European Union - Clément Beaune’s participation in the informal video conference of EU foreign affairs ministers (17 November 2020)

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Clément Beaune, Minister of State for European Affairs, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, is taking part today in the informal video conference of EU foreign affairs ministers.

The ministers will discuss the following points:

  • Rule of law: following the publication of the European Commission’s first report on the rule of law within the EU, the ministers will exchange views on the chapters relating to Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Estonia. The minister of state will express his support for this EU internal dialogue which will make it possible to examine the issues and best practices implemented to safeguard the EU’s founding values.
  • Preparations for the European Council from December 10 to 11, 2020:
  • Management of the Covid epidemic: Clément Beaune will underscore the importance of the mutual recognition of tests, the introduction of a European passenger locator form and common quarantine durations. He will call for consistency between member states’ vaccine strategies.
  • Climate: the minister of state will reaffirm France’s support for the ambitious target of reducing greenhouse gases by at least 55% by 2030.
  • Terrorism: Following the attacks in France and Austria, the minister of state and his Austrian counterpart will make a joint statement expressing their determination to protect EU values using all available instruments.
  • Regarding the accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, Clément Beaune will underscore the EU’s reinvestment in the Western Balkans region, while underscoring that the negotiating frameworks must comply with the new methodology that has been adopted and which includes an effective reversibility mechanism.
  • The Council’s draft statement, supported by France, on the fight against anti-Semitism, the agreement on the EU budget by the EU institutions, legislative programming and national plans within the framework of the European Semester will also be discussed during the meeting.