European Council

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.   

At their meeting in Hamburg, Germany, on 7 and 8 July 2017, G20 leaders adopted a declaration focusing on sharing the benefits of globalisation, building resilience, improving sustainable livelihood and assuming responsibility

 G20 leaders also agreed on several other documents:

Hamburg Action Plan
Climate and Energy Action Plan for Growth
Hamburg Update: Taking forward the G20 Action Plan on the 2030 Agenda
Annual Progress Report 2017
G20 Action Plan on Marine Litter  
G20 Africa Partnership
G20 Initiative for Rural Youth Employment
High Level Principles on the Liability of Legal Persons for Corruption
High Level Principles on Organizing against Corruption  
High Level Principles on Countering Corruption in Customs  
High Level Principles on Combatting Corruption related to Illegal Trade in Wildlife and Wildlife Products
G20 Initiative #eSkills4Girls  
Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative
G20 Resource Efficiency Dialogue

 

On 7 July 2017, the Council, by common accord with the President of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, appointed Mariya Gabriel as the new commissioner for digital economy and society. The appointment takes effect immediately, and applies for the remainder of the current term of office of the Commission which ends on 31 October 2019.

Mariya Gabriel is a Bulgarian national and has been a member of the European Parliament since 2009. She replaces Kristalina Georgieva who resigned to join the World Bank.

1. We, the Leaders of the G20, strongly condemn all terrorist attacks worldwide and stand united and firm in the fight against terrorism and its financing. These atrocious acts have strengthened our resolve to cooperate to enhance our security and protect our citizens. Terrorism is a global scourge that must be fought and terrorist safe havens eliminated in every part of the world.
2. We reaffirm that all measures on countering terrorism need to be implemented in accordance with the UN Charter and all obligations under international law, including international human rights law.
   
   Implementing international commitments and enhancing cooperation
   
   
3. We call for the implementation of existing international commitments on countering terrorism, including the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, and compliance with relevant resolutions and targeted sanctions by the UN Security Council relating to terrorism. We commit to continue to support UN efforts to prevent and counter terrorism.
4. We will address the evolving threat of returning foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) from conflict zones such as Iraq and Syria and remain committed to preventing FTFs from establishing a foothold in other countries and regions around the world. We recall UN Security Council Resolution 2178 (2014), which requires a range of actions to better tackle the foreign terrorist fighter threat.
5. We will facilitate swift and targeted exchanges of information between intelligence and law enforcement and judicial authorities on operational information-sharing, preventive measures and criminal justice response, while ensuring the necessary balance between security and data protection aspects, in accordance with national laws. We will ensure that terrorists are brought to justice.
6. We will work to improve the existing international information architecture in the areas of security, travel and migration, including INTERPOL, ensuring the necessary balance between security and data protection aspects. In particular, we encourage all members to make full use of relevant information sharing mechanisms, in particular INTERPOL's information sharing functions.
7. We call upon our border agencies to strengthen cooperation to detect travel for terrorist purposes, including by identifying priority transit and destination countries of terrorists. We will support capacity building efforts in these countries in areas such as border management, information sharing and watch-list capability to manage the threat upstream. We will promote greater use of customs security programs, including where appropriate, the World Customs Organization's (WCO) Security Programme and Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which focus on strengthening Customs administrations' capacity to deal with security related issues and managing the cross-border flows of goods, people and means of transport to ensure they comply with the law.
8. We will address in close coordination the evolving threats and potential vulnerabilities in aviation security systems and exchange information on risk assessments. We recall the UN Security Council's Resolution 2309 (2016) which urges closer collaboration to ensure security of global air services and the prevention of terrorist attacks. We will promote full implementation of effective and proportionate aviation security measures established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in partnership with all its contracting states as necessary. We call to urgently address vulnerabilities in airport security related measures, such as access control and screening, covered by the Chicago Convention and will act jointly to ensure that international security standards are reviewed, updated, adapted and put in place based on current risks.
9. We highlight the importance of providing appropriate support to the victims of terrorist acts and will enhance our cooperation and exchange of best practices to this end.
   
