European Union

Thank you, Madam President, for your kind words and warm welcome. During challenging times, such as we are facing now in Europe with the refugee crisis, it is important to remain in close touch with old friends and resolute partners.

And, indeed, the European Union and the Republic of Korea are close. We share the same principles and hopes. And we share the same values, which lie at the heart of our strategic partnership. Europe is now this country's largest investor, helping to generate jobs and wealth here. We are working closely on shared foreign policy challenges. Together, we are breaking new ground in science and technology.

Madam President, let me touch on some of the topics we covered today that stand out for me: I was impressed with progress in relations across your region over the summer. The announcement of a new trilateral summit between Korea, China and Japan shows the efforts you have been making on this front. This endeavour will be decisive in strengthening the stability and prosperity of your region in the coming years.

I also want to congratulate you on how you helped transform the recent crisis at the border with your neighbour to the North into a settlement, which could herald positive developments. I wish you success with the family reunions' programme - the most simple but also the most evocative way to build bridges between your two countries. I also welcome efforts to have more exchanges between ROK and DPRK, and so to better cope with future stresses and strains that are sure to arise. The European Union supports a peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula and we really appreciate your personal engagement.

At the summit, we discussed regional issues affecting the European neighbourhood. I expressed my thanks to Korea for having voted in favour of United Nations General Assembly Resolution condemning Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea. We also agreed to support full and rapid implementation of the Minsk Agreements by all sides. This also includes Russia.

We both view investing in science and technology as key to generating future jobs and growth in our economies. We have seen a major leap in exchanges of researchers, of joint projects between Korean and European institutions and the opening of new areas of cooperation, such as the commitment to work jointly on development of 5G. Today, we agreed to further strengthen our cooperation in this area.

We also agreed to explore ways to use our Free Trade Agreement to grow closer together on both trade and investment. The three framework agreements we have signed since 2010 go beyond trade, investment and economic cooperation, however. They have also opened up the possibility to work together in the political and security spheres. We have already deepened our efforts in this area since the last summit. And I was very gratified to hear today of your country's intention to expand cooperation further with us, such as in the counter-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa.

We lastly discussed in our meetings the global challenges that we face around the world. Again, we discussed solutions to better tackle those challenges, whether it be countering threats such as terrorism or climate change.

In three months, Paris will see one of the most important international events of the year: the UN climate conference, whose goal is to adopt a new climate change agreement. Climate change may put at risk not only the environment, but also prosperity, or even more broadly stability and security. To reach the deal, the European Union submitted the most ambitious contribution to date. In order to succeed, we need others, in particular major economies like the Korean, to join our lead in this process.

I end our meetings today absolutely optimistic for the future of our relations. I am confident that the friendship and strategic partnership we enjoy is expanding and deepening, and  will continue to do so. Thank you, Madam President.

 

"Member states have yet again failed to make tough decisions and provide a compassionate response to the refugee crisis", said the Chair of the European Parliament's Committee responsible for migration and asylum, Claude Moraes. "We are running out of time - the meeting on 8 October is the EU's final chance to agree an organised response to the biggest refugee crisis since World War II in Europe", he added.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

"Member states have yet again failed to make tough decisions and provide a compassionate response to the refugee crisis", said the Chair of the European Parliament's Committee responsible for migration and asylum, Claude Moraes. "We are running out of time - the meeting on 8 October is the EU's final chance to agree an organised response to the biggest refugee crisis since World War II in Europe", he added.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Length of video : 65'
You may manually download this video in WMV (743Mb) format

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, 2015 - EP

Alimanovic
DISC
A Member State may exclude Union citizens who go to that State to find work from certain non-contributory social security benefits

http://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu/uploads/council-images/thumbs/uploads/council-images/remote/http_7e18a1c646f5450b9d6d-a75424f262e53e74f9539145894f4378.r8.cf3.rackcdn.com/73b39d38-5b7f-11e5-b5dd-bc764e08d9b2_2.4_thumb_169_1442304136_1442304143_129_97shar_c1.jpg

The "Evolution of the markets – further examination of the package” is the main topic of the agenda during the Informal meeting of Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries, in Luxembourg.

