon Output Document agreed at the Brussels Conference, and the EU reiterated its support for the Lebanese vision for stabilization and development expressed in the conference. 

The EU fully acknowledged Lebanon's role in contributing to global public welfare in hosting around 1.5 million refugees. Recognising the impact of the Syria crisis on Lebanon and the country's extraordinary and exceptional effort in hosting more than 1 million Syrian refugees registered by UNHCR, which makes Lebanon the country with the highest number of refugees per square km and per capita in the world, the EU confirmed its willingness to maintain the level of support allocated for 2016-17 in 2018 and committed to a similar level for 2019. 

The EU and Lebanon agreed that the only sustainable long term solution for refugees and displaced from Syria into Lebanon is their safe return to their country of origin, as conditions for such a return are met. In this regard, both sides are however mindful to the imperative of building conditions for the safe return of refugees from Syria and displaced Syrians, including during the transition, in accordance with all norms of international humanitarian law and taking into account the interests of the host countries. 

The EU indicated that it has allocated more than EUR 1.2 billion in Lebanon since the start of the Syria crisis, across different instruments. The support includes bilateral aid to Lebanon as well as assistance addressing the impact of the Syrian crisis and which has benefited both host communities and the refugee population, for instance in the areas of healthcare, education and infrastructure. The EU confirmed that it will continue to apply the different tools at its disposal in support of Lebanon's economic development plans, and where appropriate consider new tools as the Government of Lebanon elaborates its vision presented at the Brussels conference last April, and presents its comprehensive multi-annual capital investment program addressing development needs in all sectors. Lebanon confirmed it would continue in its efforts, with EU and International Community support, to ensure better living conditions for refugees and displaced from Syria, and in particular in upholding the principle of "non-refoulement" and access to livelihoods, while underscoring that enhancing their living conditions during their temporary stay in Lebanon should come in the broader context of improving the economic resilience of the country as a whole through foreign and local investments in job creation projects, infrastructure and local economic development. 

While addressing the most urgent challenges, including migration and terrorism, Lebanon and the EU agreed to continue to pursue the core objectives of their long term partnership, which is working towards sustainable Lebanese and regional stability, where the EU will engage actively with the Lebanese authorities and uphold dialogue with all political parties, sustaining economic growth through strong state institutions and the revitalisation of the Lebanese economy, also by leveraging the potential of the Lebanese private sector and civil society. 

The EU and Lebanon discussed the implementation of the Partnership Priorities and EU-Lebanon Compact adopted in November 2016 and confirmed their ambition to intensify dialogue on issues of mutual interest and cooperate across inter-related areas from counter-terrorism to fostering growth and job creation, in particular for women and youth, strengthening the rule of law and democratic governance and working on migration and mobility. 

The Association Council recognised the challenging impact of the Syrian crisis on the Lebanese economy. The EU and Lebanon agreed to identify efficient and concrete ways of boosting EU-Lebanon trade - including through helping Lebanon exploiting preferential access to EU markets, and to work on viable options for improving that access. In this regard, Lebanon submitted concrete requests aiming at enhancing market access for a preliminary list of Lebanese products, which the EU will consider thoroughly, and Lebanon will continue to feed in the list, including new requests in the area of services. Lebanon also agreed to support the EU compromise package aiming to update the Pan-Euromed Convention on Rules of Origin. In order to provide faster assistance to the Lebanese economy in particular in the context of the Syria conflict, the EU will examine with Member States an early bilateral application of these updated rules with Lebanon on a reciprocal basis. If agreed, this should give Lebanese exporters a more immediate relaxation on all products. The Association Council was updated on the work of the Joint Working Group on trade and investment (JWG) established between the two sides, and expressed its full support for its objectives, called on the JWG to intensify its efforts, and expressed its readiness to provide needed assistance in this regard. The Association Council also agreed that the use of innovative financial vehicles, notably through concessional funding mechanisms, such as the European External Investment Plan, should be made efficiently and coherently with Lebanon's national investment plan once adopted. Lebanon confirmed its willingness to implement structural reforms to instigate growth, improve the business climate, attract more investment and modernise the economy. The Association Council also welcomed Lebanon becoming an EBRD member. 

The Association Council welcomed the constructive counterterrorism dialogue and the progress made in the implementation of initiatives in this field, especially the high-level meetings to develop a national counterterrorism strategy. The EU reaffirmed its commitment to provide further support to the Lebanese Armed Forces and other state security and justice institutions, as the sole providers of stability, order and security in the country while stressing the importance of abiding by international human rights law. 

The EU expressed its strong commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability of Lebanon, the EU and Lebanon reiterated their full support to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), including its maritime component, whose deployment is crucial to maintain stability and security in southern Lebanon. The EU also commended the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces across Lebanon, and called for continued assistance to LAF to allow it to continue performing its mandate and commended the crucial role of LAF in fighting terrorism, maintaining security across the country and cooperating with UNIFIL. 