   Fighting terrorism finance
   
   
10. We underline our resolve to make the international financial system entirely hostile to terrorist financing and commit to deepening international cooperation and exchange of information, including working with the private sector, which has a critical role in global efforts to counter terrorism financing. We reaffirm our commitment to tackle all sources, techniques and channels of terrorist financing and our call for swift and effective implementation of UNSCR and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards worldwide. We call for strengthening measures against the financing of international terrorist organisations in particular ISIL/ISIS/Daesh, Al Qaida and their affiliates.
11. There should be no “safe spaces” for terrorist financing anywhere in the world. However, inconsistent and weak implementation of the UN and FATF standards allows them to persist. In order to eliminate all such “safe spaces”, we commit to intensify capacity building and technical assistance, especially in relation to terrorist financing hot-spots, and we support the FATF in its efforts to strengthen its traction capacity and the effectiveness of FATF and FATF-style regional bodies.
12. We welcome the reforms agreed by the FATF Plenary in June and support the ongoing work to strengthen the governance of the FATF. We also welcome the FATF intention to further explore its transformation into a legal person, which recognises that the FATF has evolved from a temporary forum to a sustained public and political commitment to tackle AML/CFT threats. We also appreciate FATF commencing the membership process for Indonesia that will broaden its geographic representation and global engagement. We ask the FATF to provide an update by the first G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in 2018. We call on all member states to ensure that the FATF has the necessary resources and support to effectively fulfil its mandate.
13. We welcome that countering terrorist finance remains the highest priority of FATF, and look forward to FATF's planned outreach to legal authorities, which will contribute to enhanced international cooperation and increased effectiveness in the application of FATF's standards.
14. We will advance the effective implementation of the international standards on transparency and beneficial ownership of legal persons and legal arrangements for the purposes of countering financing terrorism.
15. Low cost attacks by small cells and individuals funded by small amounts of money transferred through a wide range of payment means are an increasing challenge. We call on the private sector to continue to strengthen their efforts to identify and tackle terrorism financing. We ask our Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to work with FATF, FSB, the financial sector, Financial Intelligence Units, law enforcement and FinTech firms to develop new tools such as guidance and indicators, to harness new technologies to better track terrorist finance transactions, and to work together with law enforcement authorities to bridge the intelligence gap and improve the use of financial information in counter-terrorism investigations.
16. We call upon countries to address all alternative sources of financing of terrorism, including dismantling connections, where they exist, between terrorism and transnational organized crime, such as the diversion of weapons including weapons of mass destruction, looting and smuggling of antiquities, kidnapping for ransom, drugs and human trafficking.
    
    Countering radicalization conducive to terrorism and the use of internet for terrorist purposes
    
    
17. Our counterterrorism actions must continue to be part of a comprehensive approach, including  combatting radicalization and recruitment, hampering terrorist movements and countering terrorist propaganda. We will exchange best practices on preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism, national strategies and deradicalisation and disengagement programmes, and the promotion of strategic communications as well as robust and positive narratives to counter terrorist propaganda.
18. We stress that countering terrorism requires comprehensively addressing underlying conditions that terrorists exploit. It is therefore crucial to promote political and religious tolerance, economic development and social cohesion and inclusiveness, to resolve armed conflicts, and to facilitate reintegration. We acknowledge that regional and national action plans can contribute to countering radicalisation conducive to terrorism.
19. We will share knowledge on concrete measures to address threats from returning foreign terrorist fighters and home-grown radicalised individuals. We will also share best practices on deradicalisation and reintegration programmes including with respect to prisoners.
20. We will work with the private sector, in particular communication service providers and administrators of relevant applications, to fight exploitation of the internet and social media for terrorist purposes such as propaganda, funding and planning of terrorist acts, inciting terrorism, radicalizing and recruiting to commit acts of terrorism, while fully respecting human rights. Appropriate filtering, detecting and removing of content that incites terrorist acts is crucial in this respect. We encourage industry to continue investing in technology and human capital to aid in the detection as well as swift and permanent removal of terrorist content. In line with the expectations of our peoples we also encourage collaboration with industry to provide lawful and non-arbitrary access to available information where access is necessary for the protection of national security against terrorist threats. We affirm that the rule of law applies online as well as it does offline.
21. We also stress the important role of the media, civil society, religious groups, the business community and educational institutions in fostering an environment which is conducive to the prevention of radicalisation and terrorism.

