EU General Affairs Council Conclusions

PRESS RELEASE: 2705th Council Meeting, General Affairs and External Relations, General Affairs, Brussels, 30 January 2006

Main Results of the Council

The Council took note of the operational programme for 2006 established by the current Austrian and future Finnish presidencies and of the Commission's legislative and work programme for this year.

The Council adopted:
- a directive on the management of waste from the extractive industries;
- a directive on pollution caused by dangerous substances discharged into the aquatic environment;
- a directive on waste disposal.

The Council appointed Mr Christian Schwarz-Schilling as the new EU special representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, following the departure of Lord Ashdown.

The Council also:
- extended for a further year restrictive measures against persons considered as extremists in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and updated the list of these persons;
- renewed restrictive measures against Zimbabwe for a further year.

CONTENTS: ITEMS DEBATED

WORK PROGRAMME FOR 2006

LISBON ECONOMIC REFORM STRATEGY

OTHER ITEMS APPROVED

EXTERNAL RELATIONS
- Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - Restrictive measures
- Zimbabwe - Restrictive measures
- EU special representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Western Balkans - European partnership

EUROPEAN SECURITY AND DEFENCE POLICY
- ESDP training programme

TRADE POLICY
- Australia - Agreement on trade concessions - EU enlargement

GENERAL AFFAIRS
- Proceedings in the Council's different configurations

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS
- Protection of the euro against counterfeiting

ENVIRONMENT
- Fluorinated gases
- Waste from the extractive industries
- Pollution caused by dangerous substances discharged into the aquatic environment
- Disposal of waste

AGRICULTURE
- Outermost regions of the EU - Specific measures for agriculture

FISHERIES
- EU- São Tomé and Príncipe agreement

CUSTOMS UNION
- Industrial, agricultural and fishery products

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA
- Amendments to the EEA agreement

EDUCATION
- Quality assurance in higher education

TRANSPARENCY
- Council public debates
- Council public deliberations

See the complete General Affairs Council Conclusions for detailed information.

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• EU Council Conclusions on Sudan (20/3/2006)
• EU External Relations Council Conclusions (31/1/2006)