PRESSE_153-PR-CO21

COUNCIL OF
THE EUROPEAN UNION

8577/13

(OR. en)

PROVISIONAL VERSION

PRESSE 153
PRC0 21

PRESS RELEASE

3235th Council meeting
General Affairs

Luxembourg, 22 April 2013

President Mr Eamon GILMORE

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and
Trade

PRESS

Rue de la Loi 175 B - 1048 BRUSSELS Tel.: +32 (0)2 281 6319 / 6319 Fax: +32 (0)2 281 8026
press.office@consirium.europa.eu http://www.consilium.europa.eu/Newsroom

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Main results of the Council

The Council took notě of a draft annotated agenda of the European Council meeting on 22 May.

The Irish presidency informed ministers on the statě of play in the discussions with the European
Parliament on the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) and received guidance from
ministers for the negotiations with the European Parliament.

The Council heard a presentation by the Commission of joint reports by the Commission and High
Representative on Serbia and Kosovo, as well as a Commission report on the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia.

The Council took notě of an initiative for a new and more effective mechanism to safeguard
fundamental values in member states.

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PROVISIONAL VERSION 22.IV.2013

CONTENTS 1

PARTICIPANTS 5

ITEMS DEBATED

Multiannual financial framework -public session 7

Preparation of the May European Council 8

Initiative on democracy, humanrights and rule of law 8

Reports on Serbia, Kosovo and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 9

OTHER ITEMS APPROVED

APPOINTMENTS

— Committee of the Regions 10

GENERAL AFFAIRS

— Temporary judges for the civil service tribunál 10

ENLARGEMENT

— Relations with Albania 10

— Croatia 11

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

— Mobility Partnership Morocco-EU 12

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS

— Taxation 12

STATISTICS

— National and regional accounts 13

• Where declarations, conclusions or resolutions háve been formally adopted by the Council, this is indicated
in the heading for the item concerned and the text is placed between quotation marks.

• Documents for which references are given in the text are available on the Counciťs Internet site
(http://www.consilium.europa.eu).

• Acts adopted with statements for the Council minutes which may be released to the public are indicated by
an asterisk; these statements are available on the CounciFs Internet site or may be obtained from the Press
Office.

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EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA

— EU statistics 13

— Free movement of workers 13

— Maximum residue levels ofpesticides 13

EMPLOYMENT

Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Austria and Italy 14

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PARTICIPANTS

Beltůum:

Mr Didier REYNDERS

Bulgaria:

Mr Ivan NAYDENOV

Czech Republic:

Mr Karel SCHWARZENBERG

Denmark:

Mr Nicolai WAMMEN

Germany:

Mr Guido WESTERWELLE
Mr Michael LINK

Estonia:

Mr Urmas PAET

Ireland:

Mr Eamon GILMORE

Ms Lucinda CREIGHTON

Greece:

Mr Dimitrios AVRAMOPOULOS

Spain:

Mr Alfonso DASTIS QUECEDO

France:

Mr Thierry REPENTIN

Italy:

Mr Enzo MOAVERO MILANESI

Cyprus:

Mr Ioannis KASOULIDES

Latvia:

Mr Edgars RINKĚVIČS

Lithuania;

Mr Linas LINKEVIČIUS

Luxembourg

Mr Jean ASSELBORN

Hungary:

Mr Jánoš MARTONYI

Malta:

Mr George VELLA

Netherlands:

Mr Frans TIMMERMANS

Austria:

Mr Reinhold LOPATKA

Poland:

Mr Marek PRAWDA

Portugal:

Mr Miguel MORAIS LEITÁO

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs,
External Trade and European Affairs

Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign
Affairs

Minister for European Affairs

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) and Minister for
Foreign Affairs and Trade

Minister of State for European Affairs (Departments of the
Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs and Trade)

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Permanent Representative

Minister for European Affairs

Minister responsible for European Affairs

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Minister for Foreign Affairs

State Secretary for Foreign Affairs

Permanent Representative

State Secretary attached to the Minister for Foreign
Affairs, with responsibility for European Affairs

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Romania:

Mr Titus CORLÁJEAN

Slovenia:

Mr Igor SENČAR

Slovakia:

Mr Peter JAVORČÍK

Finland:

Mr Alexander STUBB

Sweden:

Mr Carl BILDT

Ms Birgitta OHLSSON

United Kingdom:

Mr David LIDINGTON

High Representative

Ms Catherine ASHTON

Minister for Foreign Affairs

State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade

Minister for Foreign Affairs
Minister for EU Affairs

Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy

Commission:

Ms Viviane REDING

Mr Štefan FŮLE

Mr Janusz LEWANDOWSKI

Vice-présidente

Membre

Membre

The government of the acceding statě was represented as follows:

Croatia:

Ms Vesna PUSIČ

Minister for Foreign and European Affairs

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ITEMS DEBATED

Multiannual financial framework -public session

The Irish presidency informed ministers on the statě of play in the discussions with the European
Parliament on the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) and received guidance from
ministers for the negotiations with the European Parliament.

Since the February European Council the Irish presidency has had extensive contacts with the
European Parliament on the MFF. Work has also started in Council on the MFF regulation and the
interinstitutional agreement on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial
management. The Irish presidency's objective is to reach agreement with the Parliament on the MFF
by the end of June and to translate the overall MFF agreement into legal texts. It also aims to reach
agreement on the around 70 pieces of sector specific legislation underpinning the EU's funding
programmes. This would allow the new programmes to start on time in January 2014.

Ministers supported the presidency's efforts to find a compromise with the European Parliament on
the next MFF in a timely manner. Ministers expressed their willingness to discuss the four key
elements of the European Parliamenťs resolution (flexibility, revision, own resources and unity of
the budget). Some ministers also stressed that substantial elements of the Parliamenťs demands
were already agreed by the European Council in February, in particular as regards flexibility.

With regard to draft amending budget no 2 for 2013 (by which the Commission proposes to
increase the 2013 EU budget by EUR 11.2 billion) the Council expressed its willingness to work
urgently and constructively on the Commission proposal with a view to reach agreement to meet
clearly justified payment needs. The Council will also follow very carefully the evolution of the
budget through the year and také any necessary further steps to ensure that the EU can face its
obligations.

Following the Councifs discussion the presidency will renew its contacts with the European
Parliament and ask the Coreper 1 to continue work on the MFF regulation and the interinstitutional
agreement. The General Affairs Council will revert to the MFF for a more substantial discussion on
21 May. Draft amending budget no 2 for 2013 will be examined by Coreper in parallel and is due to
be discussed by the Council for Economic and Financial Affairs on 14 May.

On 8 February 2013 the European Council reached agreement on the next MFF, providing a
mandáte to the Irish presidency for the negotiations with the European Parliament ( 37/13 + COR 1
REV1 ).

The Permanent Representatives Committee is composed of the ambassadors of the 27 EU
member states. Its role is to prepare decisions of the Council.

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On 13 March, the European Parliament adopted a resolution, setting out its position for the
negotiations on the next MFF ( http://www. europarl. europa. eu/sides/getDoc. do ?pubRef=-

//EP//TEXT+TA +P7-TA-2013-0078+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN) .

Further information on the negotiations may be found on the Council's MFF webpages:
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/special-reports/mff

Preparation of the May European Council

The Council examined a draft annotated agenda, drawn up by the President of the European Council
in cooperation with the Irish presidency and the Commission, for the European Council meeting to
be held on 22 May ( 7623/13 ).

The European Council will focus on:

- Economic policy:

- Energy (completion of the Internal Energy Markét and interconnections; increase of
investments in modern energy infrastructure; high energy prices)

- Tax policy (improving the efficiency of tax collection; tackling tax evasion and fraud

- Other items:

- Deepening of the Economic and Monetary Union (taking stock of work)

- External relations (specific issues in the light of events).

The annotated draft agenda will serve as the basis for draft conclusions, to be prepared in the run-up
to the meeting.

Initiative on democracy, human rights and rule of law

The Council took notě of an initiative of Denmark, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands for a new
and more effective mechanism to safeguard fundamental values in member states and had a first
comprehensive discussion on the subject.

The Commissioner in charge of justice, fundamental rights and citizenship, Vice President Viviane
Reding, gave an overview of the existing mechanisms for the protection of fundamental rights and
the rule of law. She undertook to come with a more detailed examination of this issue in May.

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Reports on Serbia, Kosovo and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

The Council heard a presentation by the Commission of joint reports by the Commission and High
Representative on Serbia and Kosovo (8740/13 and 8742/13 respectively), as well as a Commission
report on the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Council took notě of progress made by
all three countries in the areas identified in the Council conclusions of 1 1 December 2012
( 1 7604/12 ). The Council in particular welcomed the agreement reached last Friday between Serbia
and Kosovo on the principles governing the normalisation of the relations between them. Ministers
acknowledged the historie dimension of the deal, congratulated the two countries' Prime Ministers
for their political commitment and thanked the Commission and the European External Action
Service for helping to broker the deal.

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OTHER ITEMS APPROVED

APPOINTMENTS

Committee of the Regions

The Council appointed Ms Cristina MAZAS PÉREZ-OLEAGA (Spain) as a member of the
Committee of the Regions for the remainder of the current term of office, which runs until
25 January 2015 ( 8238/13) .

GENERAL AFFAIRS

Temporary judges for the civil service tribunál

The Council adopted a decision appointing the following three persons as temporary judges for the
Civil Service Tribunál for a period of four years:

- Mr Haris Tagaras (former judge at the Civil Service Tribunál)

- Mr Arjen W.H. Meij (former judge at the General Court) and

Ms Verica Trstenjak (former advocate-general at the Court of Justice and former Judge at
the General Court).

Where necessary, they will be called upon to perform their duties in this order.

The Council decision is in line with the protocol on the statute of the Court of Justice of the EU
which provides for the possibility of attaching temporary judges to the specialised courts in order to
cover the absence of judges who are prevented from participating in the disposal of cases for a
lengthy period of time.

ENLARGEMENT

Relations with Albania

The Council adopted the EU position for the fifth meeting of the EU-Albania Stabilisation and
Association Council, to be held in Luxembourg on 23 April 2013.

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Croatia

The Council adopted the following conclusions on Croatia:

"The Council welcomes the Commission's monitoring report of 26 March 2013 on Croatia's
accession preparations and the accompanying monitoring tables, and its conclusion that Croatia is
generally meeting the commitments and requirements arising from the accession negotiations in all
chapters.

Recalling previous Council Conclusions, the Council commends Croatia for the results achieved,
noting that it has completed the ten priority actions identified in the Commission's comprehensive
monitoring report of October 2012. Croatia has shown the will and ability to fulfil all other
commitments before accession and is expected to complete its finál preparations for membership.

The Council notes that Croatia's forthcoming accession is the result of a rigorous negotiation
process and of close monitoring during pre-accession preparations. Building on the achievements to
dáte, Croatia is expected to continue developing its track records in the field of the rule of law,
notably in the fight against corruption and the handling of domestic war crimes cases. The Council
also welcomes important initial steps on urgently needed structural reforms that háve been taken to
improve competitiveness and growth prospects in the economy, encourages further progress, and
welcomes the informal participation of Croatia in the 2013 European Semester.

The Council reaffirms the unequivocal commitment of the European Union to the European
perspective of the Western Balkans, which remains essential for the stability, reconciliation and
future of the region. It remains firmly committed to taking the enlargement process forward on the
basis of agreed principles and conclusions. Aside from the clear benefits to itself and the EU,
Croatia's accession demonstrates that, when conditions are met, the EU delivers on its
commitments in this regard. Noting Croatia's commitment that bilateral issues should not obstruct
the accession process, the Council looks forward to Croatia continuing to play an active and
positive role in regional cooperation in the Western Balkans.

Welcoming progress in the ratification process, and subject to the completion of remaining
ratification procedures, the Council looks forward to welcoming Croatia as a member of the
European Union on 1 July 2013."

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JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

Mobility Partnership Morocco-EU

The Council confirmed the agreement on the joint declaration establishing a Mobility Partnership
between the Kingdom of Morocco and the European Union and its member states ( 6139/13 ADD 1
RE V 1 ), in the framework of the implementation of the Global Approach to Migration.

Mobility Partnerships are established in those cases where they bring added value, both to the EU
and the third country, on the management of migration flows. To dáte, Mobility Partnerships háve
been established with Cape Verde, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia.

In its conclusions of June 201 1 (EUCO 23/1/11 ), the European Council called for the launch of a
dialogue on migration, mobility and security with the Southern Mediterranean countries that should
lead to the conclusion of Mobility Partnerships between the EU and the countries concerned.

ECONOMICAND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS

Taxation

The Council adopted decisions authorising:

Latvia to introduce a speciál measure derogating from point (a) of Article 26(1) and
Articles 168 and 168a of Directive 2006/1 12/EC on the common systém of value added
tax;

France to apply differentiated levels of taxation to motor fuels in accordance with Article
19 of Directive 2003/96/EC

France to apply a reduced rate of taxation to unleaded petrol ušed as motor fuel and
consumed in Corsica in accordance with Article 19 of Directive 2003/96/EC

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STATISTICS

National and regional accounts

The Council adopted a regulation on the European systém of national and regional accounts,
following an agreement with the European Parliament at first reading ( 77/12 ).

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA

EU statistics

The Council adopted a decision on the position to be taken by the EU within the EEA joint
committee concerning an amendment to annex XXI (statistics) to the EEA agreement ( 6911/13 ).

This decision aims to amend annex XXI (statistics) to the EEA agreement by incorporating
Commission regulation (EU) No 555/2012 amending regulation (EC) No 184/2005 on EU statistics
concerning balance of payments, international trade in services and foreign direct investment, as
regards the update of data requirements and definitions.

Free movement of workers

The Council adopted a decision on the position to be taken by the EU within the EEA joint
committee concerning an amendment to Protocol 31 to the EEA agreement ( 6914/13) .

This decision aims to amend Protocol 3 1 on cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms
in order to include cooperation concerning free movement of workers, coordination of sociál
security systems and measures for migrants, including migrants from third countries.

Maximum residue levels of pesticides

The Council adopted a decision on the position to be taken by the EU within the EEA joint
committee concerning an amendment to annex II to the EEA agreement ( 6970/13 ).

This decision aims to amend annex II (technical regulations, standards, testing and certification) in
order to incorporate Commission implementing regulation (EU) No 788/2012 concerning a
coordinated multiannual control programme of the Union for 2013, 2014 and 2015 to ensure
compliance with maximum residue levels of pesticides and to assess the consumer exposure to
pesticide residues in and on food of plant and animal origin.

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EMPLOYMENT

Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Austria and Italy

The Council adopted three decisions mobilising a total amount of EUR 12.7 million under the
European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), providing support for workers made redundant in
Austria and Italy.

An amount of EUR 3.94 million is allocated to dismissed workers of the Austria Tabák GmbH and
its 14 suppliers which suffered from a significant reduction of the EU market share and from a
delocalisation of production to third countries. An amount of EUR 5.04 million is mobilised for
former workers of the Italian sector of domestic appliances which faced a significant downturn in
its production due to a drop in the domestic and European demand and growing competition from
China and Turkey. Further EUR 3.69 million are made available for workers made redundant in
Agile S.r.l, an Italian company operating in the information and communication technology sector
which went insolvent due to a downturn in the ICT market.

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