We share the view that North Korea, a top priority on the international agenda, increasingly poses a new level of threat to international peace and security. We are seriously concerned with and condemn in the strongest terms North Korea's continued nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches, including the recent launch of a ballistic missile of possible intercontinental range,  in flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. We stand ready to strengthen measures aimed at further restricting the transfer of relevant items and technologies and funding for North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and, to that end, we call for the early adoption of a new and comprehensive UN Security Council Resolution. We strongly call on the international community to redouble its efforts to ensure the sustained, comprehensive and thorough implementation of all relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.  

North Korea must refrain from any further provocations that further increase regional and international tensions. We call on North Korea to immediately and fully comply with its international obligations under all relevant UN Security Council resolutions, as well as the 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks and thus abandon all nuclear, other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes and to engage in actions for credible dialogue with the international community that pursues the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. 
 
North Korea must further promptly address the international community's humanitarian and human rights concerns, including through speedily resolving the abductions' issue.

Mr. Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, and Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, met in Brussels today for the 24th Summit between the European Union (EU) and Japan and issued the following statement. 
 
We, the leaders of the EU and Japan, met today in Brussels to reaffirm the strength of our Strategic Partnership and to demonstrate our resolve to work together for peace, prosperity and a rules-based international order. We remain united by our common values of democracy and the rule of law and by our determination to promote together an open and fair global economy that benefits everyone. These are the foundations of our political and economic Strategic Partnership for peace, prosperity and a rules-based international order - serving to unite us bilaterally and also to make us stronger internationally.
 
Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Strategic Partnership between the EU and Japan as we celebrate the agreement in principle of the Economic Partnership Agreement and the Strategic Partnership Agreement at political level. 
 
The highly ambitious and comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement will consolidate our solid and evolving trade and economic partnership and pave the way for the future. It will bring our two economies closer by addressing issues related to market access for goods, services and investment, procurement including railways, as well as those related to non-tariff measures and the protection of geographical indications as well as intellectual property rights. This agreement will allow us to renew and strengthen our joint commitment to international standards for an even closer cooperation in the future. At the same time, with this agreement in principle of the Economic Partnership Agreement, Europe and Japan demonstrate to the world - and to our citizens - that free trade, with clear and transparent rules fully respecting and enhancing our values, remains an important tool to promote prosperity in our societies. The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement will constitute the basis for a strategic partnership for free and fair trade, against protectionism. 
 
We tasked our respective negotiating teams with a rapid finalisation of the agreement that would allow for the internal procedures to start soon, both in the EU and in Japan.
 
With shared responsibility for achieving peace, stability and prosperity of the world, Japan and the EU also reached agreement in principle of the Strategic Partnership Agreement. This will provide a framework for an even deeper and more strategic EU-Japan cooperation that enables our partnership to grow and to face new types of challenges. 
 
At a time where the rules-based international order is under increasing pressure, the  Economic Partnership Agreement and the Strategic Partnership Agreement recapture the shared values and common principles that form the foundation of the EU-Japan partnership, including human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
 
We took the opportunity before attending the G20 Hamburg Summit tomorrow to discuss our cooperation in other important areas, including on our joint efforts to address the global threat of climate change and other international challenges. 

Europa building - Brussels

Media Programme 

10.55
Arrival of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe
Welcome by President Tusk
(Europa VIP entrance and Forum - photo/TV opportunity)

11.00
Plenary meeting

12.10
Joint press conference (Presidents Tusk, Juncker and PM Abe)

12.50
Working lunch 

 

Accreditation

• Access with interinstitutional press card or 6-month badge, 2nd semester 2017*

or

• press day pass, issued upon presentation of ID and valid press card, or assignment letter from the media, signed in original and mentioning the event. 

Press entrance : 175 Rue de la Loi - 1000 Brussels (Justus Lipsius building)

• Photos and video coverage of the event will be available for preview and download on http://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu
• Live streaming will be available on http://video.consilium.europa.eu
• For more details on the EU-Japan Summit,  see the meeting page.

