The General Affairs Council, meeting in Brussels on Tuesday 20 September, will prepare for the meeting of the European Council of 20 and 21 October and will have the opportunity to discuss, for the first time, proposals for the mid-term revision of the 2014-2020 multi-annual financial framework (MFF) of the EU. The ministers will also hold an exchange of views on a letter of intent of the Commission regarding its working programme for 2017. Finally, the Council is expected to carry out the following, without debate: - adopt conclusions calling on the Commission to provide an assessment of Bosnia-Herzegovina's application to join the EU; - publish a recommendation for the member states of the eurozone on the creation of national productivity councils; - approve the conclusion of an agreement with Andorra to fight tax fraud. The General Affairs Council will start at 10.00 a.m. and end at around 1.00 p.m.
Preparations for the October European Council. The Council will examine the draft annotated agenda drawn up by the resident of the European Council together with the Slovak Presidency of the Council and the Commission, for the meeting of the European Council to take place on 20 and 21 October. The heads of state or government are expected to focus their work on: - migration (they will take stock on the latest developments and progress made and decide upon the necessary orientations); - trade issues (including an in-depth debate on these issues and an examination of the most relevant dossiers and guidelines for the future of the trade policy of the EU – see other article); - external relations (including a guideline debate on relations with Russia). The draft annotated agenda will be used as a basis for the draft conclusions, drawn up in the days preceding the meeting. The General Affairs Council will also be informed on the state of progress with the implementation of the conclusions adopted by the June European Council.
MFF. The Commission will present proposals on the mid-term re-examination (or revision) of the 2014-2020 multi-annual financial framework (MFF) of the EU. The Slovak Presidency of the Council does not anticipate a detailed discussion at this stage. It has triggered the Friends of the Presidency group, which will be tasked with examining various planks of the revision of the MFF: the communication entitled re-examination/revision of the MFF 2014-2020; the proposal to modify the MFF Regulation; - the proposed modification of the inter-institutional agreement on budgetary discipline, budgetary cooperation and good financial management. The package also includes: - a proposal to revise the financial regulation of the EU and to make the corresponding changes to 15 sectorial legislative acts; - proposal modifying Decision (EU) 2015/435 on the mobilisation of the contingency margin. The Friends of the Presidency will hold their first meeting on the MFF on Friday 23 September. Coreper (the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the EU) will also hold regular discussions on the proposals for the MFF.
Commission working programme for 2017. The Council will hold an exchange of views on the Commission's letter of intent regarding its working programme for 2017. In its letter, the Commission lays down points of particular political importance for the coming year. The ministers will be called upon to discuss the initiatives the ministers would like to be included in the Commission's working programme. The opinions expressed by the General Affairs Council will be summed up in a letter of the Presidency; these will allow the Commission to take account of the ministers' observations before adopting its working programme in October. Then, the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission will agree on a common declaration regarding the priorities for 2017.
Bosnia-Herzegovina. In conclusions adopted without debate, the ministers will ask the Commission to provide an assessment of Bosnia-Herzegovina's application to join the EU. The Commission will have to prepare a questionnaire of around 2000 questions to which Sarajevo must respond. This exercise is expected to take between one and two years, according to a senior European official. The Council will then use this questionnaire to decide whether or not to grant Bosnia-Herzegovina candidate country status (see other article). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur with Camille-Cerise Gessant)