European Council

Good evening. We can start this press conference from today's Eurogroup meeting in which we have a number of issues. I will start by Greece given the urgency of its situation.

Greece

The Eurogroup today took stock of the situation regarding the programme of Greece. Regrettable to say that too little progress has been made in the talks between the institutions and Greece  That is no agreement has yet is in sight.  

Let me recall that at the basis of which we work is the agreement of the Eurogroup of 20th Feb and the statement that we agreed upon in February. In that agreement, there were two kinds of flexibility. One, we said we would allow the institutions to take into account the current economic situation in Greece and if necessary, adjust the fiscal targets and timelines considering the economic situation and the deterioration of this economic situation in Greece.

Second flexibility which we allowed was to replace measures both  fiscal measures and reforms by other measures being put forward by the greeks after having been being assessed by the institutions. So there was also flexibility within the current MoU to replace measures.

The institutions have made used of those two kind of flexibilities during their talks with the Greek authorities. But as we stand now, too little measures that have been put forward and been assessed are to be credible and serious and to be put in a new agreement. Therefore, the talks of the last weeks have not progressed.  

Today in our meeting, we sent a strong signal to the Greek authorities that it's really up to them to submit new, additional proposals in the coming days to fully engage with the institutions, within the framework of the Eurogroup statement of 20th Feb.

As of today, it is still possible to find an agreement and extend the current programme before the end of this month. But the ball is clearly in the Greek court to seize that last opportunity. We feel that an agreement must be credible. It has to be credible from the perspective of sustainable finances and economic recovery in Greece. But also it has to be credible from the point of view of the credibility of our monetary union and the eurozone as a whole. We think that it is still possible but if such an agreement is sent to the Eurogroup in the coming days we will judge it on that: the credibility both of Greece and for the eurozone as a whole.

Finally, let me again stress that time is really running out. The current programme expires by the end of this month, There are of course parliamentary procedures to consider. Therefore, very little time remains.

Cyprus and Portugal

Today we also discussed the situation in Cyprus.

We welcomed that the Cyprus programme has been brought back on track, and the prior actions have been complied with. As we have adopted a statement, which will be distributed, and I do not need to go into great detail. Let me just emphasise that we welcomed the progress and reforms in the financial sector, including the new foreclosure framework, which is an essential step towards addressing the very high level of non-performing loans in the financial sector.

Important challenges remain for the remainder of the Cypriot programme, notably to reduce the stock of arrears. This must remain a key priority.

Given the overall positive picture, we endorsed in principle the updated MoU and the next ESM disbursement). National parliamentary procedures are now underway.

We also reviewed the situation in Portugal on the basis of a debrief by the institutions on the main findings of their second post-programme surveillance mission. The IMF participated and they call it 'post-programme monitoring'. The ESM also participated it and the name is the 'early warning surveillance'. We welcomed the progress made and the expected strengthening of the economic recovery in Portugal. At the same time, fiscal and structural challenges remain, but we are confident that Portuguese efforts will be maintained,

The developments in Portugal and Cyprus, taken together with our discussions earlier this year on post-programme surveillances in Spain and Ireland, demonstrate a clear pattern of countries taking the necessary measures to turn around their economies and sparking growth. I think the success of the programme has been proven in all of these countries.

Once again I would like to commend the authorities and the people of Portugal and Cyprus for their continued efforts, in which they show ownership and commitment to reforms can clearly pay off.

Euro area economy

We had discussions on a broad range of important issues for the euro area economy.

To start off, Christine Lagarde debriefed us on the IMF's recently concluded Article IV review of the euro area. The IMF sees as we do a strengthening of the cyclical recovery underway, but this is for a large part driven by temporary factors, so we need to keep focusing on ways to increase our growth potential and to push forward structural reforms that are needed in that sense

There is broad agreement within the Eurogroup on the policy priorities identified by the Fund, namely structural reforms, appropriate fiscal policies and making sure the financial sector can fund their economies. In particular, one of the messages of the Fund is to use wisely the yields savings stemming from unusual low interest rates.  We had a discussion on this topic being prepared by the Commission and agreed that low interest rates open up a window of opportunity to consolidate public finances, invest, for example, in infrastructure and reform our economies. It is an opportunity that we must use well. We will return to this topic later in the year.

 There is substantial overlap between the Fund's priorities for the eurozone and the draft 2015 euro area recommendations proposed by the Commission - which is part of the European Semester. We endorsed these draft recommendations and we are committed to monitor their implementation over the coming years so they will be put into our working programme in the Eurogroup. We must keep the reform momentum and the Eurogroup intends to keep on pushing on concrete progress and greater ownership in this area.

