Today, Foreign Minister Sven Mikser chaired the EU General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels where preparations for this year’s final European Council were concluded. The European Council will discuss security and defence, social issues, education and culture, and migration.
“Launch of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) is of great symbolic significance as increasing security cooperation on EU level is very important,” Mikser said and added that the adoption of the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) will support the competitiveness and innovation capacity of Member States’ defence capability.
The Council also approved a joint declaration of the three main EU institutions on the EU's legislative priorities, which focus on seven main areas - security, migration, economic growth, social issues, the digital single market, energy and climate policy and democratic legitimacy. ”Agreement on a shared set of priorities will allow us to cooperate more closely. Our aim is to achieve real results, showing that the EU can bring added value in a very practical way,” Mikser said.
During the informal lunch that followed the meeting, EU enlargement policy was discussed with Commissioner Johannes Hahn and representatives of candidate countries. “Yesterday we opened two chapters of accession negotiations with Serbia and Montenegro and Estonia can be pleased that it took place during its Presidency of the Council of the EU,“ Mikser said and added that the EU enlargement policy is a strategic investment to peace and stability.
Photos from the meeting (album will be updated further): https://www.flickr.com/photos/estonian-foreign-ministry/albums/72157690898075255
Information on General Affairs Council: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/et/meetings/gac/2017/12/12/
More information:
Liisa Toots
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Media Adviser, Communication Department
[email protected]
+372 5342 4541