European Affairs Ministers will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday 16 October in Luxembourg, as they will take stock of the negotiations leading to an orderly exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union, discuss the so-called Article 7 procedures of the Treaty on respect for the rule of law in Hungary and Poland, discuss the post-2020 multi-annual financial framework and prepare the work of the European Council on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 October.
Brexit. 27 ministers will be informed of the latest developments in the negotiations leading to Brexit, following the failure of the latest talks this Sunday in Brussels between EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier and his British counterpart, Dominic Raab (see other news).
The main obstacle to an agreement on British withdrawal concerns the establishment of the backstop, i.e. the minimum measures to be put in place to avoid the return of a physical border between Ireland and Northern Ireland (see EUROPE 12115). The British link this discussion with future relations between the two partners.
There will be no further negotiations between the EU and the United Kingdom between now and the Twenty-Seven Brexit dinner on Wednesday 17 October and preparations for a 'hard Brexit' by the United Kingdom 'are intensifying ', the European Commission said on Monday 15 October.
The next European summit is intended to be a moment of truth in the process leading to the British withdrawal scheduled for the end of March 2019. In the absence of significant progress, an emergency summit could be convened on the weekend of 17 and 18 November.
Rule of law. The Austrian Presidency will inform Ministers on how it intends to organise the work in the EU Council to determine whether there is a risk of a serious breach of the EU's fundamental values in Hungary, after the European Parliament has launched an so-called Article 7 procedure against Hungary in mid-September (see EUROPE 12114, 12094).
The Hungarian authorities will now have the opportunity to respond in writing to the criticisms made by MEPs. On Tuesday, the European Commission will also take stock of infringement proceedings against Budapest related to respect for the rule of law.
The Council will also examine the situation of the rule of law in Poland, following the second hearing of the Polish authorities at the General Affairs Council on 18 September (see EUROPE 12098).
EU budget. Ministers will discuss the multi-annual financial framework (MFF) for the period 2021-2027 on the basis of a progress report from the Austrian Presidency which takes stock of the discussions on horizontal issues (the right balance between traditional policies and new political priorities) and on budget headings (see EUROPE 12115).
On Friday, Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger considered that an agreement on the broad lines (thresholds, headings, 37 major programmes) of the next MFF was possible before the May 2019 European elections if there was sufficient political will from the Member States (see EUROPE 12116).
See the Austrian document: https://bit.ly/2yGtTwD.
European Council. The General Affairs Council will prepare the work of the European Council which, in addition to Brexit, will once again address the migration challenge after the discussions at the Salzburg Summit (see EUROPE 12100).
According to the draft conclusions of the European Summit of 8 October, the Twenty-Eight will ask the Council to develop an action plan to combat online communications from traffickers and to make priority progress on proposals to strengthen the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (see EUROPE 12116) and accelerate the return of illegal migrants (see EUROPE 12104, 12095). (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)