Brigadier General Franz Xaver Pfrengle has been appointed as new Mission Commander for the EU Training Mission in Mali (EUTM Mali). General Pfrengle, from Germany, takes up his duties on 28 July  2015. He will succeed Brigadier General Alfonso García-Vaquero Pradal, who had been in the position since October 2014. 

EUTM Mali assists in the reconstruction of effective and accountable Malian Armed Forces so that they are capable of ensuring the long-term security of Mali and, under civilian authority, restoring of the country's territorial integrity. To this effect, EUTM Mali delivers training to units of the Malian Armed Forces and develops autonomous training capability. The mission also  provides advice to the Malian authorities in reforming the army. 

The decision was taken by the EU's Political and Security Committee. 

On 15 June 2015, the Council reached a general approach on the general data protection regulation that establishes rules adapted to the digital era. The twin  aims of this regulation are to enhance the level of personal data protection for individuals and to increase business opportunities in the Digital Single Market. 

Latvia's minister for justice Dzintars Rasnačs said: "Today we have moved a great step closer to modernised and harmonised data protection framework for the European Union. I am very content that after more than 3 years of negotiations we have finally found a compromise on the text. The new data protection regulation, adapted to the needs of the digital age, will strengthen individual rights of our citizens and ensure a high standard of protection." 

A general approach means that the Council has a political agreement on the basis of which it can  now begin negotiations with the European Parliament with a view to reaching overall agreement on  new EU data protection rules. A first trilogue with the Parliament is planned for 24 June 2015. 

"I salute the readiness of the European Parliament to start the trilogue negotiations already next week. Hopefully we will come to the final agreement rapidly so that our citizens can enjoy the benefits of the reform as soon as possible", said Latvia's minister for justice Dzintars Rasnačs. 

The incoming Luxembourg Presidency indicated that, in parallel to the negotiations on the regulation, works on the data protection directive in the law enforcement area would be accelerated with the aim to find a general approach in October. Luxembourg Justice minister Felix Braz said: "This reform is a package and we have the firm intention to conclude by the end of this year".

Main elements of the agreement An enhanced level of data protection 

Personal data must be collected and processed lawfully under strict conditions and for a legitimate purpose. Data controllers (those responsible for the processing of data) must respect specific rules, such as the requirement for unambiguous consent by the data subject (the individual whose personal data is being processed), in order to be allowed to process personal data. 

Strengthened data protection rights give data subjects more control over their personal data: 

• easier access to their data.
• more detailed information about what happens to their personal data once they decide to share it: data controllers must be more transparent about how personal data is handled, for example by informing individuals about their privacy policy in clear and plain language.
• a right to erasure of personal data and "to be forgotten", enabling anyone for example to require that a service provider remove, without delay, personal data collected when that individual was a child.
• a right to portability enabling easier transmission of personal data from one service provider, for instance a social network, to another. This will also increase competition among service providers.
• limits to the use of 'profiling', i.e. automated processing of personal data to assess personal aspects, such as performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences etc.

 To ensure improved legal redress, data subjects will be able to  have any decision of their data protection authority reviewed by their national court, irrespective of the member state in which the data controller is established. 

Increased business opportunities in the Digital Single Market 

A single set of rules, valid across the EU and applicable both to European and non European companies offering their on-line services in the EU will prevent conflicting national data protection rules from disrupting  cross-border exchanges of data. Moreover, increased cooperation between the supervisory authorities in the member states will ensure coherent application of those rules throughout the EU. This will create fair competition and encourage companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to get the most out of the Digital Single Market. 

To reduce costs and provide legal certainty, in important transnational cases where several national supervisory authorities are involved, a single supervisory decision will be taken. This one-stop-shop mechanism will allow a company with subsidiaries in several member states to limit its contacts to  the data protection authority in the member state where it is established. 

In order to reduce compliance costs, data controllers can, on the basis of an assessment of the risk involved in their processing of personal data, define risk levels and put in place measures in line with  those levels. 

More and better tools to enforce compliance with the data protection rules 

Increasing responsibility and accountability of data controllers will improve compliance with the new data protection rules. Data controllers must implement appropriate security measures and provide, without undue delay, notification of personal data breaches to the supervisory authority as well as to those significantly affected by the breach. Controllers and processors may designate data protection officers in their organisation. Moreover, Union or national law can require them to do so. 

