News

At the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 24 June, the European Affairs Ministers prepared the European Council of 26-27 June that will focus in particular on strategic priorities for the next five years, energy security, the signature of Association Agreements including provisions establishing the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with Moldova and Georgia. The heads of state and government of the European Union will also complete the signature process with Ukraine.  

“The signature of the Association Agreements with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova this Friday is an especially important event, which represents the will of these countries to politically and economically unite their future with the European Union, and we congratulate them on this decision. It is also evident that in the context of current events in Ukraine, energy security and the EU’s energy independence are more relevant today than ever before. We congratulate the Commission on having drafted a European Energy Security Strategy, which poses important challenges for both the EU as a whole and for every member state of the EU. It is especially important to take concrete steps to implement it,” the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Vytautas Leškevičius said at the Council.

The European leaders also plan to discuss a policy framework for climate and energy in the period from 2020 to 2030, the area of freedom, security and justice, including such issues as integrated border management, common asylum and immigration policies, data protection.

The Council endorsed the country specific economic policy recommendations, agreed on the need to continue structural reforms, to reduce the level of unemployment, inequality and poverty, to promote private investment, and to increase economic competitiveness.

The Council decided to grant candidate status to Albania.

The European Affairs Ministers also congratulated the Commission’s proposal for Lithuania to adopt the euro on 1 January 2015. Final decisions on these issues will be made in the European Council.

The Council also endorsed the EU strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian region. This is already the third EU’s macro-regional strategy. Until now the EU has initiated two macro-regional strategies, one for the Baltic Sea region and the other for the Danube Region.

“Our successful experience of the implementation of the strategy for the Baltic Sea region shows that macro-regional strategies have a positive impact on economic, social and territorial cohesion, and a more in-depth EU integration,” the Vice-Minister V.Leškevičius said.

At the end of the Greek EU Presidency, the Council endorsed the 18-month programme, which was drawn up by the incoming trio of presidencies (Italy, Latvia and Luxembourg) and which sets out the Council activities for the next 18 months. It provides for a continuation of the activities of Greece, Ireland and Lithuania aimed at promoting economic growth, job creation, competitiveness and innovation, deepening the EU single market, completing the EU internal energy market, enhancing energy security and relations between the EU and its eastern partners.