Along with his participation in the TTIP conference on Social Partners, Luxembourg Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, is in Brussels today to chair the 'General Affairs' Council (GAC) of the European Union.
The GAC will be above all concerned with the preparation for the European Council of 17 and 18 Decembers 2015. In this context, ministers will exchange views on issues related to migration, the economic and monetary Union, a single market, and the role of the UK within the European Union.
Ministers will also hold the first dialogue on the rule of law within the European Union. The Council will hear a presentation from the Commission on the results of its annual conference on human rights, which took place on 1 and 2 October 2015. The Luxembourg Presidency will then invite the ministers to share examples of good pratices, as well as challenges faced at the national level, in the context of the rule of law and present solutions for tackling them. The ministers will also receive the opportunity to discuss the rule of law in the digital age, based on the discussion paper of the Luxembourg Presidency.
The Presidency will inform the ministers of the progress made in negotiations between the European Council, Commission and Parliament regarding the interinstitutional agreement on better regulation ('IIA'). Ministers will exchange views and provide guidance for the finalisation of the negotiations.
Attendees will the follow the presentation of the Commission's work programme for 2016 in order to discuss annual programming, before the Presidency, in consultation with the future Dutch Presidency of the Council, will present the roadmap for the European Semester 2016.
Photo by European Council (L-R: Permanent representative of Luxembourg to the EU, Christian Braun; Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, President of the Council, Jean Asselborn)