Data  subjects, as well as,  under certain conditions, data protection organisations can lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority or seek judicial remedy in cases where data protection rules are not respected. Furthermore, when such cases are confirmed, data controllers face fines of up to €1 million or 2% of their global annual turnover. 

Guarantees regarding transfers of personal data outside the EU 

The protection of transfers of personal data to third countries and international organisations is ensured through adequacy decisions. The Commission, with the involvement of member states and the European Parliament, is competent to decide whether the level of data protection offered by a third country or an international organization is adequate. In cases where no such decision has been taken, the transfer of personal data may only take place if the appropriate safeguards (standard data protection clauses, binding corporate rules, contractual clauses) are in place.

Place:        European Convention Centre (KIRCHBERG building), Luxembourg

All times are approximate and subject to change

Monday, 15 June (10.00)  -  JUSTICE 

+/- 07.50     Doorstep by Dzintars RASNAČS, Latvian Minister for Justice
+/- 10.00     Beginning of Justice Council meeting (in public session)
                     Adoption of the agenda
                     Adoption of legislative A Items
                     Protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of
                     such data (General data protection regulation)
                     Promoting the free movement of citizens and businesses by simplifying the acceptance of certain public
                     documents in the European Union           
+/- 13.30     Lunch discussion: "Judicial dimension of the new Digital Single Market Strategy"
+/- 15.10     Establishment of the European Public Prosecutor's Office
                     Any other business          
+/- 17.10     Adoption of non-legislative A Items
+/- 18.00     Press conference (Justice)

Tuesday, 16 june (10.00)  -  HOME AFFAIRS 

+/- 09.40     Doorstep by Rihards KOZLOVSKIS, Latvian Minister for the Interior
+/- 10.00     Meeting of the MIXED COMMITTEE
                     Migratory issues
                     Any other business
+/- 13.40     Lunch discussion: "A European Agenda on Migration"
+/- 15.15     Beginning of Home Affairs Council meeting
                     Fight against terrorism
+/- 17.00     Mixed Committee related issues:
                     Any other business
+/- 18.00     Press conference (Home Affairs)

The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the European Union (EU) follow with attention the current situation in Guatemala and call on all political, economic and social actors to exercise a constructive and balanced role in order to strengthen democracy in the country.

The CELAC and the EU reject any threats of constitutional order rupture and reiterate its firm commitment with the full respect of the democratic and constitutional framework, the rule of law and of all human rights and value the commitment of the Guatemalan government for implementing a free and transparent electoral process.

Good afternoon. We have just concluded our second EU-CELAC summit. Let me first thank all the heads of state and government who attended. The high rate of participation from both sides of the Atlantic is a sign of the importance we attach to our partnership. And I also want to thank President Correa, who has co-chaired with me. I think it is a great sign of the vitality of this relationship that this summit was also accompanied by a number of parallel events, organised and promoted by civil society, academics, businesspeople, trade unions, youth and parliamentarians. This partnership is not just a political one: it is much more than that.

The European Union and CELAC jointly account for one third of the world's countries. Together we can have a decisive impact on - just to bring a few examples - the global climate talks, the post-2015 development agenda and the fight against drugs. That is why we need to keep talking, keep getting closer together on the issues and aligning our approaches. That is why the European Union and the CELAC countries intend to take forward our political dialogue from here. From now on, we have decided that our foreign ministers will meet between summits to ensure swift follow up of decisions made by leaders. And they will bring forward recommendations for how we deepen the relationship and how we can work together more substantively.

To give you one example: climate change matters to us both: Latin American and Caribbean countries are very vulnerable to this threat. That's one reason that the Paris talks later this year have to succeed and why the EU will continue providing support to the region through its EUROCLIMA programme.

We also discussed international and regional security. Chile and Colombia have already signed agreements with the EU to participate in crisis management operations and we welcome other interested countries in the region to talk to us about this as well. The European Union supports the peace negotiations in Colombia and will back a future peace deal through the creation of an EU trust fund to support peace implementation. We are also supporting the process of modernisation in Cuba, which we hope will be reinforced when we finish talks on our Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement. I warmly welcome the steps towards full normalisation of the relations between Cuba and the United States.

The visa waiver agreements recently signed with five Caribbean States and just initialed with Colombia and Peru show our eagerness to bring our peoples closer together. After the entry into force of these agreements, more than 80 per cent of citizens in the CELAC region will be able to enter the Schengen area without a visa. These openings are possible thanks to the good cooperation we have on security of documents and immigration. We will continue developing this in the weeks and months ahead.