The Association Council also noted the importance of student, staff and researcher exchanges, including through the Erasmus+ programme and the eTwinning scheme. The Association Council welcomed the forthcoming participation of Lebanon in the Partnership on Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA).This partnership is an example of how research and innovation can contribute to tackling issues (such as food production and water management) of shared concern in the Mediterranean area by joining different stakeholders and leveraging national budgets. The EU also welcomed the signature by Lebanon of the Paris Agreement on climate change in April 2016. 

The EU and Lebanon exchanged views on ways of enhancing the protection of human rights and promoting good governance; they agreed to pursue regular dialogue. The EU warmly welcomed the progress made in the setting up of a National Commission on Human Rights and the establishment of a National Preventive Mechanism to fight torture as well as the creation of specific ministries for human rights, women's affairs and anti-corruption within the government and offered support to ensure the new bodies and ministries can fulfil their functions in line with their mandates and the expectations of the Lebanese people.

The Association Council also agreed to pursue the discussions towards the signature of a Mobility Partnership.

The 13thmeeting of the Stabilisation and Association Council between the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the European Union (SA Council) took place on 18 July 2017. The meeting was chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Nikola Dimitrov. For the EU, the meeting was co-chaired by High Representative / Vice President of the Commission, Federica Mogherini, while Commissioner Johannes Hahn represented the European Commission. Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Mr. Bujar Osmani also participated. 

The SA Council recalled that the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) remains at the core of the relationship between the EU and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia until the country's accession to the EU. The SA Council took note of the country's primary objective to open accession negotiations and acknowledged the new government's strong commitment to this purpose.  

The SA Council discussed the "Plan 3-6-9", containing short, medium and long term plans and short-term measures to be implemented by the Government. Progress in implementing overdue EU-related reforms, starting with the implementation of the Pržino agreement and the Urgent Reform Priorities, would be an important basis for further discussion by the Council of the European Union.  

The SA Council reviewed the key developments over the previous period relating to the fulfilment of the political criteria, as well as the state of play concerning the economic criteria, financial cooperation and the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement.  It noted the results of the Stabilisation and Association Committee held on 29 June. 

Concerning the political criteria, the SA Council was informed of key political developments.  It welcomed the intention of the new government to address outstanding reform issues in an inclusive, transparent and coherent manner. It recalled the importance that the government, together with the opposition, implements their commitments under the Pržino agreement and the Urgent Reform Priorities. It discussed the need to establish accountability for the wiretaps and the attacks in the Assembly on 27 April, to ensure judicial independence, freedom of media, freedom of expression, respect of human rights and public administration reform. 

The SA Council called for more long-term confidence-building measures, at political level, and more pro-active policies to further increase trust and build bridges among communities.  

The SA Council recalled that regional co-operation and good neighbourly relations remain essential and welcomed the first steps taken by the new government. It welcomed the country's active participation and constructive approach in regional cooperation initiatives. 

The SA Council also acknowledged the country's efforts to address the challenge of the European migration and refugee crisis and expressed hope that mutually beneficial cooperation continues in the future. 

Regarding economic developments, the SA Council recalled the targeted policy guidance agreed in May 2017 between the EU and Western Balkans and Turkey, on the Economic Reform Programmes, and encouraged the government to focus on their implementation and follow-up. 

The SA Council welcomed the commitment of the government to invest greater efforts into increasing the absorption of EU funds. It noted the importance of sound financial management and the need for full compliance with the sector approach criteria, especially in public finance management, transport and the justice sector. Attention must also be paid to implementing the European Court of Auditors' recommendations. 

The SA Council noted progress in various areas covered by the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and welcomed the high level of trade integration with the EU.  It outlined the importance of continuing to align with the EU acquis, especially in relation to the internal market, and the need to meet other international commitments, for instance on energy and transport connectivity. It also welcomed the recent signature of the Transport Community Treaty.  

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

"1.         The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has continued to accelerate its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, with most recently the launch of a missile of intercontinental range on 4 July 2017. The Council strongly condemns these actions which constitute outright violations of the DPRK's international obligations, as set out in several UN Security Council Resolutions, and which represent a serious threat to international peace and security. 

2.           DPRK's actions undermine the global non-proliferation and disarmament regime, which the EU has steadfastly supported for decades, and underline the necessity of universalisation of the Comprehensive Nuclear test Ban Treaty. 

3.           The Council urges the DPRK to comply without delay, fully and unconditionally, with its obligations under all relevant UN Security Council resolutions and to refrain from any further provocative action that could increase regional and global tensions. 

4.           The EU sanctions' regime towards the DPRK is currently among the most restrictive in operation. The Council will consider further appropriate responses in close consultation with key partners and in line with UN Security Council deliberations, notably through additional autonomous restrictive measures. Recalling UNSCR 2321(2016), the Council expresses concern about the DPRK regime's activities to raise hard currency to fund its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and calls upon States to exercise vigilance. 

