EU General Affairs Council Conclusions

* The 2831st meeting on External Relations is the subject of a separate press release (15240/07).

Main results of the Council

The Council adopted strengthened and additional restrictive measures against Burma/Myanmar, following the brutal repression of peaceful protestors and continuing human rights violations by the Burmese authorities. The measures include an extension of the list of persons subject to an entry ban and freeze of assets, and an extension of the ban on investments in Burmese state-owned companies. Additional measures are targeted at the sources of the regime's revenue, such as the logging, timber and mining industries.

The Council approved a 2005 protocol amending the WTO's agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS), which will allow WTO members to export patented medicines to the world's least developed countries. The protocol, which will enter into force once two thirds of WTO membership has accepted it, is intended to help in developing countries' fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by providing access to essential medicines at the lowest possible prices.

CONTENTS: ITEMS DEBATED

PREPARATION OF THE DECEMBER MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL

MARITIME POLICY - PROPOSED ACTION PLAN

WORK PROGRAMME FOR 2008

OTHER ITEMS APPROVED

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

- Burma/Myanmar -Council conclusions

- Burma/Myanmar -Restrictive measures

- Colombia - Council conclusions

- Bosnia and Herzegovina - EU police mission and special representative

- EU-Montenegro - Implementation of agreements - Interim agreement on trade

- Kosovo - Preparations for a possible international civilian mission

- Stability pact for south-eastern Europe - Special coordinator

- North Korea - Support for IAEA monitoring activities

- Accumulation and spread of small arms

- EU-ASEAN summit

- Relations with Cape Verde - Council conclusions

- San Marino - Customs cooperation - EU enlargement

- European security and defence policy - Civilian ESDP capability planning process

- European security and defence policy - Civilian headline goal 2008 and new civilian headline goal 2010

TRADE POLICY

- Exports of medicines to developing countries - WTO agreement *

- Anti-dumping - Plastic sacks and bags from China, Thailand and Malaysia

- Switzerland - Imports of sausages

DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

- Coordination, complementarity and coherence in development policy - Council conclusions

- Development policy and external assistance in 2006 - Annual report - Council conclusions

- The European consensus on humanitarian aid

GENERAL AFFAIRS

- Proceedings in the Council's different configurations

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

- EU-Russia - Permanent partnership council on justice and home affairs

ENERGY

- Energy community ministerial council


For details, download the complete General Affairs Council Conclusions.

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• Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on closure of the regional offices of the British Council in Russian Federation (18/1/2008)
• EU External Relations Council Conclusions (20/11/2007)
• EU Council Conclusions on coherence between EU migration and development policies (20/11/2007)
• EU Council Conclusions on Burma/Myanmar (19/11/2007)
• EU Council adopts additional restrictive measures against Burma/Myanmar (19/11/2007)
• EU Council approves protocol amending TRIPS agreement (19/11/2007)
• EU Council Conclusions on European Community's 2007 report on Development Policy and Implementation of External Assistance in 2006 (19/11/2007)