The CELAC region is very large and very diverse. For our partnership to be fully effective, we need to pay attention to sub-regional issues too. Today, we will hold two high-level meetings, one with the Heads of state and government of Central America and the other with the Heads of state and government of the Caribbean countries.

Finally, and importantly,  just before the summit, we initialed an agreement that will transform the EU-LAC Foundation into an international body, so that it can expand its work in promoting our partnership to our citizens. The EU will also continue its financial support to the Foundation, with €3 million over the next two years. Latin America and the Caribbean have become more prosperous and more confident and CELAC embodies the region's ambition to achieve closer integration - this is something we have strongly supported from the very beginning.

We can now confidently say - I am sure that President Correa agrees - that we are building a partnership of equals, based on mutual benefit and mutual respect. The direct fibre-optic cable that we agreed to build between our two continents is perhaps a simple but nonetheless strong symbol of our ever closer connection.

We, the Heads of State and Government of the European Union (EU) and of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, met in Brussels, on 10 and 11 June 2015, for the II EU-CELAC Summit, our eighth bi-regional meeting, under the theme "Shaping our common future: working together for prosperous, cohesive and sustainable societies for our citizens".

As an expression of our shared determination to further strengthen our relationship, deepen our dialogue and given the importance we attach to the bi-regional strategic association, we have adopted a Declaration on a 'Partnership for the next generation'.

On 11 June 2015, the Latvian Presidency deposited, on behalf of the European Union, the instrument of approval of the Hague Convention of 30 June 2005 on Choice of Court Agreements.

At the same time, the Latvian Presidency made, on behalf of the European Union, the declaration allowed under Article 21 excluding from the scope of the Convention insurance contracts in general, subject to certain well-defined exceptions, and a unilateral declaration stating that the European Union may, at a later stage in light of the experience acquired in the application of the Convention, reassess the need to maintain its declaration under Article 21.  

The Convention will enter into force on 1 October 2015. All Member States (except Denmark) will then be bound by the Convention.

The Convention makes a valuable contribution to promoting party autonomy in international commercial transactions and to increasing the predictability of judicial solutions in such transactions. In particular, the Convention ensures the necessary legal certainty for the parties that their choice of court agreement will be respected and that a judgment given by the chosen court will be capable of recognition and enforcement in international cases.

The Heads of State and Government of Member States of the Central American Integration System (SICA) met with the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, with the purpose of reviewing the close cooperation between the two regions and adopted the following joint communique.

Indicative programme - Transport, Telecomunications and Energy Council meeting (telecommunications issues) - Luxembourg, 12 June 2015

Place:        KIRCHBERG building (KCC), Luxembourg
Chair(s):    Anrijs Matīss, Minister for Transport of Latvia 

All times are approximate and subject to change 

+/- 08.00     Doorstep by Minister Matīss

10.00          Beginning of Telecommunications Council meeting            

+/- 10.05     Digital Single Market Strategy
+/- 11.35     Interoperability programme ISA 2 (in public session)
+/- 11.55     AOB (in public session)
                    Telecommunications single market (TSM)
                    Network and information security (NIS)
+/- 13.25     Web Accessibility (in public session)
+/- 13.40     Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) Council Conclusions
+/- 13.50     AOB
                     Work programme of the incoming Presidency

+/- 14.00     Press conference

The Council on 11 June 2015 agreed a general approach on proposed technical requirements for inland waterway vessels. In the future, such technical standards will be developed in the European Committee for drawing up Standards in Inland Navigation (CESNI).  The standards drawn up by CESNI will automatically apply in their up-to-date version. 

 Streamlined procedures 

The reform will simplify and speed up procedures, in particular to adapt standards to technical progress. This should ensure a high level of safety, and encourage innovation and investment in new technologies. The new framework will provide legal certainty and be easier to use by member states' national administrations. The standards themselves are not changed by the proposal under discussion. 

Promoting safe and green transport 

Compared to land-based modes of transport, inland waterway transport is energy-efficient, safe and silent, and almost congestion-free. The draft directive is one of the measures aimed at making a better use of Europe's rivers and canals, and in particular getting more freight onto them (NAIADES II package). 

Working together with the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine (CCNR) 

There are currently two different inland navigation certificates operating in the EU: the EU certificate and the Rhine certificate. The system of two certificates will continue but it will be much easier to maintain the equivalence between them. 

The new committee CESNI was set up under the auspices of the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine (CCNR) on 3 June. It will be open to experts from all EU member states. At the same time it will be able to draw on the expertise that the CCNR has built up over the years in developing and updating technical requirements. 

The draft directive will only apply to member states in which inland navigation is used to a significant extent. The following member states are not required to implement it: Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Finland. 