* 6-month badges, 2nd semester 2017, can be collected in Justus Lipsius building

Friday 7 July 2017
G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany
09.15 Joint press briefing with President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker
10.00 Official welcome by Chancellor Angela Merkel
10.30 Retreat session
13.00 Working lunch
15.30 Working session
20.30 Dinner hosted by Chancellor Angela Merkel

Saturday 8 July 2017
G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany
09.30 Meeting with Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc
10.00 Meeting with Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong
10.30 Working session
12.30 Meeting with Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull
13.05 Pull aside with President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in
13.15 Working lunch
15.15 Concluding session

Monday 10 July 2017
17.00 Meeting with President of Cabo Verde Jorge Carlos de Almeida Fonseca

Tuesday 11 July 2017
13.30 Meeting with Prime Minister of Romania Mihai Tudose

Wednesday 12 July 2017
Kyiv, Ukraine
EU-Ukraine Summit
19.30 Working dinner hosted by President Petro Poroshenko

Thursday13 July 2017
Kyiv, Ukraine
EU-Ukraine Summit
10.45 Welcome by President Petro Poroshenko
11.00 Plenary session
12.30 Joint press conference
13.00 Working lunch

Friday 14 July 2017
12.45 Meeting with President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić followed by working lunch
14:05 Press statements

One of the topics of the G20, as you know, is migration. Europe has been struggling with the unprecedented wave of illegal migration for two years now. We have managed to overcome to a great degree the crisis on the East Mediterranean route. We have worked out an agreement with Turkey and strengthened our cooperation with the Balkan states. The result is the decrease in the number of irregular migrants from 158 thousand in the first half of 2016, to 9 thousand in the first half of 2017. However, the situation on the Central Mediterranean route, that is from Libya to Italy, still remains critical. In order to address it, we need solidarity and cooperation of the international community. Today it is Italy in particular, that needs this solidarity. Our objective should be to effectively stop this wave at its source, namely in North Africa. This is the main task for the EU. In this respect, Italy can count on Europe's help in every dimension. But this cannot mean a wider opening of Europe's door towards illegal migration. That is why, here at the G20, I will call on all the leaders to be ruthless in the fight against smugglers.

We are engaged in this not just because of the migration pressure on Europe, but as it is a real humanitarian issue. Migrant smuggling is an organised business. Last year it generated 1.6 billion dollars in Libya alone. These profits allow the smugglers to control some parts of the country. They also cooperate with terrorists and further undermine the stabilisation of Libya. But above anything else, innocent lives are lost. So far this year more than 2,000 people have died at sea. And the number of people dying in the desert is even higher.

We need more efforts at the international level to break the smugglers' business model. This is why I will propose to all the G20 leaders to pursue targeted UN sanctions against smugglers. By this I mean assets freezes and travel bans. It is the very minimum that can be done at the global level. Unfortunately I have to say that today we do not have the full support even for this minimum. If we do not get it, it will be a sad proof of the hypocrisy of some of the G20 members. But I still hope we will succeed. Thank you.

On 29 May 2017, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2017/905[1] implementing Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP.

The Decision amends the list of persons and entities subject to restrictive measures as set out in Annex II to Decision 2010/788/CFSP, adding nine persons to the list.

The Candidate Countries the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, Montenegro* and Albania*, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein, members of the European Economic Area, as well as the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this Council Decision.

They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision.

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

[1] Published on 29.05.2017 in the Official Journal of the European Union no. L 138, p. 6.

* The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

The Council has extended the mandate of the EU co-ordinating office for Palestinian police support (EUPOL COPPS), as well as the mandate of the EU border assistance mission for the Rafah crossing point (EU BAM Rafah), until 30 June 2018. These missions are part of wider EU efforts in support of Palestinian state building in the context of working towards a comprehensive resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on a two-state solution.

EUPOL COPPS has been assisting the Palestinian Authority in building the institutions of a future state of Palestine in the areas of policing and criminal justice since January 2006. Through its contribution to security and justice sector reform, the mission supports efforts to increase the security of the Palestinian population and to reinforce the rule of law. € 12.372 million have been allocated for the mission's activities between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018.