5.           The Council supports the leading role and call of the Republic of Korea to the DPRK to engage in a credible and meaningful dialogue, including through confidence building measures in order to defuse tension and to enable steps aimed at pursuing the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and the full implementation of all relevant UN Security Council resolutions. The EU is ready to support such a process in consultation with key partners. 

6.           The Council is strongly convinced that a lasting peace and denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula must be achieved through peaceful means. The Council reaffirms the EU policy of Critical Engagement with the DPRK, which combines pressure with sanctions and other measures while keeping communication, and dialogue channels open. The EU policy of Critical Engagement is not an end in itself but a means to promote the DPRK's full compliance with UNSC Resolutions in terms of abandoning its nuclear, WMD and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and progress on all other issues of concern. The Council urges the DPRK to make credible progress on its obligations to denuclearise enabling negotiations leading to a peaceful solution. 

7.           The Council highlights the importance of unity of the international community in addressing this challenge. Closer engagement with all EU's key partners in the region and worldwide is essential in this respect, including through enhanced outreach activities and support for the full implementation of UN sanctions by all countries. 

8.           DPRK's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes divert resources from the necessary investments into social and economic development and reform, which would benefit the DPRK population at large. In this context, the Council supports the Republic of Korea's aspiration to restart inter-Korean dialogue on humanitarian affairs. 

9.           The Council deplores the ongoing and grave human rights' abuses by the DPRK regime and is committed to continue working with partners to draw attention to these violations, to assure international accountability and to maintain pressure on DPRK to cease its human rights violations."

The Council adopted conclusions on Pakistan, stating that the EU has a clear interest in a stable, secure, and democratic Pakistan.

Over the past years, the bilateral relations between the EU and Pakistan have been deepened through the implementation of the 5-year engagement plan adopted in 2012. The EU has also intensified institutional dialogues across priority areas including, political cooperation, security, governance, human rights, migration, trade and energy. Further dialogues have been set up in new areas such as counter-terrorism, non-proliferation and disarmament. 

Work is ongoing between the EU and Pakistan on a political framework to replace the 5-year Engagement Plan through a new EU-Pakistan strategic engagement plan. 

On 17 July 2017, the Council adopted a set of temporary autonomous trade measures in favour of Ukraine. These measures should enter into force by the end of September and will apply for a period of three years. 

“With today's decision, we are allowing more Ukrainian products to be exported to the EU. It is our duty to support Ukraine and strengthen our economic and political ties, also in the face of the ongoing conflict on its soil."

Sven Mikser, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Estonia, which currently holds the Council presidency 

The proposal is aimed at improving access for Ukrainian exporters to the EU market, in view of the difficult economic situation and the economic reform efforts undertaken by Ukraine.

It adds to trade provisions already introduced under an EU-Ukraine association agreement that have been provisionally applied since 1 January 2016 and that will formally enter into force on 1 September 2017.

Today's decision is the final step necessary to formally adopt the regulation. The European Parliament adopted the text on 4 July. The text should be published and enter into force shortly after the signature of the text by the co-legislators during the EP's plenary session in September.

The Council adopted conclusions on addressing the risks of famine. The conclusions note that humanitarian needs have been unprecedented in 2017. They include numerous chronic food security crises, with four countries facing an alarming risk of famine: Yemen, north-east Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan, where overall about 20 million people at risk of starvation. 

The conclusions recall that the EU and its member states collectively have provided more than EUR 1.2 billion this year alone for humanitarian assistance in the four countries at risk of famine and call on all traditional and emerging donors for further efforts to be made. The Council notes however that funding is only part of the solution. These crises are man-made, with their roots lying in conflict, and they require political solutions going beyond humanitarian assistance.

The Council adopted a crisis management concept for a new civilian CSDP mission in Iraq. 

The mission will focus on assisting the Iraqi authorities in the implementation of the civilian aspects of the Iraqi security strategy. EU experts will provide advice and assistance in priority work areas responding to the needs of the relevant authorities. 

The national security strategy aims at building state institutions capable of consolidating security, peace and preventing conflicts under the rule of law, and outlines a number of threats to national security, including terrorism, corruption, political instability and ethnic and sectarian polarisation. 

In response to a request from the Iraqi authorities for support in the civilian security sector reform area, and in line with the Council conclusions on Iraq of 19 June, the EU agreed to prepare a civilian CSDP mission in Baghdad.  The adoption of a crisis management concept is the first step to launch a new CSDP mission, after which preparations to deploy begin. 

The Council adopted conclusions on the EU priorities at the UN and at the 72nd UN General Assembly. 

The key EU priority will be to uphold, strengthen and reform the UN and the rules based global order. For the 72nd UNGA, the EU will focus on a stronger global governance, on peace and conflict prevention and on an enduring agenda for transformation. Gender equality and women's empowerment as well as women, peace and security will be mainstreamed into all three priority areas. 

The 17th of July marks the date of the adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in 1998. This day is dedicated to celebrating the developments and achievements of international criminal justice institutions and to remind us that we need to continue working, at both national and international levels, to ensure that the perpetrators of the most serious crimes are brought to justice and held to account.