The draft act, which revises the existing directive from 2006, needs to be approved both by the Council and the European Parliament. The Parliament adopted its first-reading opinion in April 2014. 

Es para mi un placer darles la bienvenida a Bruselas, la capital de Europa. Bem- vindos! Bienvenus! Welcome! Bienvenidos!

Antes de continuar, déjenme decirles lo contento que estoy de que nos reunamos hoy aquí, para fortalecer los lazos de nuestra asociación duradera, basada en objetivos comunes y el respeto mutuo. Me alegra ver que las diferencias que nos separaban en el pasado, se han ido disipando durante décadas y nuestras naciones se han ido acercando. Esta semana, nos reunimos no sólo para realzar nuestras buenas relaciones, sino también para mirar hacia el futuro; como les contaré enseguida.

Sixteen years ago, all 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries and a European Union of fifteen Member States, met in Rio de Janeiro for the first time, launching what has become a truly strategic partnership.

In the last two decades the world and our regions have changed. The EU has doubled its membership, introduced a single currency and adopted a new Treaty. In Latin America and the Caribbean most internal conflicts have been peacefully resolved, the region has grown economically and integrated further through the creation of CELAC.

I applaud these major developments. Our partnership has contributed to some of these important changes. The European Union is the main cooperator, largest direct investor and second trade partner of Latin America and the Caribbean. We have an all-weather partnership, not just when things are going well, but also when there are clouds.

But we cannot rest on past achievements. Our partnership needs to be modernised along with the changes in the world. Our relationship is reinforced by the strongest bonds - those of our people. The involvement of our citizens and civil society is key for our partnership's success. The EU-LAC Foundation plays a special role. We hope that with the agreement to turn it into an international body, ownership and support for its activities will increase. The EU will continue its financial support to the Foundation, with €3 million over the next two years.

Our challenge now is to become a partnership for the next generation. A partnership that is symmetrical, balanced and equitable. This should be our ambition for the summit and our future work.

Our regions have a lot to gain from working closely together - and much to lose if we do not. Together the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean account for more than 1 billion people; form one third of the UN's membership, and generate almost one third of the world's GDP. Together our regions have the highest number of democracies, we both value regionalism, multilateralism and the principles of the UN Charter, and we seek sustainable and inclusive growth.

Of course, we have our differences. But there is much more uniting us than dividing us. And we have a duty to shape our common future and work for prosperous, cohesive and sustainable societies.

We are building on a solid basis. Our strategic association has a joint action plan, that we will modernise and expand at this summit, and bilateral and sub-regional agreements, promoting political dialogue, cooperation and trade. Now we need to move to the next level: increasing political dialogue, deepening economic ties and developing a new type of cooperation.

We will stand by the efforts of President Santos to achieve a lasting peace in Colombia. I am pleased to announce that the EU will set up a Trust Fund to support post-conflict actions in the country.  We support the process of modernisation in Cuba, and we are committed to conclude negotiations of our Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement. We welcome the full normalisation of Cuba's relations with the United States and the end of the embargo.

We can do much to help each other to address important challenges we both face, such as reconciling growth with equity, modernising productive structures, generating quality jobs and protecting our environment.

We also want to stand by you in promoting citizen security. I am glad that an action plan to implement the EU citizen security strategy has just been adopted. This is complementary to the Central American and Caribbean countries' own strategies. In today's world, cooperation among like-minded regions is a must. So we need to find ways to partner more effectively on global issues.

Climate change is a common threat. We need to achieve an ambitious agreement for COP 21 in Paris. We both seek a transformative post-2015 development agenda combining poverty eradication and sustainable development. And we need to continue working for an integrated and balanced strategy to counter the world drug problem.

These are all issues that we will discuss and where we have to converge if we want to shape our common future. We also need to be more vigilant in promoting and protecting our common values. They are being challenged in many parts of the world. We cannot shy away from promoting and defending key principles such as respect for democracy, human rights, the rule of law, sovereignty, and a strong and independent civil society. Part of the modernisation and updating of our partnership must be assuming joint responsibilities in promoting a fairer and rule-based multilateral order.

The European Union is not just a territory, it is a common endeavour in constant evolution; CELAC is more than just a group of countries, it embodies an ambitious vision of Latin American and Caribbean unity.

As the great Latin American writer Gabriel Garcia Márquez, who sadly left us last year, reminded us: "No es cierto que la gente deje de perseguir sus sueños porque envejece, más bien envejece cuando deja de perseguir sus sueños." - "It is not true that people stop pursuing their dreams because they get older; we only grow old when we stop pursuing our dreams".