Download this video here.

http://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu/uploads/council-images/thumbs/uploads/council-images/remote/http_7e18a1c646f5450b9d6d-a75424f262e53e74f9539145894f4378.r8.cf3.rackcdn.com/cb94f46a-531a-11e5-b40f-bc764e084e2e_173.68_thumb_169_1441880503_1441880503_129_97shar_c1.jpg

EU Ministers for Justice and Home Affairs are meeting on 14 September 2015 in Brussels to hold a discussion on the basis of the latest information on migratory flows and the situation on the ground.

Download this video here.

http://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu/uploads/council-images/thumbs/uploads/council-images/remote/http_7e18a1c646f5450b9d6d-a75424f262e53e74f9539145894f4378.r8.cf3.rackcdn.com/cb94f46a-531a-11e5-b40f-bc764e084e2e_173.68_thumb_169_1441880503_1441880503_129_97shar_c1.jpg

EU Ministers for Justice and Home Affairs are meeting on 14 September 2015 in Brussels to hold a discussion on the basis of the latest information on migratory flows and the situation on the ground.

Download this video here.

After the discussions on migration held today in the Council in the presence of Schengen associate countries, the Presidency, supported by a large majority of delegations, draws the following conclusions:

Bulgaria and Greece should get €16.3 million in EU aid to help repair damage done to public and private infrastructure by exceptionally severe weather conditions early in 2015, said the Budgets Committee on Monday. This European Solidarity Fund aid still needs to be approved by Parliament as a whole in October.
Committee on Budgets

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Bulgaria and Greece should get €16.3 million in EU aid to help repair damage done to public and private infrastructure by exceptionally severe weather conditions early in 2015, said the Budgets Committee on Monday. This European Solidarity Fund aid still needs to be approved by Parliament as a whole in October.
Committee on Budgets

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Hungary's interior minister, Sandor Pinter, arrives at the migration council Monday afternoon

The EU’s interior ministers started their highly-anticipated meeting to agree next steps in Europe’s burgeoning migrant crisis with a newly drafted communiqué, which Brussels Blog got its hands on and has posted here.

As expected, the new draft would have EU members agreeing to accept 120,000 more refugees and relocate them around the bloc so that none of the front-line countries are overburdened – but rejects the European Commission’s demand that such a relocation system be mandatory, with set quotas for each country.

But what wasn’t expected is a significant watering down of the language that commits ministers to implement that plan. Last night, a draft of the communiqué included this sentence on the need to quickly adopt the relocation scheme:

Work will be carried out as a matter of priority on the preparation of a formal decision to implement this commitment.

In the new draft, that sentence has a new clause that includes a whole lot of caveats:

Work will be carried out as a matter of priority on the preparation of a formal decision to implement this commitment, with due regard to the flexibility that could be needed by Member States in the implementation of the decision, in particular to accommodate unforeseen developments.

Read more

Traditional products from Calais lace to Scottish tartans could soon enjoy extra protection in the form of geographical indications, reassuring consumers about their origin and quality. This already exists for food products, but on Tuesday the EP's legal affairs committee votes on a proposal to extend this to non-agricultural products as well. We spoke to French S&D member Virginie Rozière, who is in charge of steering the plans through Parliament, about why the new rules are needed.
Committee on Legal Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Traditional products from Calais lace to Scottish tartans could soon enjoy extra protection in the form of geographical indications, reassuring consumers about their origin and quality. This already exists for food products, but on Tuesday the EP's legal affairs committee votes on a proposal to extend this to non-agricultural products as well. We spoke to French S&D member Virginie Rozière, who is in charge of steering the plans through Parliament, about why the new rules are needed.
Committee on Legal Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP