On Monday 17 November, the European Affairs ministers of the EU Member States will discuss “the most sensitive” part of the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), i.e. “Pillar 1”, which corresponds to the national and regional partnership plans, after having discussed the ‘European Competitiveness Fund’ and the horizontal elements of the MFF in October (see EUROPE 13733/12).
The discussion is expected to revolve around two questions posed by the Danish Presidency of the EU Council: - how to ensure that the regions are properly involved in the decision-making process for the 27 plans?; - how to ensure the visibility of EU policies such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Cohesion Policy?
On Sunday 9 November, the European Commission proposed changes to its initial proposal (see EUROPE 13749/2), following threats from the European Parliament to reject ‘Pillar 1’ (see EUROPE 13742/1, 13743/12). The political groups of the pro-European majority in the European Parliament have since said that they are ready to begin legislative work (see EUROPE 13750/1).
The revisions proposed by the Commission are not seen as problematic by the EU Council. “The document largely overlaps with elements that we are already discussing in the Council and with positions expressed by the Member States in our discussions on drawing up the negotiating box”, said a diplomatic source. “This shows that on certain issues - CAP, cohesion - there is a fair degree of convergence between the Parliament and the Council”, the source added.
The Danish Presidency will submit a negotiating box without figures to the European Council (see EUROPE 13732/21).
United Kingdom. The ministers will take stock of the state of relations between the EU and the United Kingdom. In May, the EU and London agreed on a series of post-Brexit rapprochements through agreements on fisheries, youth mobility, defence and trade in agricultural products (see EUROPE 13643/1).
On Thursday 13 November, Member States approved the launch of negotiations on future agreements on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) controls to relax the requirements for British producers to export to the EU, as well as on an agreement to align the ‘ETS’ systems (see EUROPE 13751/23).
On the SAFE loan instrument in the defence sector, the two parties are trying to reach an agreement on London’s participation by the end of November, although discussions remain “difficult”, according to a diplomatic source. According to the Financial Times, London has refused to pay a contribution of €6.7 billion to the SAFE instrument, in which the EU is said to have asked it to participate.
With regard to the youth mobility programme, London is also demanding a 50% reduction in its contribution compared to what the EU is said to be asking of it and, again according to the newspaper, the Commission is prepared to accept a 30% reduction for the programme to start in 2027.
Rule of Law. On Monday, the General Affairs Council will hold another debate on respect for the rule of law in the EU, on the basis of the Commission’s annual report, published in July (see EUROPE 13676/27). This time it will focus on the situation in four countries: Germany, Bulgaria, Ireland and the Czech Republic.
The Commission’s report assesses the independence of the judiciary, media freedom, the fight against corruption, the proper functioning of the single market in terms of the rule of law and the balance of democratic checks and balances.
Work Programme for 2026. The European Commission will present its draft work programme for 2026 to ministers (see EUROPE 13731/14).
Member States will then hold an exchange of views with a view to the Council stating its position on what it wishes to see included in the joint declaration on the EU’s legislative priorities for 2026, which the EU’s co-legislative institutions will negotiate with a view to approval at the General Affairs Council on Tuesday 16 December.
EUCO. The General Affairs Council will begin preparations for the European Council meeting on 18 and 19 December on the basis of an annotated draft agenda. Topics to be discussed include continued funding for Ukraine (see EUROPE 13751/16), the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework, enlargement, migration and economic competitiveness.
See the draft annotated agenda: https://aeur.eu/f/jgm
Enlargement. Finally, it should be noted that in the margins of the ministerial meeting, an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) will be held with Albania, designed to open the last group of chapters in the EU accession negotiations relating to agriculture and cohesion policy.
On Thursday 13 November, the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, expressed the hope that Albania would be in a position to join the EU in 2028, under the Italian Presidency of the Council. (Original version in French by Florent Servia, Solenn Paulic and Mathieu Bion)