The Council also extended the mandate of EU BAM Rafah until 30 June 2018. The mission is mandated to provide a third party presence at the Rafah crossing point to contribute to building confidence between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, including through building up the Palestinian capacity on all aspects of border management at Rafah. The mission maintains a readiness to redeploy to the Rafah crossing point once the political and security situation allows. The mission's budget for the period between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018 amounts to € 1.98 million.

Dear Prime Minister, dear Shinzo, dear Jean-Claude, I am very happy to welcome you in Brussels today for our extraordinary EU-Japan Summit. Actually, we planned this some time ago, when we promised to do everything in our power to conclude political and trade talks between Japan and the European Union on the eve of the G20 summit. And we did it. 

Please let me refer briefly to the political context. Less than two weeks ago, here in Brussels, European leaders discussed how to defend ourselves against unfair trade practices. How to reconcile free trade and fair trade. Of course, we were not thinking about Japan or the ongoing negotiations. But bearing in mind the fears and anxieties of our people, which are often justified, we made decisions about how to improve our trade defence instruments. Not to cut Europe off from the rest of the world, but to be able to conduct effective trade. Because we, as the European Union, firmly believe in the political purpose of a world which is built on openness, cooperation and trade. 

In the context of the discussion about Brexit, we have heard statements claiming that it isn't worth being in the European Union, as it is easier to do global trade outside of the EU. Today we have shown that this is not true. The EU is more and more engaged globally. And ahead of the EU are negotiations with Mercosur countries, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia and others.   

Although some are saying that the time of isolationism and disintegration is coming again, we are demonstrating that this is not the case. That the world really doesn't need to go a hundred years back in time. Quite the opposite. It doesn't have to be so. As we are proving with Japan. And do you know why this agreement was possible? Because it's not just about common trade interests. It is, above all, about the shared values that underpin our societies, by which I mean liberal democracy, human rights and the rule of law. This basis of shared values, which we not only respect, but which - in accordance with the Strategic Partnership Agreement - we have committed to promote, has allowed us to conclude these negotiations. And most importantly, no-one lost. 

Let me also thank Jean-Claude and his team, as well as the Japanese negotiators, for their excellent work. Congratulations, well done! 

Finally, let me focus on North Korea. Today, we agreed to call on the international community to strengthen measures aimed at further restricting the transfer of relevant items and technologies, as well as funding, for North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. In this regard we appeal for the early adoption of a new and comprehensive UN Security Council Resolution.

Dear Colleagues, 

Europe's role in the World and our responsibility at the international level in these turbulent times are growing. More than ever the EU has become a global point of reference for all those who value the principles of liberal democracy and human rights, free and fair trade or concrete actions in facing global challenges, such as climate change, poverty, terrorism and illegal migration. A strong and determined Union is the best way to promote our values and interests, to support a rules-based multilateral system, and ultimately to protect and defend citizens. With this in mind we will participate in the G20 Summit in Hamburg later this week. As usual, we would like to inform you about the key issues that we will discuss at the summit. 

1.      The G20's key role in making the global economy work for all

The global economy is gaining momentum. With economic growth expected to approach 2 per cent this year and next, the EU is making a robust contribution to global economic activity. However, many citizens in Europe and elsewhere still feel left behind by the economic recovery and are apprehensive with globalisation. 

The G20 has played a critical role in bringing the global economy back to its feet after the crisis. Now it must ensure the global economy works for everyone. We will present the European internal and external responses to shape globalisation in line with our shared interests and values. We will also reaffirm the EU's commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as the reference point for the efforts we must undertake together, and our readiness to lead these efforts. 

Strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth relies on multilateral cooperation and a rules-based order. It also requires that we put all economic policy tools to work - monetary, fiscal and structural. The Hamburg Action Plan will be a key deliverable of the summit in this regard. It will put forward a set of policy measures to make G20 economies more resilient to shocks, enhance social cohesion and foster confidence. It will also convey a common determination to improve the efficiency and composition of public finances so that they are conducive to growth and equity. We will call for swifter implementation of G20 members' growth strategies, especially regarding structural reforms, in view of the Brisbane objective to increase the level of the combined G20 GDP by an additional 2 per cent by 2018. Investment in infrastructure, skills and effective social security systems need particular attention. 