On this occasion, the European Union and its Member States reaffirm their full support to the International Criminal Court and to the strengthening of an international criminal justice system committed to deter the commission of crimes, to fight impunity and to ensure the protection of the victims' rights.

Justice is one of the core elements towards reconciliation and sustainable peace. Without justice, the most heinous crimes go unpunished, victims are unable to obtain redress and peace remains an elusive goal, since impunity generates more hatred, leading to acts of revenge and more suffering.

The European Union is one of the main donors in support of justice sector reform worldwide, strengthening law enforcement and justice institutions, promoting independent and impartial justice, and supporting access to justice for all. Since 2000, we have committed €37 million in direct support of the International Criminal Court.

The European Union has been also supporting transitional justice initiatives and international justice mechanisms related to specific countries. In the case of Syria, the EU has recently allocated funding amounting to €1,5 million to the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in Syria. The EU calls on the international community to support to the Mechanism, including through adequate financial means, to ensure that it would be able to start work as soon as possible and fulfil its mandate, in line with the principles of universality and at the highest level of professionalism.

The European Union will continue to fully support multilateral global governance, based on international law, human rights and strong international institutions. In this regard, we remain committed to advance our fight against impunity, and to promote the universal ratification of the Rome Statute.

Place:        Europa building, Brussels
Chair(s):    Federica Mogherini, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy 

All times are approximate and subject to change

from 08.30
Arrivals (live streaming) 

+/- 09.45 (time to be confirmed)
Doorstep by High Representative Federica Mogherini 

+/- 10.00    
Beginning of meeting
Roundtable
Adoption of the agenda
Approval of A items 

Implementation of the EU Global Strategy
North Korea
Libya
Any other business                  

+-/ 13.30    
Welcome by the High Representative Federica Mogherini of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, and the Director-General of the International Organisation for Migration William Lacy Swing (doorstep)

Working lunch on migration 

+/- 15.30
Press conference (live streaming)

Place:
Justus Lipsius building, Brussels

Chairs:
Tarmo Tamm, Minister of Rural Affairs and Siim Kiisler, Minister of Environment

All times are approximate and subject to change

Monday 17 July

+/- 09.45
Doorstep by Minister Tamm

+/- 09.25
Doorstep by Minister Kiisler

+/- 10.00
Beginning of the meeting (Roundtable) 
Adoption of the agenda 
Adoption non-legislative of A items
Adoption of legislative A items (live streaming)

+/- 10.15    
Presidency work programme (live streaming)

+/- 10.35
Fishing opportunities for 2018

+/- 11.50
Any other business: 
- antimicrobial resistance (live streaming)
- African swine fever (live streaming)
- symposium on the future of food (live streaming)
- food origin labelling (live streaming)
- dual quality of foodstuffs

+/- 15.05
Organic farming (live streaming)

+/- 16.35
Future of the common agricultural policy
Implementation of May 2015 Council conclusions on simplifications
Any other business:
- meeting of the extended Visegrad group
- reflection paper on the future of the EU finances 
- conference on GMO-free agriculture
- AU-EU conference on "Making sustainable agriculture a future for youth in Africa"

+/- 19.25
Press conference (live streaming)

Tuesday 18 July

+/- time to be confirmed  
Doorstep by Minister Tamm

+/- 10.00
Beginning of the meeting (Roundtable)
Trade-related agricultural issues
Any other business: 
- trade practices of third countries vis-à-vis EU member states

+/- 11.50
Wine grape varieties and their synonyms on labels

+/- 12.20
Any other business:
- drought in Portugal and Spain and Belgium
- farmland trade in the EU

The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk received the letters of credentials of the following Ambassadors:

H.E. Mr Abu Sufian Bin Haji Ali, Ambassador, Head of Mission of Brunei Darussalam to the European Union
H.E. Mr Manasvi Srisodapol, Ambassador, Head of Mission of the Kingdom of Thailand to the European Union
H.E. Mr Ata Oveznepesovich Serdarov, Ambassador, Head of Mission of Turkmenistan to the European Union
H.E. Mr Mohamed Issa Hamad Abushahab, Ambassador, Head of Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the European Union
H.E. Mr Richard Zacharie Akplogan, Ambassador, Head of Mission of the Republic of Benin to the European Union
H.E. Mr Sibusisiwe Mngomezulu, Ambassador, Head of Mission of  the Kingdom of Swaziland to the European Union
H.E. Ms Rhoda Jackson, Ambassador, Head of Mission of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas to the European Union

On 17 July, the Council adopted a decision to conclude, on behalf of the EU, the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol that will ensure the protection of the climate from the powerful greenhouse gases hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). With this decision, the EU is ready for formal ratification, and has signalled its continued determination to lead global efforts to tackle climate change.

The purpose of the Kigali Amendment, agreed on 15 October 2016,  is to achieve a global reduction in the consumption and production of HFCs. Although greenhouse gases do not damage the ozone layer, their release into the atmosphere contributes to climate change and they have a significant impact on global warming.

