EU General Affairs Council Conclusions

PRESS RELEASE: 2743rd Council Meeting, General Affairs and External Relations, General Affairs, Brussels, 17 July 2006

Main Results of the Council
The Council adopted conclusions highlighting the need to ensure coherence in EU policies as regards migration issues and welcoming the results of an EU-African ministerial conference on migration held in Rabat on 10 and 11 July.

It approved an agreement between the member states on the financing of Community aid, under the 10th European development fund, for development cooperation with the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of states and the EU's overseas countries and territories. The agreement provides for funding amounting to EUR 22 682 million for the 2008-13 period.

The Council adopted a regulation establishing an instrument for the financing of assistance to EU candidate countries and potential candidate countries, providing for a total of EUR 11 468 million for the 2007-13 period.

It also adopted a decision allowing for increased scrutiny by the European Parliament of implementation of certain types of EU legal acts under committee procedures involving Parliament, Council and Commission.

CONTENTS: ITEMS DEBATED
PRESIDENCY PRIORITIES

MIGRATION

OTHER ITEMS APPROVED

EXTERNAL RELATIONS
- UN General Assembly - EU priorities

- United Nations high-level dialogue on migration and development

- Morocco - Euro-Mediterranean agreement - Promotion of democratic principles

- EU - China summit

- EU - Republic of Korea summit

- Sixth Asia-Europe meeting

- EU strategy for the Pacific - Council conclusions

- Russia - TACIS programme - Court of Auditors report - Council conclusions

- Partnership with Greenland

ENLARGEMENT
- Instrument for pre-accession assistance

DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION
- ACP-EU partnership agreement - Overseas countries and territories - Financial aid

GENERAL AFFAIRS
- Procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission

- Proceedings in the Council's different configurations

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS
- Draft EU budget for 2007

TRANSPORT
- Agreements on air services - Maldives and Uruguay

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• EU-Korea Summit, September 9th (8/9/2006)
• EUHR Solana expresses serious concern about the deteriorating security situation in Darfur (19/8/2006)
• EU Council Conclusions on the Western Balkans (17/7/2006)
• Euro-Africa Conference on Migration and Development: the EU and West, Central and North African countries expected to agree concrete cooperation (7/7/2006)
• EU Speaking Points - Second GA Panel Discussion on International Migration and Development.  (4/7/2006)
• Priorities of the Finnish EU Presidency  (1/7/2006)