The Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper II) is scheduled to meet on 1 July 2026 at 10:00 in Brussels to adopt its agenda, discuss Presidency priorities, and prepare for upcoming Council meetings, according to a provisional agenda published by the Council. The meeting will cover a heavy agenda including restrictive measures against Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, as well as preparations for the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) on 10 July and the General Affairs Council (GAC) on 14 July 2026.
Coreper will exchange views on restrictive measures concerning Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, with multiple documents listed for discussion. These include revised texts on sanctions packages (documents 10411/2/26 REV 2, 10413/26 ADD 1 REV 2, 10413/2/26 REV 2 for Russia; 10417/2/26 REV 2, 10418/2/26 REV 2, 10419/2/26 REV 2, 10420/2/26 REV 2 for Ukraine; and 10414/2/26 REV 2, 10415/26 ADD 1 REV 2, 10415/2/26 REV 2, 10416/26, 9795/26, 9796/26 for Belarus). The discussion on Russian aggression against Ukraine is a recurring item, reflecting the EU's ongoing sanctions regime.
Under General Affairs, the Irish Presidency will present its priorities and prepare for the GAC on 14 July, which will address simplification state of play (document 11036/26) and EU-UK relations. For Economic and Financial Affairs, Coreper will prepare for the ECOFIN Council on 10 July 2026.
The agenda also includes non-discussion items in the annex, such as approval of minutes from previous Council meetings (ECOFIN 05.05.2026, FAC 11.05.2026, FAC/Defence 12.05.2026, FAC/Trade 22.05.2026, GAC 26.05.2026), attendance of third parties at various working parties, adoption of a Council Regulation on EPPO and OLAF access to VAT information, adoption of restrictive measures against chemical weapons, coordination with third countries on Russia-related restrictive measures, appointment of European Prosecutors, and interim use of cryptographic products.
The meeting will set the stage for key decisions at the ECOFIN and GAC meetings in July, with sanctions on Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus being a central focus. The adoption of the VAT information regulation and chemical weapons measures will also have direct impact on EU member states' law enforcement and customs authorities, as well as on businesses handling VAT data and chemical substances.