Taking swift action to cut HFC emissions is essential. The implementation of this Amendment is expected to prevent warming of up to 0.5° Celsius by the end of the century, thus making a positive contribution to reaching the targets of the Paris agreement.

"HFCs are thousands of times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide. I very much welcome today's decision to be among the first to ratify the Kigali amendment to cut these greenhouse gases and continue our unwavering commitment to tackling climate change. This is an issue where international cooperation is crucial. Taking the Montreal Protocol as a model, the EU is ready to make sure this amendment is also a success."

Siim Kiisler, Minister of the Environment of the Republic of Estonia

HFCs can be found in equipment and products used in our daily lives such as fridges, air conditioners, foams and aerosol sprays. They were introduced as an alternative to ozone depleting substances, mainly hydrochlorofluorocarbons. 

Implementation at EU level 

The Kigali Amendment sets out a number of steps to be taken by the parties to the Montreal Protocol, in accordance with their economic and social development, to gradually reduce the use of HFCs. The EU member states, like other developed countries, are required to start the first reductions in 2019.  

However, the EU has taken early action and is at the forefront of compliance. The regulation adopted in 2014 on fluorinated greenhouse gases enabled the EU to already begin phasing down HFCs in 2015. This regulation will have to be reviewed to comply with the Kigali Amendment beyond 2030. 

Until then, the current EU legislation can still apply. In fact, it not only fulfils the Montreal Protocol obligations, but also provides for a stricter phase-down schedule compared with the measures to be in place under the new amendment. 

Timeline & next steps

On 2 February 2017, the Commission submitted a proposal for a Council decision to authorise the conclusion of the Kigali Amendment. The Council agreed to conclude the Amendment and start the ratification process on 11 May 2017. Subsequently, the European Parliament gave its formal consent during its plenary on 5 July. 

Today's Council decision enters into force immediately after its adoption. The EU has now to formally deposit the declaration of competence together with the instrument of ratification of the Kigali amendment at the United Nations. 

Member states are currently following their respective ratification processes considering that they also need to obtain approval from their national parliaments. 

The Amendment will enter into force on 1 January 2019 upon ratification by at least 20 states or regional economic integration organisations that are parties to the Montreal Protocol. If this threshold is not reached by then, the Amendment will enter into force on the 90th day following the date on which this condition has been finally fulfilled. 

Background - Kigali Amendment & Montreal Protocol 

The EU and its member states are long-standing advocates of climate protection. They are parties to the Vienna Convention for the protection of the ozone layer, the Montreal Protocol to phase out the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances and they had approved its four previous amendments to include in its regulatory scope other non-ozone depleting chemicals which cause climate change.

All 197 parties, including the EU and its member states, have been remarkably committed to the implementation of the Montreal Protocol since its agreement in 1987 and as a result, the recovery of the ozone layer is underway and is forecast to have been completed by the middle of this century. 

In light of this success, the Protocol has been amended a fifth time to reduce HFCs. This Amendment was adopted at the 28th Meeting of the Parties from 10 to 15 October 2016 held in Kigali (Rwanda).

Under its provisions, developed countries will be the first to start the phase-down process in 2019. Measures are more flexible for others. For most developing countries, the first step to reduce the production and consumption of these greenhouse gases begins in 2029 while for the remaining developing parties the first step is only set for 2032.

On 17 July, the Council adopted a decision[1] accepting on behalf of the European Union an amendment to the 1999 Gothenburg Protocol to reduce emissions of air pollutants globally. The EU is now ready to formally accept the amendment. 

The amendment strengthens the provisions set out in the original text of the protocol and its annexes with the aim of enhancing in the long term the protection of human health and the environment from transboundary air pollution. 

"Each year, 700 thousand people die in Europe due to air pollution. It affects us all regardless of borders. With the revised Gothenburg Protocol, the emissions of air pollutants will decrease, improving the air we breathe every day. The EU is on track thanks to our new ambitious National Emission Ceilings directive. Today, I am delighted we are reconfirming our international commitments."

Siim Kiisler, Minister of the Environment of the Republic of Estonia

The amendment establishes more rigorous national emission reduction commitments for the four main air pollutants: sulphur (mainly sulphur dioxide), nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds (VOC), other than methane and ammonia. These emission limits are set for each country per pollutant and apply from 2020 onwards. 

A fifth pollutant - fine particulate matter - is covered for the first time. The revised protocol introduces clear emission reduction commitments for it, too. 

The amendment takes a step forward by incorporating black carbon as a particulate matter component. These short-lived particles are major contributors to global warming due to their heat-trapping power, which is immense compared to that of carbon dioxide. 

In addition, the revised protocol updates the emission limit values (emission standards) for different air pollution sources: stationary (e.g. factories and processing plants) and mobile (e.g. vehicles, non-road mobile machines and agricultural and forestry tractors). New standards are introduced on the content of non-methane VOC's in products. 