Despite being old partners, our partnership is not ageing, because our dreams and goals of regional integration, convergence in diversity, and a fairer multilateral order, are alive and well. And as we pursue them, we have to continue working on the promising and concrete reality of EU-CELAC relations. Both realms have the potential to keep changing our peoples' lives for the better.

On 10 June 2015, the Council's Permanent Representatives Committee approved a final compromise text on new EU rules for novel foods. The text includes the European Parliament's amendments acceptable for the Council and significantly improves the current rules on novel foods. Novel foods are foods not consumed in the EU to a significant degree before May 1997. They include for instance foods to which a new production process is applied.

Adding value

The Council accepted the Parliament's amendments that would make the placing of novel foods on the EU market faster and cheaper while preserving the high level of protection of human health.

Cutting red tape

The Council's compromise proposal would help to reduce administrative burdens by switching to a centralised EU-level procedure and providing for generic authorisations. This means that once authorised and added to the EU list a novel food could be placed on the market by any food business operator. This would avoid the re-submission of new applications by other companies for the same novel food and should benefit in particular SMEs. Under the current rules, novel foods are authorised at national level and valid only for the applicant.

Facilitating access to traditional foods

The new rules would also facilitate the access to the EU market for traditional foods from third countries having a history of safe food use. For these foods an applicant would have to demonstrate that they have been safely used in a third country for at least 25 years. 

Nanotechnology

The scope of the novel food rules would explicitly cover engineered nanomaterials. The Commission would be mandated to adapt the definition of engineered nanomaterials to technical progress or the definitions agreed at international level.  

Cloning

The scope of the novel food rules would also explicitly cover food from cloned animals, until specific rules on food from cloned animals enter into force.

Next steps

The Latvian presidency will now inform the Parliament by letter proposing an agreement at first reading on the basis of the text approved by the Permanent Representatives Committee. The European Parliament is expected to consider and vote on the Council's compromise text in the week starting on 4 July 2015.

Background

The novel foods authorised under the current rules in the EU include for instance "rapeseed oil high in unsaponifiable matter", "rye bread with added phytosterols/phytostanols", "milk type products and yoghurt type products with added phytosterol esters", "coagulated potato proteins and hydrolysates thereof" and "phospholipids from egg yolk".

Place:        KIRCHBERG building (KCC), Luxembourg
Chair(s):    Anrijs Matīss, Minister for Transport of Latvia  

All times are approximate and subject to change  

+/- 09.35     Doorstep by Minister Matīss
10.00           Beginning of Transport Council meeting
+/- 10.10     Adoption of A items
+/- 10.15     Air passengers rights (in public session)
+/- 10.45     Inland waterway vessels (in public session)
+/- 11.25     Fourth Railway Package (in public session)
+/- 12.25     AOB
                     EU road safety
                     TEN-T & CEF
                     ASEM Transport Ministers meeting (poss. in public session)
                     Shift2Rail 
                     Work programme of the incoming Presidency

+/- 14.00     Press conference

On 10 June 2015, the Council's Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) approved a compromise agreement on the reform of the European trade mark system.

The reform of the current system will improve the conditions for businesses to innovate and to benefit from more effective trade mark protection against counterfeits, including fake goods in transit through the EU's territory.

The new legal framework is also aimed at making trade mark registration systems throughout the European Union more accessible and efficient for businesses in terms of lower costs and complexity, increased speed, greater predictability and legal certainty.

Next steps

After endorsement of the compromise agreement by the Legal Affairs committee of the European Parliament, the legal texts will come back to the Council for  political agreement, followed by the usual legal-linguistic revision before the formal adoption of the Council's position at first reading.

Afterwards, the texts will be put for a vote in second reading at a plenary session of the European Parliament.

The Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) on 9 June 2015 approved, on behalf of the Council, a compromise agreement on a European fund for strategic investments (EFSI) aimed at stimulating the economy.

The compromise reached with the European Parliament on 28 May 2015 paves the way for new investments to begin in mid-2015.

"In the current economic context, there is a clear need to boost investment," said Jānis Reirs, minister for finance of Latvia and president of the Council. "With an enhanced risk-bearing capacity, this new fund will create the conditions needed for the private sector to become involved."

The EFSI is intended to stimulate participation by private investors in a broad range of new investment projects. By taking on part of the risk through a first-loss liability, it is expected to achieve an overall multiplier effect of 1:15 in real investment. Such leverage will eventually allow more than €300bn of additional investment to be mobilised during a three-year investment period.

