EU General Affairs Council Conclusions

PRESS RELEASE: 2788th Council meeting, General Affairs and External Relations, General Affairs, Brussels

Main results of the CouncilThe Council approved a draft programme, entitled Daphne III, aimed at preventing and combating violence against children, young people and women and protecting victims and groups at risk. It provided for a financial envelope amounting to EUR 116.85 million for the 2007-13 period. The text will now be sent to the European Parliament for a second reading under the Parliament-Council codecision procedure.The Council also approved the establishment of an instrument for the financing of Community action in the field of civil protection. It provided for a financial envelope amounting to EUR 189.8 million for the 2007-13 period.And it decided not to accept the European Parliament's amendments regarding the EU's financial instrument for the environment, Life +. It accordingly decided to convene the Parliament-Council conciliation committee with a view to negotiating a joint text.

CONTENTS: ITEMS DEBATED

PREPARATION OF THE SPRING MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL

OTHER ITEMS APPROVED

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

- International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia - Restrictive measures

- Relations with Albania - Interim agreement

- European Neighbourhood Policy - Agencies and programmes - Council conclusions

- Relations with Egypt - Implementation of the Egypt action plan

- Afghanistan - Drugs and the rule of law - Council conclusions

GENERAL AFFAIRS

- The EU in 2006 - Annual report

- Proceedings in the Council's different configurations

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

- Civil protection financial instrument *

- Schengen - Communication infrastructure -"SISNET"

- Schengen Information System - Budget

SOCIAL POLICY

- Prevention of violence against children, young people and women - Daphne III programme*

ENVIRONMENT

- Financial instrument for EU environment actions

PREPARATION OF THE SPRING MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL

The Council examined draft conclusions prepared by the presidency for the European Council meeting to be held in Brussels on 8 and 9 March.

The European Council will focus on energy and climate policy, as well as on its annual review of the strategy for growth and jobs that it established at Lisbon in March 2000 and re-launched in March 2005. On the Lisbon strategy, it is due to endorse country-specific recommendations for economic and employment policies at national level, as well as specific recommendations for the euro area.

The European Council's agenda is as follows:

- Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs;

- the EU's "better regulation" initiative;

- an integrated energy and climate policy: "energy policy for Europe" action plan.

OTHER ITEMS APPROVED

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia - Restrictive measures

The Council adopted a common position extending for 12 months, until 16 March 2008, common position 2004/293/CFSP on measures in support of the effective implementation of the mandate of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) (6218/07).

In addition, following the death of Mr Ratomir Spajic, his name has been removed from the list of persons subject to the measures.

The measures are intended to prevent entry into the EU of persons who are engaged in activities that help persons at large continue to evade justice for crimes for which ICTY has indicted them, or are otherwise acting in a manner which could obstruct ICTY's effective implementation of its mandate. The list of persons, which was first drawn up in April 2003, now includes 35 persons subject to the travel ban.

Relations with Albania - Interim agreement

The Council approved the position to be adopted by the Community, within the joint committee referred to in the interim agreement on trade and trade-related matters with Albania, with regard to the adoption of its rules of procedure including the terms of reference and structure of EU-Albania working parties.

European Neighbourhood Policy - Agencies and programmes - Council conclusions

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

"The Council welcomed the Commission's Communication of 4 December 2006 as a substantial contribution to enhancing the EU's cooperation with its partners in the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). It expressed its support for the general and gradual approach outlined in the Communication to enable ENP partners to participate in Community agencies and Community programmes on their merits and where the legal bases so allow. The Council encouraged stakeholders - the Commission, Community agencies and all ENP partners, in particular those implementing Action Plans - to explore, in direct consultations, their potential to this end. It recalled the need for the Council to approve individual agreements on participation in any Community agency on a case-by-case basis. Regarding Community programmes, the Council invited the Commission to recommend negotiating directives to establish relevant Protocols to partners' Association or Partnership and Cooperation Agreements, on a country-by-country basis. The Council further encouraged ENP partners to examine the possibilities to deepen their cooperation with third-pillar agencies in the field of justice, liberty and security."

Relations with Egypt - Implementation of the Egypt action plan

The Council approved the position to be adopted by the EU within the EU-Egypt association council with regard to the adoption of a recommendation on implementation of the EU-Egypt action plan (16412/06).

The action plan, established as part of the EU's European Neighbourhood Policy, is aimed at developing its strategic partnership with a significant degree of economic integration and a deepening of political, cultural and social cooperation.

The Council also approved a decision on the position to be adopted by the EU within the EU-Egypt association council on the establishment, under the Euro-Mediterranean agreement with Egypt, of working groups to deal in particular with migration, social and consular affairs (16413/06).

Afghanistan - Drugs and the rule of law - Council conclusions

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

"The Council recognises the significant and detrimental impact that production and trafficking in drugs are having upon the stability and security of Afghanistan and the surrounding region as well as internationally, including on the EU Member States themselves.

The Council reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Government of Afghanistan, which has primary ownership of the process, in its efforts to tackle drugs through the National Drug Control Strategy, including anti-corruption efforts, and calls on Member States to continue their support, in particular through the rapid implementation of the recommendations in the EU's Action-Oriented Paper "Increasing EU support for combating drug production in and trafficking from Afghanistan, including transit routes."

The Council reaffirms its support for the Government of Afghanistan's efforts to promote and extend the rule of law through development of the police, courts, prisons and the wider justice system, and recognises the important role of counter-narcotics as part of this. The Council welcomes the Commission's current and planned activities in support of existing justice programmes, in particular an initiative under the North-South Drugs budget line to strengthen cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbours against precursor diversion and its intention that an early project funded under the EU's new Stability Instrument will also target this region."

GENERAL AFFAIRS

The EU in 2006 - Annual report

The Council approved a draft report on progress of the European Union in 2006, with a view to its adoption by the European Council on 8/9 March. The report will then be submitted to the European Parliament pursuant to article 4 of the EU Treaty (6657/07).

Proceedings in the Council's different configurations

The Council took note of a report from the presidency on proceedings in its different configurations (6709/07).

| Arriba |

• EU Council Conclusions on strengthening the European Neighbourhood Policy (18/6/2007)
• EU External Relations Council Conclusions (5/3/2007)
• Declaration on climate change at the EU Parliament  (31/1/2007)
• EU Presidency Statement - Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children (11/10/2006)
• Civil protection: EU Commission proposes strengthening EU Civil Protection Mechanism (27/1/2006)