The amendment also completes the reporting obligation of the parties regarding the emissions of air pollutants as well as the progress made in the fields of technology and research. 

EU emission reduction commitments and implementation 

Under the revised protocol, the EU is set to reduce its emissions for 2020 as follows: sulphur dioxide - 59%, nitrogen oxides - 42%, ammonia - 6%, volatile organic compounds - 28%, and fine particulate matter - 22%. 

Currently, the main instruments used by the EU to implement the Gothenburg Protocol are the National Emission Ceilings (NEC) and the Medium Combustion Plants directives. 

The revised NEC directive, adopted in 2016, has already been aligned with the amended protocol by integrating the new international rules into EU law and by matching the emission reduction commitments for each member state from 2020 to 2029. 

In the revised NEC directive, the EU established more ambitious reductions from 2030 onwards. The EU reduction targets are the following: sulphur dioxide - 79%, nitrogen oxides  - 63%, ammonia - 19%, volatile organic compounds - 40%, and fine particulate matter - 49%.  

Context and next steps at EU level 

The Commission presented a proposal for a Council decision to accept the amendment as part of the 'Clean Air Programme for Europe' on 20 December 2013. 

However, negotiations at EU level have been on hold since then in view of the revision of the NEC directive. Following the directive's adoption on 8 December 2016, the Council agreed on the decision on 25 April 2017 and the European Parliament gave its consent during its plenary on 5 July 2017. 

Today's decision enters into force immediately after its adoption. The EU now needs to officially deposit the instrument of acceptance of the amendment with the United Nations. Member states are also taking the necessary steps to obtain final approval from national parliaments to ratify it. 

The amendment will enter into force on the 90th day after its ratification by two thirds of the parties. 

Background - Gothenburg Protocol & LRTAP Convention 

The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) is the main international framework to tackle air pollution. 51 countries from the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) region are parties to the convention, including all EU member states. 

Over the last 30 years, 8 protocols have broadened the scope of the convention to incorporate stricter emission rules for air pollutants, the eighth being the 1999 Gothenburg Protocol. The EU approved that protocol in June 2003.

In 2012, following lengthy negotiations initiated in 2007, an agreement to amend the Gothenburg Protocol was reached during the 30th session of the LRTAP Convention. With the exception of the revised annex I, which entered into force on 5 June 2013, all other amended provisions required prior acceptance from parties.

[1] Denmark voted against this Council decision. However, it will accept the protocol on behalf of the country to maintain the EU's overall air-quality objectives. See statement

Monday 17 July 2017
10.00 Presentation of letters of credentials of ambassadors
14.00 Meeting with Dragan Čović, member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Good afternoon. I am pleased to welcome President Vučić to Brussels today. And I was happy to congratulate him personally on his election.

Let me start by recalling that the European Union's support to the European perspective of the Western Balkans is unequivocal. This was unanimously confirmed by leaders at the European Council in March. As to the pace of the accession process, it will depend on your advances in the reform agenda.

One example of how the European Union and Serbia have cooperated to tackle a common challenge is irregular migration. Let me thank you for your support then and today. I hope that the European Union can continue to count on Serbia, just as Serbia can continue counting on the EU to provide the necessary support.

Let me also commend you for your personal commitment to the stability and security of the region, a region which remains the European Union's strategic priority. Within your first 50 days in office, you have met almost all your neighbours and regional partners. I encourage you to keep up this work. Your role is absolutely unique.

After a rather turbulent start to the year, today Serbia engages in dialogue - talking to, not at, each other - and I welcome your continued commitment to the Pristina-Belgrade Dialogue and your readiness to pursue, domestically and with Kosovo counterparts, a further reflection on future relations.

For me, the end-game of the Dialogue and Serbia's reform efforts is full membership of Serbia in the EU. This is what we promised in Thessaloniki and what we are ready to deliver. You have reiterated lately that Serbia has made its geostrategic choice, and that there is no turning back. We expect your choice will guide your actions.

Finally, I encouraged President Vučić to pursue reforms to strengthen the rule of law with the same vigour and consistency as progress on the economy. A strong and robust rule of law is the ultimate signal that you are ready to enter the EU. Thank you. 

It is with deep sadness that we have learned of the death of Liu Xiaobo, the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and one of the most prominent human rights defenders in China. We send our most sincere condolences and respect to his wife, Ms Liu Xia, his family and friends.

Liu Xiaobo was one of the authors of Charter 08, calling for peaceful democratic reform and rule of law in China. His personal intervention during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives.

We consistently expressed our opposition to his conviction and asked for his release. Most recently, we urged the Chinese authorities to respect his wish to receive medical care in Germany. Unfortunately these calls were not heeded.

At this time, we appeal to the Chinese authorities to allow his wife, Ms Liu Xia and his family to bury Liu Xiaobo at a place and in a manner of their choosing, and to allow them to grieve in peace. We call on the authorities to remove all restrictions on the movement and communications of his family members and allow Ms Liu Xia and her brother Mr Liu Hui to leave China, if they wish to do so.

