Remarks by President António Costa at the press conference of the EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels

The timing of today’s summit could not have been better. It was the first meeting I chaired as President of the European Council. This highlights the political priority that enhancing cooperation with the Western Balkans has for me and for the European Union. We are sending a strong signal with the Brussels Declaration that we … Leer más

Reform and Growth Facility for Moldova: Council agrees its negotiating position

The Council today agreed its negotiating position on the Reform and Growth Facility for the Republic of Moldova. The proposed facility is the financial pillar of the Moldova Growth Plan, presented by the Commission in October 2024. It will support Moldova during the period from 2025 to 2027 and is expected to provide up to … Leer más

Cohesion policy: EU co-legislators strike a deal on a new instrument to promote the development of cross-border regions (BRIDGEforEU)

The Council presidency and European Parliament negotiators today reached a provisional agreement on a new Border Regions’ Instrument for Development and Growth in the EU – BRIDGEforEU. The regulation on the instrument seeks to support the development of cross-border regions by making it easier to find solutions to their challenges, such as infrastructure development and … Leer más

Forward look: 16 – 29 December 2024

Overview of the main topics and events at the Council of EU and European Council for the coming fortnight. The Council’s General Secretariat will be closed between 23 December 2024 and 2 January 2025. The next issue of the Forward Look will be published on 10 January 2025. Foreign Affairs Council, 16 December 2024 The … Leer más

Council and Parliament reach deal on financial benchmarks

Today, the Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on a proposal to streamline benchmark authorisation and registration requirements, and to alleviate the burden on EU companies, particularly SMEs (smaller benchmark administrators and benchmark users). The provisional agreement needs to be confirmed by both institutions before being prepared for formal adoption. Benchmarks are … Leer más