The fund will be built on €16 billion in guarantees from the EU budget and €5 billion from the European Investment Bank. To facilitate the payment of potential guarantee calls, a guarantee fund will be established so as to gradually reach €8 billion (i.e. 50% of total EU guarantee obligations).

A broad range of projects

The EFSI will be established within the EIB by an agreement between the EIB and the Commission. It will operate for an initial investment period of four years.

The fund will support projects in a broad range of areas, including transport, energy and broadband infrastructure, education, health, research and risk finance for SMEs. It will target socially and economically viable projects without any sector-specific or regional pre-allocation, in particular to address market failures. The EFSI will complement and be additional to ongoing EU programmes and traditional EIB activities.

Lifetime of the fund

Before the end of the initial investment period, the Commission will submit an independent evaluation which will assess whether the EFSI has achieved the objectives of the regulation. Based on the conclusions of its report, the Commission will, as appropriate, present a proposal to either set a new investment period, restructure the fund, or terminate the EFSI.

Funding

EU funding will come from redeploying grants from the Connecting Europe facility (transport, energy and digital networks) and the Horizon 2020 programme (research and innovation), as well as unused margins in the EU's annual budget. As part of the deal, the Council and the Parliament agreed to increase the share of financing coming from unused margins, in comparison with what the Commission proposed, in order to reduce contributions from Horizon 2020 and the Connecting Europe facility (CEF).

The agreement reached on funding is as follows:

• Redeployment will amount to €5bn, of which €2.8bn from the CEF and €2.2bn from Horizon 2020;
• Funding from unused margins will amount to €3bn over the 2016-20 period. The source of this financing includes €543 million and €457 million specifically earmarked from the global margin for commitments for the 2014 and 2015 budgets respectively.
• Payments could be extended until 2023 to provision the EFSI guarantee fund.

Furthermore, it was agreed that €500 million of CEF-transport financial instruments will be redeployed for CEF-transport grants.

Governance of the fund

The EFSI regulation provides for a two-tier governance structure:

• A steering board will set the overall strategy, investment policy and risk profile of the fund. To ensure an impartial steering board and avoid political influence over the selection of projects, the board members will come from the Commission and the EIB only. Their numbers will reflect the institutions' size of contributions in the form of cash or guarantees. The steering board will take decisions by consensus. It will regularly consult stakeholders.
• An independent investment committee will select projects to receive EFSI support. Accountable to the steering board, it will consist of eight independent experts and a managing director. The managing director will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the EFSI and the preparation and chairing of meetings of the investment committee. The committee will take decisions by simple majority. Any project supported by the EFSI will require approval by the EIB.

Contributions to the fund

Member states can contribute to the EFSI in guarantees or cash, while third parties can contribute in cash. However, contributions will not entail any influence over the fund's governance.  

Third parties, including member states' national promotional banks, will be able to co-finance projects together with the EFSI, either on a project-by-project basis or through investment platforms.

Identifying new projects

The regulation will set up a "European investment advisory hub" to provide advisory support for the identification, preparation and development of projects across the EU. It will also establish a "European investment project portal" to improve investors' knowledge of existing and future projects. 

Adopting the regulation

The agreement with the Parliament was reached during a trilogue meeting in Brussels on 27 and 28 May, while the final trilogue endorsement took place on 4 June. Council and Parliament representatives met in nine trilogues since 23 April 2015, having agreed their respective negotiating stances in March and April.

The EFSI regulation will now be submitted to the European Parliament for a vote at first reading, expected on 24 June, and to the Council for final adoption. Signature of the regulation is foreseen before the end of June, which will allow it to enter into force at the beginning of July 2015. The first EFSI operations could be approved as early as mid-September.

Final compromise text of the EFSI regulation

The EU has imposed an arms embargo and further targeted sanctions against a Houthi leader and the son of ex-President Saleh. This decision reflects UN Security Council resolution 2216 (2015) of 14 April 2015 and implements it for the EU. 

Two additional Yemeni individuals have been targeted with a travel ban and an asset freeze over their actions against Yemen's peace and stability. They are Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, the Houthi leader, and Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, son of the former President, who played a key role in facilitating the military expansion of the Houthi movement allied with regular army units loyal to ex-President Saleh. Two other members of the Houthi movement as well as former President Ali Abdullah Saleh have been under the same restrictions since December 2014. 

In addition, the Council put in place the UN's arms embargo against the people and entities subject to these restrictions. The ban also covers providing technical and financial assistance related to military activities.

