A notice of meeting published by the Council of the European Union schedules a meeting of the Antici Group for 13 July 2026 at 17:00 in the Justus Lipsius building in Brussels. The group will prepare for the Coreper meeting on 15 July 2026 and approve minutes from four recent Council meetings.
The agenda includes three substantive items. First, preparation for the Coreper meeting on 15 July 2026. Second, approval of minutes from the Foreign Affairs Council (Development) meeting of 19 May 2026, the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting of 4-5 June 2026, the Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting of 12 June 2026, and the Foreign Affairs Council meeting of 15 June 2026. Third, a discussion on the appointment of the chairperson of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), focusing on the selection process within the Council. The meeting will conclude with any other business.
The Antici Group, composed of senior diplomats from EU member states, prepares the work of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper). The meeting format is 1+0, indicating no remote participation.
The meeting does not involve legislative decisions but procedural steps. The approval of minutes formalises records of prior Council sessions. The discussion on the ESMA chair selection is part of the appointment process for the head of the EU's securities markets regulator, which will ultimately be decided by the Council after a proposal from the European Parliament.
Stakeholders directly affected include EU member states, whose diplomats will coordinate positions ahead of Coreper, and ESMA, whose leadership selection is under discussion. The meeting has no direct impact on businesses or consumers at this stage. Institutional follow-up includes the Coreper meeting on 15 July and subsequent Council decisions on the ESMA appointment.