EU Council Presidency Archives

Italy has rescued about 5,200 men, women and children and recovered three dead bodies from overcrowded boats in the Mediterranean Sea since early Thursday (5 June).

Italy’s incoming presidency of the EU will focus on adopting the entire telecoms reform by the end of the year and will avoid splitting the package to put aside the most controversial issues, a member of the Italian government told EURACTIV. 

Italy wants new rules to allow the European Investment Bank to free up funds for public investment as part of a push for more growth-oriented policies in Europe, Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan said earlier this week (28 May).

The incoming Italian presidency of the European Union is ready to support the European Parliament-backed overhaul of EU telecoms rules, despite widespread criticism of the plan from governments and leading operators.

Greece, holding the rotating presidency of the EU until June, said it would promote the enhancement of energy security in the 28-country bloc and fully support the European Commission’s approach to Russian energy giant Gazprom.

Crisis-ridden Greece took over the reins of the European Union on Wednesday (1 January) with a record low budget dedicated to its EU presidency of €50 million set as the “absolute maximum” the presidency is planning to spend in the forthcoming six months.

Kyiv has decided to put its move for closer integration with the EU on hold in favour of talks to revive economic relations with Russia, one week before the country was expected to sign a landmark association agreement with the 28-country bloc in Vilnius.

Farmers could miss out on huge EU payments if ministers and parliamentarians fail to complete the last set of negotiations for Europe’s new agriculture policy today (24 September).

Russia's bid to bloc Ukraine's ambitions to move closer to the European Union will be on the agenda of an informal meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers on 6-7 September in Vilnius, diplomats have told EURACTIV.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskait? said trade negotiations between the European Union and the United States would start with contacts between "professional specialists” who would look into reports that a US spy agency monitored phone calls and e-mails of EU institutions and some member states.

EU officials on Thursday (4 July) urged Egypt's military-backed government to refrain from bloodshed and to quickly restore democracy, just hours after the army  took charge for the second time in less than three years following anti-government revolts.

EXCLUSIVE / On the eve of taking the baton from Ireland to chair the Council of the European Union for the next six months, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskait? vowed to push through legislation that would help lift Europe out of its economic doldrums, especially provisions related to the implementation of the EU's 2014-2020 budget.

EU farm ministers are meeting Monday (24 June) for their latest round of negotiations on the post-2013 Common Agricultural Policy, under pressure to hammer out an agreement in time for a parliamentary vote next month. EURACTIV reports from Luxembourg.

Lithuania, which takes over the EU's rotating Presidency on 1 July, is not optimistic regarding the much-protracted accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen borderless area, the country’s envoy to Brussels said yesterday (18 June). 

Farmers’ organisations are pressing EU negotiators to finalise a deal on the future agricultural policy amid growing concern that an agreement will not be reached before the end of June, further delaying implementation of Europe’s biggest programme.

 
EU ministers are pressing to conclude negotiations on the EU’s 2014-2020 budget before the term of the Irish presidency ends in June.

Lithuania, which takes over the rotating EU presidency on 1 July, has given Ukraine extra time to meet the Union's conditions for signing a long-delayed association agreement.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskait? was awarded the Charlemagne Prize yesterday (9 May) in recognition to her contribution to European integration. The ceremony highlighted Lithuania’s pro-EU course as the country prepares to take over the rotating EU presidency on 1 July.

The foreign ministers of several EU countries gave Ukraine a discouraging report yesterday (25 April) on its efforts to deepen ties with the bloc and suggested the jailing of opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko remained a serious obstacle.

Lithuania, the tiny Baltic country that will take over the rotating EU presidency on 1 July, will have to deal with extremely heavy dossiers, such as the adoption of the 70 items of legislation needed to implement the EU budget for the next seven years, as well as preparation for the Eastern Partnership summit, diplomats told EURACTIV.

Agriculture ministers meeting in Brussels on Tuesday (19 March) forged an incomplete compromise farm policy ahead of key negotiations on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), with Slovakia and Slovenia refusing to sign off on the deal.

INFOGRAPHIC / Andris Piebalgs, the European development commissioner, has called on EU member countries to compensate the aid cuts from the bloc's long-term budget that were agreed by EU leaders at a summit last Friday.

Following the implant scandal in which women were given industrial rather than medical-grade silicon, the EU has moved to tighten up regulation on medical devices. But industry says the new proposal “does not contribute to patient safety” and will affect the EU’s speed to market and cripple innovation.

European development ministers have agreed that the EU will speak with one voice in future international negotiations on new targets for sustainable growth and eradicating extreme poverty.