The EU has condemned the destabilising unilateral actions taken by the Houthis and forces loyal to ex-President Saleh and urged their forces to immediately stop the use of violence. The EU considers that only a broad political consensus achieved through inclusive negotiations can provide a sustainable solution, restore peace, and preserve the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen.

All information on media accreditation and access to the EU-Mexico summit on 12 June 2015.

Good morning, Grüss Gott. I am happy to be here in the Bavarian Alps for the G7 summit. Especially because it is my very first one. Still I remember well that every G summit (G7, G8, G20) causes emotions and opposition. The current demonstrations are proof of it. Freedom and pluralism matter as much to those who demonstrate as to us. I believe that G7 is the best guarantee, that the countries from the G7 group are the best guarantee, that those values, freedom and pluralism, have survived and will survive. We do not need to apologise for our meeting, it is only because of the G7 countries that people can demonstrate, can think what they want, can say what they want and even look like they want. I am sorry for this maybe too trivial truth, but from time to time it is important that someone says it so openly.

All of us would prefer to have Russia around the table in the G8 format. That is why Russia was invited in the 90ies. But our Group is not only a political and economic group of interests, but first of all this is a community of values. And that is why Russia is not among us here today and will not be invited as long as it behaves aggressively against Ukraine and other countries. This evening, we will discuss our policies towards Ukraine and Russia in light of the recent surge in fighting and killing in eastern Ukraine, the most severe disruption of the Minsk agreements since February. I want to underline that already in March the European Council took a political decision of linking our sanctions regime on Russia with the complete implementation of the Minsk agreements. My intention is that today we re-confirm the G7 unity on the sanctions policy. So let me state clearly, given the current situation, if anyone wants to start a debate about changing the sanctions regime, the discussion could only be about strengthening it. The European Union, as the entire G7, continues to stand firm in support of Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.

Foreign policy issues will also include discussions on Syria, Iraq, Iran and Libya. Discussions on Friday in the sanctions committee of the UN Security Council is another proof that the formation of a government of national unity in Libya will not be easy.

We will also discuss cross-cutting challenges such as terrorism and migration. Tomorrow, we will discuss counter-terrorism during our outreach session in the company of the leaders of Ethiopia, Iraq, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia. We want to listen, not to lecture. Foreign fighters now pose a greater threat to international security than ever. We will exchange experiences with the leaders around the table given how important it is for the European Union to work with the countries most affected by this issue. As with our forthcoming Valetta summit with African countries on migration, it is hugely important for the European Union to establish a working dialogue with the countries most affected.
 
Beyond that, we as Europeans will aim for a united G7 approach in climate talks. Climate change is our shared challenge. In view of the Paris COP21 in December, we will use this summit to encourage our G7 partners to be ambitious. Europe cannot solve this problem alone. G7 needs to become united, also on this. The fight against climate change is a global fight and goes way beyond Europe and even the G7. If we are not united in the G7, how can we convince others?
 
Finally, I am really satisfied that some leaders want to use the summit to discuss corruption, including the recent FIFA scandal. We do not need empty declarations against corruption but we have to be ready to fight against those who were corrupted and those who corrupt. We need to fight corruption in its all dimensions, no matter how powerful the actors of these disgraceful practices are. Thank you. With this I pass the ball over to you, Jean-Claude.

Sunday 7 June 2015
G7 Summit - Schloss Elmau (Germany)
11.00  Press briefing by President Donald Tusk and President Jean-Claude Juncker
13.00  Official welcome by Chancellor Angela Merkel
13.30  First working session
15.00  Second working session
16.30  Family photo
17.30  Meeting with Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper
19.15  Official reception
20.30  Working dinner

Monday 8 June 2015
G7 Summit - Schloss Elmau (Germany)
09.00  Third working session
10.45  Fourth working session with outreach guests
12.20  Family photo with outreach guests
12.45  Working lunch with outreach guests

Wednesday 10 June 2015
EU-CELAC summit
09.15  Bilateral meetings
14.00  Official welcome
14.30  Opening Ceremony
15.30  First working session
17.00  Second working session
18.30  Family photo
19.00  Social dinner

Thursday 11 June 2015
EU-CELAC summit
10.00  Retreat session
12.15  Closing ceremony
13.00 Press conference by the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission and the CELAC pro-tempore President
16.00  EU-SICA high level meeting
17.30  EU-CARIFORUM high level meeting

Friday 12 June 2015
EU-Mexico summit
09.30  Leaders' meeting
10.00  Plenary session

14.00  Meeting with President of Burkina Faso Michel Kafando (photo opportunity)