Luxembourg Supports Initiatives for Justice for Crimes Committed in Ukraine

Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, participated in the meeting of the General Affairs Council of the European Union (EU), which took place in Luxembourg on Tuesday 18 October 2022.

The ministers responsible for European affairs examined the draft conclusions of the European Council to be held on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 October 2022 in Brussels.

Russia's military aggression against Ukraine as well as energy and economic issues were notably addressed. In this regard, Minister Asselborn recalled the importance of the EU of maintaining its full support for Ukraine on the humanitarian, financial and military levels. Furthermore, he confirmed that Luxembourg welcomes the fact that the draft conclusions emphasise the issue of Russia's accountability and the importance of the fight against impunity. "We support all initiatives aimed at ensuring that justice is done, in accordance with international standards, for the most serious crimes committed on Ukrainian territory", he stressed.

With regard to energy issues, Minister Asselborn said that the EU must define a coordinated approach with the aim of protecting its societies and economies. The security of supply, the preservation of the integrity of cross-border flows as well as the maintenance of incentives for the deployment of renewable energies and energy efficiency will be important aspects to bear in mind in this context, he added.

Subsequently, the ministers had an exchange of views on the situation of the rule of law in Poland. On behalf of the Benelux countries, Luxembourg's Foreign Minister declared that respecting and protecting the fundamental values ​​of the EU is essential for each Member State and for the EU as a whole. While welcoming the efforts made by Poland to reform its justice system, Minister Asselborn highlighted the importance of addressing the questions that remain.

The ministers then discussed the implementation of the proposals of the Conference on the Future of Europe. Luxembourg's Foreign Minister stressed the importance of taking seriously the proposals of European citizens, many of which can already be implemented under the existing treaties. Likewise, he said that it was important to ensure clear, consistent and visible communication for citizens.

Finally, the ministers held a public debate on the European Parliament's proposal for a regulation amending European electoral law. While showing a priori support for the idea of ​​transnational lists and a system of lead candidates, Luxembourg's Foreign Minister stressed the need to examine in detail the modalities put forward in the proposal for a regulation in order to ensure that the text takes account of national realities in all the Member States. Ensuring adequate representation of all Member States is of paramount importance in the process of admitting and distributing candidates on the transnational list, he added. As in the other Member States, the Luxembourg electoral system presents a certain number of specificities which should be taken into account in future discussions. Some of the provisions of the proposal could be further clarified in order to allow a more adequate assessment of their impact on the national standards in force, including in particular the obligation to vote, concluded Minister Asselborn.