On Tuesday 25 January, the European Affairs Ministers of the European Union countries will debate in public session on the legislative package to strengthen European democracy. They will take stock of the EU’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the post-Brexit negotiations between the EU and the UK.
The French Presidency of the Council of the EU has put strengthening European democracy on the agenda of the first General Affairs Council of 2022, as this legislative package deals with “urgent issues to protect democracy against disinformation and manipulation” and should be adopted “in time for the European elections in 2024”, an EU diplomat said on Friday 21 January.
Presented at the end of November 2021, the legislative package reforms the funding of European political parties and their foundations (see EUROPE 12840/4) and aims to regulate online political advertising (see EUROPE 12840/5), in particular to combat external interference in national electoral processes.
In a note, the French authorities underline that Member States are ready to move forward quickly. They ask them three questions, for example on the European measures needed to ensure the integrity of elections through increased transparency and regulation of online political advertising.
See the note from the French Presidency (in French): https://bit.ly/33wM6QZ
Covid-19 coordination. Ministers will be asked on Tuesday to approve the revised draft recommendation on ‘intra-EU’ travel for non-essential reasons, which now favours an individualised rather than a map-based approach, following the agreement reached on Friday at the level of Member States’ ambassadors (Coreper) to the EU (see other news).
The meeting will also provide an opportunity to review the health measures currently in place in the EU, as the Omicron variant of the virus responsible for Covid-19 appears to be more contagious, but less virulent thanks to vaccination campaigns, according to the diplomat.
Discussions may include the possibility of a fourth dose of vaccine. On Friday, at a meeting of EU health ministers held by video conference, the competent EU Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, said she was in favour of this possibility if the data were conclusive, Reuters reported. She also supported the development of a new generation of vaccines adapted to the coronavirus variants.
Global solidarity will also be addressed through the sharing of vaccines with vulnerable countries, particularly with Africa, an under-vaccinated continent. This is important in the context of the preparations for the EU-AU summit, which will take place in Brussels in mid-February (see EUROPE 12869/3).
United Kingdom. The General Affairs Council will continue with an update on EU-UK relations with European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, who already briefed Coreper on Thursday on the latest developments in the ongoing negotiations with London (see EUROPE 12873/20).
Ministers will be briefed on the latest talks on the Northern Ireland Protocol and will address other related issues of interest such as fishing licences, citizens’ rights and the negotiations started on Gibraltar.
On the European side, the Member States should reaffirm the European approach based on “respect for the commitments made” and agreed with the United Kingdom (no renegotiation of the Northern Ireland Protocol) as well as “the will to find pragmatic solutions” to facilitate the life of citizens, said this diplomat.
CoFoE. Finally, the ministers will be informed about the Conference on the Future of Europe after the plenary assembly meeting on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 January in Strasbourg (next meetings: 11-12 and 25-26 March, 8-9 April).
Conference participants are now beginning to draw up their “first recommendations”, notably on European fundamental values and the climate (see EUROPE 12866/3), with a view to drawing initial political conclusions on 9 May, the diplomat noted. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion and Solenn Paulic)