EU – Nathalie Loiseau to attend the General Affairs Council (Luxembourg, 16 october 2018)

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European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau will attend tomorrow’s General Affairs Council in Luxembourg.

  • The ministers will make preparations for the next European Council meeting on October 18. Ms. Loiseau will state our expectations on the issues of migration, internal security and external relations. She will also ask for the next European Council to send an ambitious message on the fight against climate change ahead of the COP 24 in Katowice and in the wake of the IPCC report.
  • The ministers will discuss the status of the rule of law in Poland and the respect for European values in Hungary. The Commission and the Council presidency will inform them of the steps to be taken in the procedures instituted under Article 7, paragraph 1 of the Treaty on European Union.

With respect to Poland, the minister and her German counterpart will jointly reaffirm our support for the Commission’s efforts and our wish to hold a third session of Poland’s hearing at the next General Affairs Council, following the two sessions on June 26 and September 18. As for Hungary, the minister will express France’s wish that the Council take up – as part of an effective and impartial process – the request it received from the European Parliament in its resolution of September 12 to rule on the existence of a serious violation of European values on the part of Hungary.

  • The ministers will review the work underway on the post-2020 multiannual financial framework. Ms. Loiseau will reiterate our priorities on the major negotiating challenges (the Common Agricultural Policy, the EU’s own resources excluding national contributions, the abolition of rebates).
  • In the so-called Article 50 format, the ministers will examine the status of negotiations on the United Kingdom’s withdrawal as elucidated in chief negotiator Michel Barnier’s report. In this regard, they will prepare for the upcoming discussion of heads of state and government on October 17 which should determine the possibility of concluding a withdrawal agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom and prospects for their future relationship.