We reiterate the European Union's call for all prisoners of conscience in China to be released.

Good evening everyone and welcome to this Eurogroup press conference.

Today, we had a lot of guests in our meeting: Danièle Nouy, the Chair of the ECB Banking Supervision; Elke König, Chair of the Single Resolution Board; Professor Niels Thygesen, Chair of the European Fiscal Board; Sharon Donnery, she is the deputy governor of the Bank of Ireland and chairs a working group on NPLs in the ECB. In addition to Commissioner Moscovici and Vice President Dombrovskis who join us on a regular basis, this time we also had the benefit of the company of Commissioner Vestager.

We started with a discussion on insolvency frameworks which is a topic that is on our agenda very often, sometimes in general terms and sometimes very specific when we talk about specific banks. This was a more general discussion we had on the basis of the introduction that Sharon Donnery gave us on the work the ECB has been doing on insolvency framework - and I don't have to tell you how important it is to make progress in dealing with legacy issues in the banking system and to support macro-economic adjustment transmission of monetary policy. We will continue the work on that, building on the different reports we are getting from the ECB, from the Commission. The Commission is working on a system of benchmarking and peer reviews and we will come back to that next year. Of course, also ECOFIN will be discussing non performing loans tomorrow, where these issues are also very relevant.

Then, we discussed specific bank cases. Last month, we discussed Banco Populare, the Spanish bank. This month, we discussed the two Venetian banks and we were informed by the different institutions on their role in the decisions that were taken on these banks. I think it is good to point out that the coordination between the institutions is also new for them. The coordination between the institutions involved was efficient and that experience is being built-up as we go along. We are still in the early days of actually putting to work the new resolution frameworks.

Clearly, to put emphasis first of all on the positive sides, we welcomed the ongoing work with the banks. The ongoing positive restructuring of banks having to deal with legacy issues in different banks makes it more complex and more challenging. Each case is different and has to be assessed individually. We welcomed the information provided by the institutions on the confirmation by the institutions that all decisions were taken in full respect of the European legal framework.

However, there is still work to do and lessons to be learnt in terms of possible policy implications. The recent cases have raised a number of issues today, and there may be other areas for improvement and fine-tuning, including the need to ensure consistency.

A couple of topics that were brought up in this context: the importance of harmonising national insolvency frameworks - there are still big differences there which have again come forward in the Italian cases. There is the topic of establishing sound buffers of bail-inable capital, the MRELs. A very important topic is the hierarchy of creditors, getting a very clear creditor hierarchy in the eurozone area, and the proposals of the Commission are being pushed forward at this point. The topic of protecting retail investors: this was of course part of the legacy issues that had to be dealt with. The importance of having sound asset evaluation in the process of dealing with banks to allow also outside investors to participate. They are helped by maximum transparency on the quality of assets. So having an AQR, when possible, is also very important.

And finally, all of this could be put on our agenda to finalise the banking union. Some of the elements we have mentioned, the lessons that we can learn, can be taken forward when we finalise the banking union. Inevitably, that requires both risk reduction and risk sharing.

The institutions have also said that, later on, they will perform a post-mortem analysis of these resolution cases, in more details, and the Commission will review the BRRD in 2018.

After that, the next topic was the post-programme mission to Ireland which already took place in May. We congratulated the Irish authorities on their continued strong economic performance and welcomed that repayment risks, as assessed by the institutions, remain very low.

The next topic was the euro area fiscal stance for 2018. We now have 16 consecutive quarters of growth in the euro area. So we had some debate on whether we can still talk about the recovery phase or whether we are now in the expansion phase. Of course, it depends a little on what perspective you take, but the fact that we have this discussion is a very positive sign. The output cap is closing, and for some countries has already closed. The risk of deflation is disappearing and there is no direct sign of overheating in our economies. So that is where we stand economically. On that basis, both the Commission and the European Fiscal Board advised a broadly neutral stance. So that is what we are taking into consideration when we prepare our draft budgetary plans at national level. We will come back to that later on, after the summer, but this is the starting point of our budgetary processes.

The final topic and our last discussion was on the deepening of the economic and monetary union (EMU), on the basis of the Commission's reflection paper. We had a first general round of discussion with the Ministers. We will have a second round for the EU ministers, but a more broad discussion in Tallinn, when we have the informal Ecofin after the summer. So this was just a first kick-off. We talked about the importance of convergence and what is needed to strengthen and speed up the process of convergence. Some elements are, of course, about finishing off what we have started. So this is about the banking union, the capital markets union, deepening the single market. Second strand: structural reforms. How we can get the incentives right to support and push the structural reform agenda in the different member states. That can be supported by investment instruments, by using the EU budget, using benchmarks, etc. We have also talked, which is sort of the second big issue, about creating long-term stability and shock-absorption - of course, a number of proposals in the Commission's paper regarding the shock-absorption of our member states individually but also the Eurozone as a whole. We had a first exchange on those topics. We will come back to that after the summer in Tallinn.

