European Union

EU Chief Officers of Plant Health Services, representatives from EU Commission and Secretariat-General will meet in informal meeting on 27 - 28 May in Riga to discuss harmonisation of procedures on plant and plant product import control and other plant health issues.

With an aim to foster a coherent European Union's (EU) inland and marine waters policy in all the Member States, on 26 - 27 May, under the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU, informal meeting of Water and Marine Directors of the EU will be held in Riga.

On 27-28 May, Riga will host the International Conference on ICT for Information Accessibility in Learning (ICT4IAL). The conference will present guidelines developed over the past two years for the use of ICT in the learning process making the information more accessible, including for people with special needs. Issues covered at the conference correspond to one of the main priorities of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU – Digital Europe.

On 26 - 27 May, 2015  international conference “EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 - implementation” will be held in Riga. During the conference representatives from EU Member States and non-governmental organisations will discuss the preservation of biodiversity.

 Today we mark the passage of one year since former President Michel Sleiman of Lebanon left office. This protracted Presidential vacuum poses serious risks for the country as a whole. It has undermined the functioning of all institutions and Lebanon's ability to address the difficult security, social and economic challenges facing the country.

The EU recalls the Presidential Statement adopted by the UNSC on March 19th. The EU calls on all political forces to take decisive action to elect a new President. It is crucial that all parties uphold the Constitution, fully implement the Taef Agreement, and the National Pact. The EU underlines the importance of dialogue among all political forces to overcome this deepening crisis. The EU supports Prime Minister Tammam Salam in his efforts to govern the country in such difficult times. The EU calls on all Members of the Parliament to uphold Lebanon's longstanding democratic tradition and to convene to elect a President without further delay in line with the Constitution. 

Now in its fifth year, the conflict in Syria continues to affect the stability of Lebanon. A new set of complex security threats are further exacerbating the crisis. The EU reiterates its commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Lebanon. The EU calls for a renewed commitment to the dissociation policy by all political parties, putting the interest of Lebanon and its stability first. The EU fully supports the efforts of all Lebanese security agencies to maintain stability and respond to the security challenges. That is why the EU has stepped up its assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces and to the security sector as a whole. 

Also of pressing concern is the refugee crisis. The EU commends the Lebanese authorities and population for their generous efforts to host, assist and protect the refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria and, at the same time, stresses the importance of upholding human rights and humanitarian principles. The EU welcomes the indispensable work of UNHCR as well as other UN agencies and international organisations in support of Syrian refugees and host communities in Lebanon. The EU will continue to fulfil its commitment as the largest donor in Lebanon addressing the growing needs of vulnerable communities and refugees. At the donor's conference in Kuwait at the end of March the EU pledged another 1.1 billion EUR including a multi-year humanitarian and development funding for refugees and host countries. 

The EU stands by Lebanon in its efforts to address these extraordinary challenges. Our commitment in support of Lebanon is firm and lasting. The EU reaffirms its strong partnership with Lebanon anchored in our common values of democracy, pluralism and rule of law. The EU highlights the importance of upholding Lebanon's freedom and diversity as a model of moderation in the entire region.   

1.         The 24th session of the Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and the European Union (EU) was held in Doha, Qatar on 24 May 2015. The GCC delegation was led by H.E. Khalid bin Mohamed Al-Attiyah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar as GCC rotating Presidency, and the EU delegation was led by H.E. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission. The GCC Secretariat was represented by H.E. Dr. Abdul Latif bin Rashed Al-Zayani, GCC Secretary General. The Ministers extended their appreciation to the State of Qatar for having hosted the meeting.

2.         GCC and EU Ministers underlined the importance of further strengthening their ties, to serve as a solid and effective foundation for regional and international stability and security. Both sides welcomed the enhancement of their political dialogue, notably through the holding of regular GCC-EU Senior Officials meetings, noting in particular the most recent one held in Brussels on 5 May 2015.

3.         The Ministers exchanged views and identified common concerns and priorities with regard to the situation in the region, notably on Yemen, Iran, Libya, Syria, Iraq, and the Middle East Peace Process. They took note of the Riyadh Conference on 17-19 of May and agreed on the need to seek a solution to the Yemeni conflict on the basis of the UN Security Council Resolution 2216, the GCC Initiative and the Outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference. The Ministers also addressed global issues of common interest, in particular counter terrorism, and strongly condemned the heinous attack against worshippers in Qatif, Saudi Arabia on 22 May. They underlined the strategic importance for the EU and the GCC to coordinate closely on these developments. 

