Forward look: 27 November – 10 December 2023
Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Employment and social policy), 27-28 November 2023
Employment and social policy ministers will meet in Brussels to reach a general approach on the directive on the European disability card and the European parking card for persons with disabilities. Under the umbrella of 2024 European Semester, they will hold a policy debate on green collective bargaining. They will also discuss anti-racism and social investment in the EU. Ministers will also seek to approve conclusions, among others, on digitalisation in social security coordination.
Foreign Affairs Council (Trade), 27 November 2023
The Foreign Affairs Council (Trade) will discuss the preparations for the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference, the preparation for the signature of the interim trade agreement with Chile and the EU-US trade relations. Ongoing bilateral trade negotiations will be on the table during a working lunch.
Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Health), 30 November 2023
EU ministers for health will meet in Brussels to discuss open strategic autonomy from a health perspective and they will seek to approve conclusions on mental health. The Spanish presidency will also update ministers on ongoing legislative files and their state of play, such as the regulation on EMA fees, the European Health Data Space regulation, the regulation on substances of human origin and the pharmaceutical package.
General Affairs Council (Cohesion), 30 November 2023
Ministers will exchange views on cohesion policy post-2027. They will also be invited to approve conclusions on the future of cohesion policy.
Justice and Home Affairs Council, 4-5 December 2023
At the meeting of home affairs ministers, the presidency will present a progress report on all the legislative files of the Pact on asylum and migration. Ministers will also receive a state of play of the external dimension of migration. The impact of the crisis in the Middle East and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on the EU’s internal security will also feature on the agenda.
Justice ministers will aim to reach a general approach on a regulation on the transfer of proceedings and approve the e-justice strategy for 2024-2028.
Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Transport), 4 December 2023
The Council will be invited to agree a general approach on several legislative files related to three transport modes (horizontal, land and shipping):
- two Commission proposals of the ‘road safety’ package: a revised directive on driving licences and a revised directive to facilitate cross-border exchange of information on road safety-related traffic offences
- four Commission proposals of the ‘maritime safety’ package: revised directives on port State control, ship-source pollution, compliance with flag State requirements and accidents investigation in the maritime sector
- a Commission proposal for a regulation on the accounting of greenhouse gas emissions of transport services
- a revised regulation on breaks and rests in occasional passenger transport services
Ministers will also discuss the state of play of current legislative files in the field of transport with a focus on the revised regulation on Union guidelines on the trans-European transport networks (TEN-T) and the regulations on single European sky (SESII+ package), and hold an informal lunch on the financing of transport infrastructures.
Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Telecommunications), 5 December 2023
The Council is expected to agree a general approach on the regulation on measures to reduce the cost of deploying gigabit electronic communications networks (gigabit infrastructure act) and take note of a progress report on the cyber solidarity act (CSoA) laying down measures to strengthen solidarity and capacities in the EU to detect, prepare for and respond to cybersecurity threats and incidents.
Ministers will also hold a policy debate on technological leadership and competitiveness, and discuss the state of play on a number of current legislative files in the field of telecommunications.
Competitiveness Council (Internal market and industry), 7 December 2023
On Thursday, Internal Market and industry ministers will meet in Brussels and will aim to adopt a general approach on the Net-Zero Industry Act. They will discuss on a progress report concerning the Regulation on forced labour. During lunch, ministers will exchange views on SME policy.
Competitiveness Council (Research and space), 8 December 2023
On Friday morning, ministers responsible for research will meet and they are expected to approve conclusions on the impact of Research and Innovation in policy making and to adopt a Council Recommendation on a European framework to attract and retain research innovation and entrepreneurial talents in Europe. In the afternoon, ministers for space policy will approve a Council Conclusion on Space traffic management and discuss on the Future of EU policy on space in a changing world.
Economic and Financial Affairs Council, 8 December 2023
The Council will seek a general approach on the proposed reform of the economic governance framework. Ministers will adopt implementing decisions approving modified recovery and resilience plans, submitted by some member states.
The presidency will present progress reports on own resources and the single currency package.
Ministers will discuss the economic and financial impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the European Semester.
The Council will approve report to the European Council on tax issues and conclusions on the progress achieved by the Code of Conduct Group.
Agriculture and Fisheries Council, 10-11 December 2023
The Council is expected to discuss the market situation and to exchange views on the first year of implementation of the CAP strategic plans.
Additionally, the Council is expected to address the new genomic techniques regulation, the sustainable use of pesticides regulation, and the proposals for plant reproductive material and for forest reproductive material.
Finally, fisheries ministers will aim to reach a political agreement on the proposal for fishing opportunities in the Atlantic and the North Sea for 2024 and, in the case of some stocks, also for 2025 and 2026, as well as on the proposal concerning fishing opportunities in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea for 2024.