Thanks and pass floor to the Commission.

Place:        Justus Lipsius building, Brussels
Chair:       Toomas Tõniste, Minister for Finance of Estonia

All times are approximate and subject to change.

from 08.00
Arrivals (live streaming)

+/- 08:30
Doorstep by Minister Tõniste

09.00
Ministerial breakfast (roundtable)

10.00
Beginning of the Council meeting
Adoption of the agenda

Any other business
-   Current financial services legislative proposals (public session)
-   Mandatory disclosure rules (public session)

Presentation of the work programme of the Estonian Presidency (public session)

Approval of non-legislative A items

Commission Mid-term review of the Capital Markets Union Action plan

Non-performing loans

Any other business

At the end of the meeting
Press conference (live streaming)

*           *           *

In the margins of the Council:

 10 July

- Eurogroup meeting
15.00: roundtable
At the end of the meeting: press conference

- 17:45: Technical briefing on non-performing loans in the banking sector by Corso Bavagnoli,  Chairman of the Financial Services Committee subgroup on non-performing loans

The Stabilisation and Association Council (SA Council) between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union held its second meeting on 10 July 2017. The SA Council welcomed Bosnia and Herzegovina's EU perspective as a single, united and sovereign country. It noted the progress of Bosnia and Herzegovina in its EU integration process following the country's application for EU membership of February 2016 and the Council conclusions of September 2016 inviting the European Commission to submit an opinion on the merits of Bosnia and Herzegovina's application. 

The SA Council called on Bosnia and Herzegovina to continue and intensify its efforts to ensure effective implementation of the reform agenda in line with the schedule of the action plan agreed by the Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities, for the benefit of its citizens and in close cooperation with the European Union, international financial institutions and other international partners, as well as civil society. Recalling its first meeting, the SA Council stressed that credible implementation of commitments undertaken by Bosnia and Herzegovina's leadership is the only way to move the country forward on its EU integration path. 

The SA Council welcomed the establishment of the coordination mechanism on EU matters in August 2016 as well as the start of its activities and called on all levels of governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina to ensure the effective implementation of the mechanism, including for the purpose of ensuring harmonised and consolidated answers to the Commission's opinion questionnaire, as an indispensable step towards improving the efficiency of the Bosnia and Herzegovina administration, with due input from all levels of governance across the country. 

The SA Council stressed the need for the Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities to prepare a strategic programme for the country's legal approximation with the EU, as required under the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, and to ensure smooth functioning of all joint EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina bodies under the Agreement, including the stabilisation and association parliamentary committee. 

The SA Council noted that the signature in December 2016 of the Protocol on the adaptation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement following the accession of Croatia to the European Union and the full implementation of the SAA are important elements of the country's commitment to the EU integration process. 

The SA Council welcomed the adoption of a strategy on integrated border management (IBM) and a new legislative framework on migration and asylum. The SA Council recalled that Bosnia and Herzegovina urgently needs to meet international standards on anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism. With regard to counter-terrorism, the SA Council noted with concern that Bosnia and Herzegovina has been affected by the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters and radicalisation. In this respect, the SA Council welcomed the important measures taken by the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina over the past year. The SA Council called on the country's authorities to take further steps in this regard, notably to prevent and fight radicalisation. 

Regarding the framework agreement on participation in EU civil and military missions signed in 2015, the SA Council welcomed the efforts of Bosnia and Herzegovina to become actively engaged with EU crisis management operations. The SA Council encouraged Bosnia and Herzegovina to further enhance its role and commitment as a security provider. With this in mind, the SA Council called on Bosnia and Herzegovina to further progress its alignment with EU declarations and decisions of the Council of the EU. 

With respect to EU financial assistance, the SA Council encouraged further progress in preparing coherent countrywide strategies in key sectors such as energy and agriculture to unlock further EU funding. The SA Council acknowledges progress made by Bosnia and Herzegovina in adopting a country-wide strategy in the transport sector which will unlock this sector for support under Instrument for pre-accession assistance II. The SA Council also looks forward to the signature of the transport community treaty by all parties. The SA Council further took note of the adoption of the Bosnia and Herzegovina strategy in the area of environment. While welcoming Bosnia and Herzegovina's participation in regional initiatives, the SA Council recalled the opportunities offered by the connectivity agenda and its future follow-up in order to improve Bosnia and Herzegovina's transport and energy regional inter-connections. 

The SA Council also welcomed the 2016 communication on EU enlargement policy and the 2016 report on Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted by the Commission on 9 November 2016 and invited Bosnia and Herzegovina to follow up on its policy recommendations. 

The meeting was chaired by Ms Federica MOGHERINI, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission. The Delegation of Bosnia and Herzegovina was led by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers Denis ZVIZDIĆ who was accompanied by Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Mirko ŠAROVIĆ, Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor CRNADAK, and Deputy Minister of Finaces and Treasury Mirsad Žuga. Director General Christian DANIELSSON, European Commission Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (NEAR), also took part in the meeting.