4.         GCC and EU Ministers reviewed progress in the GCC-EU relationship and endorsed the minutes of the latest Joint Cooperation Committee held in Brussels on 4 May 2015. The Ministers expressed determination to address together common political, social, economic, and security challenges. Ministers noted with satisfaction that two-way trade represented more than €148 billion in 2014, a very significant increase from the €100 billion recorded in 2010.

5.         The Ministers welcomed cooperation initiatives undertaken since the last Ministerial, notably through the GCC-EU dialogues on the economy, air transport, the energy experts group, exchanges on railway transport, trade with a focus on sanitary,  phytosanitary and standardisation issues, as well as cooperation on economic diversification in the context of Climate Change, of particular importance in the context of the upcoming 21st UNFCCC Conference of Parties to be held in Paris in December 2015. Ministers looked forward to expanded GCC-EU relations through increased people to people contacts, and further cooperation in the social, economic, educational, cultural and scientific fields, and human rights.

6.         GCC and EU Ministers agreed to hold their next meeting in the EU in 2016.

On Wednesday 27 May, the Amber – the Baltic Jewel exhibition will open at the Goldsmiths' Centre in London. The exhibition will feature amber jewellery, photographs and textile art.

This new directive will create a clear regulatory framework for several types of new market players who have been active in the area of internet payments already for a few years.

Jānis Reirs, minister for finance of Latvia and president of the Council 

The Latvian presidency of the Council and the European Parliament on 5 May 2015 reached a tentative agreement on a draft directive aimed at further developing an EU-wide market for electronic payments. The agreement was reached during a trilogue meeting in Brussels. 

"This new directive will create a clear regulatory framework for several types of new market players who have been active in the area of internet payments already for a few years, namely payment initiation service providers and account information service providers", said Jānis Reirs, minister for finance of Latvia and president of the Council. "The directive will allow also new types of services like issuance of payment instruments by third party payment service providers. This will create a new incentive to increase competition and foster innovations in the payments market. I believe that the additional provisions on security and supervision will increase also the safety of online payments and consumer protection in the EU." 

The agreement still has to be confirmed by the Council once the full text of the directive is finalised at technical level. The directive will then be submitted to the European Parliament for a vote in first reading, and to the Council for final adoption. 

The draft directive incorporates and repeals an existing payment services directive (directive 2007/64/EC), which provided the legal basis for the creation of an EU-wide single market for payments. 

The revised directive would adapt existing rules to emerging and innovative payment services, including internet and mobile payments. It would establish a comprehensive set of rules with the aim of ensuring a more secure environment for payments, in particular for those using remote channels. The directive would also set up a more harmonised and effective framework for supervision by national competent authorities. 

Since adoption of the original payment services directive in 2007, innovative methods for the initiation of payments in the field of e-commerce have evolved. They usually form a software bridge between the website of the merchant and the online banking platform of the payer's bank in order to initiate internet payments on the basis of a credit transfer. These services, which are now covered by the draft directive, enable the payment initiation service provider (who never holds the user's funds) to give assurance to the payee that the funds necessary for a specific payment transaction are available on the account and the payment has been initiated. 

A regulatory regime to cover the activities of account information services is also provided for. These services offer the payment service user, for example, with aggregated online information on one or more payment accounts held with one or more other payment service providers. This enables the payment service user to have an overall view of his/her financial situation at any given moment. 

At the same time the draft directive promotes the strengthening of security measures for internet payments and for the use of services provided by the abovementioned new market players. The new directive will ensure strong customer authentication to identify the client for each transaction. The new and strengthened supervisory regime will further increase the security level and consumer protection in this field.

Once the directive has been adopted, member states will have two years to transpose it into their national laws and regulations.

On 22 May 2015 the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Council (Coreper) endorsed the terms of an agreement between the Latvian presidency and European Parliament representatives on the reform of the Travel Package Directive. The Competitiveness Council will be invited to confirm the political agreement at its meeting on 28 May.

Place:         Justus Lipsius building, Brussels

Chair(s):    Federica Mogherini, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

All times are approximate and subject to change

+/- 14.45 ttbc   Doorstep by High Representative Mogherini

+/- 15.00           Beginning of the Foreign Affairs Council (Development) meeting

                           Adoption of the agenda

                           Adoption of A Items

+/- 15.30           Post 2015/Financing for Development  

+/- 17.00           Gender and Development

+/- 17.30           Migration and Development 

+/- 18.30           Capacity Building in support of Security and Development 

+/- 19.30           Dinner with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

16.45 Meeting with the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer 

16.30 Meeting with the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (photo opp)

Tokyo
18.00 Opening of the EU Film Days 2015 in Japan 

Tokyo
14.00  Audience with the Emperor Akihito of Japan 

EU-Japan summit
18.00 Plenary meeting
19.00 Press conference
19.15 Working dinner