2.      Bolstering an open and fair rules-based multilateral trading system

Concerns about job losses and erosion of standards attributed to trade will be at the top of the agenda. These concerns must be addressed, not by erecting protectionist barriers, but by making trade and investment both free and fair. The EU will advocate three strands of action. First, the G20 must adhere to its anti-protectionism pledge and strengthen the rules-based multilateral trading system anchored in the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which is our best chance for a global level playing field. This means filling gaps in the rulebook. We will urge G20 members to contribute to concrete results at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires next December, including on e-commerce and subsidies. All parties must implement agreed rules. We will be clear that the EU will defend its industry robustly when other countries refuse to abide by the rules. Second, it is critical that G20 members implement domestic policies which empower workers and companies of all sizes to benefit from open markets and help them to make the most of opportunities offered by the global economy, and adjust to change. Third, we need to engage in an honest, fact-based conversation with citizens to take stock of globalisation and its effects on producers and consumers. We will also underline the responsibilities of the private sector to address concerns about globalisation, and will welcome collaborative efforts to improve labour, social and environmental standards in global supply chains, as a contribution to a level playing field. 

We will insist on further efforts to tackle production overcapacity, especially in the steel sector, as a matter of utmost priority. We expect all members of the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity, launched at the last G20 summit, to cooperate in good faith with a view to removing the subsidies and other government-imposed distortions at the root of the problem.   

3.      Demonstrating that ambitious climate action is good for economic growth and jobs

We regret the decision by the US Administration to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The Agreement remains a corner stone for global efforts to effectively tackle climate change and implement the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and we consider that it cannot be re-negotiated. We will reassure the international community that the EU remains steadfastly determined to swiftly and fully implement the Paris Agreement and accelerate the low-carbon transition, as well as to support our partners, in particular the vulnerable countries in the fight against climate change. We will work with all partners who share our conviction that the Agreement is necessary to protect our planet, is fit for purpose, and is good for economic growth and future jobs. We will support an ambitious G20 Joint Action Plan on Climate and Energy for Growth. We will also welcome further work on green finance and a dialogue on ways to improve resource efficiency and to tackle marine litter. 

4.      Tapping the potential of the digital revolution

With accessible, open, reliable and secure internet, digitisation can drive productivity and sustainable development. We will seek G20 cooperation to develop common standards for the fifth generation of mobile communication networks and interoperable digitised products and services; promote free flow of information while respecting applicable legal frameworks for privacy and personal data protection; uphold fair competition in the digital environment; and tackle cyber threats. We will also underline the need to prepare for the profound impact of digitalisation and automation on labour, by investing in digital skills and adapting social security systems to benefit workers in all work arrangements. 

5.      Advancing the global fight against tax avoidance and evasion

The recent signature of the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting marks another milestone in the international fight against tax avoidance and evasion. These practices undermine our tax bases, fair competition and trust in globalisation. Having led these global efforts, the EU expects wide and effective implementation of the agreed standards on tax transparency and good governance. Those not ready to cooperate should bear the consequences. This is why we have a firm stance on a common list of non-cooperative jurisdictions with regard to tax transparency, including defensive measures. We will call for improving authorities' access to information about ultimate beneficiaries of legal persons and arrangements, as well as cross-border exchange of this information, to improve detection of abusive tax behaviour. Furthermore, the G20 should monitor and evaluate developments related to the digitalisation of the economy with a view to a consistent approach to taxation. 

6.       Stepping up efforts to fight terrorism and terrorist financing

Recent attacks have again sadly underlined the need to further strengthen the global fight against terrorism and violent extremism, and to adapt it to the evolving threat. The G20 must remain united in these efforts. We will welcome a G20 Action Plan on Countering Terrorism to enhance cooperation based on our international commitments. We will advocate particularly further steps to ensure full implementation of international standards on counter-terrorist financing and money laundering, as well as on beneficial ownership transparency to prevent the misuse of companies, trusts and funds to finance terrorist activities. We will also support reinforcing the Financial Action Task Force. All G20 members must take strong steps to combat terrorists' misuse of the Internet and social media. As agreed in the European Council we should work with industry and encourage the development and sharing of new technologies and tools to enhance automatic detection and removal of terrorist content online. 

