EU General Affairs Council Conclusions

PRESS RELEASE: 2700th Council Meeting, General Affairs and External Relations, General Affairs Council Conclusions, Brussels

* The 2701st meeting on External Relations is the subject of a separate press release (14961/05).

Main Results of the Council

The Council examined draft conclusions prepared by the presidency for the European Council on 15 and 16 December.

The Council adopted conclusions on EU enlargement, both on individual countries (Bulgaria and Romania, Croatia and Turkey) and on the EU enlargement strategy. It also reached political agreement on accession partnerships with Croatia and Turkey.

In the field of external relations, the Council, without debate:

- adopted a common position setting the framework for imposing restrictive measures on persons suspected of involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri;

- decided to modify the list of persons affected by a visa ban in the Transnistian region of Moldova;

- approved a mandate for the Commission to negotiate a partnership and cooperation agreement with China;

- approved a series of documents in the framework of the implementation of the EU strategy against proliferation of WMD;

- adopted EU guidelines on the promotion of humanitarian law;

- adopted conclusions on aid for trade.

The Council adopted a regulation aimed at improving the quality of statistical data used in application of the EU's excessive deficit procedure, and a directive extending until 2010 the 15% minimum standard rate of VAT.

It also adopted a decision confirming the order of EU Council presidencies until 2018.

CONTENTS: ITEMS DEBATED

OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR 2006

PREPARATION OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL 15-16 DECEMBER

- Draft conclusions

- Global approach to migration

- Mediterranean and the Middle East

- EU budgetary framework for 2007-13

ENLARGEMENT - Council conclusions

OTHER ITEMS APPROVED

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

Afghanistan - Council conclusions

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - Council conclusions

Sudan - Council conclusions

Lebanon - Measures against suspects of involvement in Hariri killing

Moldova - Transnistrian region - Restrictive measures

Extension of mandate of the special coordinator of the stability pact for south-eastern Europe

Western Balkans- European Partnership

Relations with the Middle East and the Mediterranean

China - agreement on partnership and cooperation

EU Strategy against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

EU guidelines on children and armed conflict - Council conclusions

Promotion of international humanitarian law

Human rights and democratisation in third countries - Council conclusions

Guidelines on implementation and evaluation of restrictive measures

EUROPEAN SECURITY AND DEFENCE POLICY

Presidency six-monthly report on European security and defence policy

European Defence Agency- Budget for 2006

Civilian headline goal 2008

DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

Aid for trade - Council conclusions

TRADE POLICY

Tonga - Accession to the WTO

Korea - Agreement on trade concessions - EU enlargement

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS / EXTERNAL RELATIONS

Terrorism - Council conclusions

External dimension of the area of freedom, security and justice

EU Counter -Terrorism

ENLARGEMENT

Turkey - Accession Partnership

Croatia - Accession partnership

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS

15% minimum standard VAT rate

Quality of EU governments accounts - Deficit and debt data

Taxation of savings income - Exchange of information between Member States

VAT - Germany - Cross-border bridges with Switzerland

GENERAL AFFAIRS

Proceedings in the Council's different configurations

INSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Order of the presidencies of the Council of the EU

APPOINTMENTS

Committee of the Regions

See the complete General Affairs Council Conclusions for detailed information.

| Top |

• EU Council Conclusions on Lebanon (20/3/2006)
• EU Presidency Conclusions - Brussels European Council (17/12/2005)
• EU Financial Perspectives 2007-13 - Statement by EU Commission President Barroso (17/12/2005)
• EU offers big new trade aid boost (13/12/2005)
• EU External Relations Council Conclusions (12/12/2005)
• Speech by EU Commissioner Dimas - EU cooperation with China and India on climate change related issues (8/12/2005)
• Speech by EU Commissioner Rehn - 2005 Enlargement Package (15/11/2005)
• Key findings of 2005 Progress Reports on Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro and Kosovo (9/11/2005)
• Key findings of 2005 Progress Reports on Croatia and Turkey (9/11/2005)
• EU Council Conclusions - Syria and Lebanon (7/11/2005)