7.      Aiming for a more resilient international monetary and financial system

Through joint action after the crisis the G20 has significantly improved global financial stability. This cooperation must continue. The Basel Committee has worked to complete the Basel III post-crisis reform, but has yet to produce a final agreement. The G20 should encourage a swift outcome that promotes a level playing field and does not lead to significant increases in overall capital requirements for banks. We will reiterate that agreed reforms must be implemented in a timely and consistent fashion, and should not be rolled back. At the same time, we will support the work of the Financial Stability Board to evaluate the effects of the regulatory reforms and monitor emerging financial risks and vulnerabilities. Enhanced international coordination on cybersecurity in the financial system is a priority going forward. In addition, we will support a more stable and resilient international financial architecture with a strong, quota-based and adequately resourced IMF at its centre. 

8.      Sharing responsibility for refugees and migrants

Forced displacement and irregular migration remain major global challenges. We will emphasize the  importance of effective border management and control as well as of swift and humane return of migrants who have no right to remain or who are not eligible for international protection. We will also encourage concerted action at the global level to disrupt the smugglers' and traffickers' networks. At the same time, we must improve global governance based on shared responsibility and partnership among countries of origin, transit and destination to protect refugees and migrants in need, and to alleviate the pressure on affected communities. 

We will call for support to the United Nations process to develop the Global Compacts on Refugees and on Regular, Safe and Orderly Migration, and underline the importance of enhancing legal pathways for migration, including refugee resettlement. We will welcome the exchange of good practices for integrating regular migrants and refugees in labour markets. 

9.      Partnering with Africa for investment, growth and jobs

As we prepare for the Africa-EU Summit, we will welcome the new G20 Africa Partnership to promote investment, jobs and sustainable development in the continent, and thereby also contribute to tackling the root causes of irregular migration and radicalisation. Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia are already engaged in setting out Investment Compacts, committing to improve their investment environments working together with international organisations, G20 partners and the private sector. The EU is participating actively and will seek synergies with our initiatives, notably the proposed External Investment Plan that aims to leverage at least EUR 44 billion of investment in Africa and the European neighbourhood by 2020.   

For the European Council                                           For the European Commission

 

On 28 June 2017, the Maltese Presidency of the Council and the European Parliament representatives reached a broad political agreement ad referendum on all twelve chapters of the regulation on the European Union Agency for Asylum on the basis of the mandate given by Coreper on 20 December 2016.

The agreement is subject to endorsement by Coreper in the near future following further work on the recitals. Furthermore, the agreement excludes  some parts of the text which are related to other legislative proposals in the package on the revision of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) which have not yet been finalised. An overall agreement will only be possible once the linkages with the other legislative proposals in the CEAS package have been resolved.

The proposal for a European Union Agency for Asylum aims to improve the implementation and functioning of the CEAS by building on the work of the current European Asylum Support Office (EASO).

“This is part of the EU's efforts to have a fully-fledged EU Agency for Asylum that can respond better to the evolving irregular migration challenge and to reflect its enhanced role in a reformed Common European Asylum System.”

Michael Farrugia, Maltese Minister for Home Affairs and National Security

The new regulation will transform EASO into a fully-fledged Agency responsible for facilitating the functioning of the CEAS, ensuring convergence in the assessment of applications for international protection across the Union, and providing operational and technical assistance to member states.

Next steps

Work will continue during the incoming presidency to finalise the text. The agreement will then be submitted to Coreper for endorsement on behalf of the Council.

Background 

Following its Communication of 6 April 2016 on the reform of the CEAS, the Commission presented in May and in July seven legislative proposals, including the above-mentioned proposal for a regulation on the European Union Agency for Asylum, with a view to:

• improving the functioning of CEAS by eliminating differing treatment of asylum seekers and varying recognition rates among member states
• reducing secondary movements and contributing to a fairer distribution among the Member States of the responsibility to offer protection to those in need.