- 2026-06-16 “Otherwise we will be talking about a snake eating its tail. We continue to consider the 25% customs duties and other tax income. This is a very important aspect for Belgium. In recent years, the member states have done much to control their spending, and we expect the same of the European Union. A healthy and rational approach to managing public funds as regards the insufficient progress has been made in terms of respecting the constitutional make up of the Member States. Belgium as a federal state is particularly sensitive to this, so we believe it's important to clarify and correct these issues in the Negro box. We continue to support adequate income for our farmers and a specific envelope for cohesion policy to benefit all EU regions. As regards the regulation on the European Competitiveness Fund, discussions we believe have reached the limit of what is acceptable in terms of the allocation criteria for funds. Our conclusion is clear excellence and merit have to be the guiding principles of our approach when it comes to competitiveness. I would just recall the importance within the second pillar of programmes such as Agora EU and Erasmus+, which are key levers in terms of developing education, skills, culture and common values. And finally, Belgium, taking account in particular of the possibility of future EU enlargements, Belgium continues to call for strengthened conditionality when it comes to rule of law. Thank you. Just in time.”
Cohesion and rural funding · EU Supervision of the Rule of Law
- 2026-06-16 “Thank you Magdalena. Thank you once again to the presidency for all the work. In order to achieve a partial general approach on the main instruments under the next MFF. I have three comments. Firstly, Belgium can support the text proposed by the Cyprus presidency on the ECF. Having said that, it's essential for us that the excellent and performance principles remain so that we can strengthen the Union's competitiveness. Second comment. Belgium also supports the partial general approach for global Europe. This is a solid compromise which reflects Belgium's priorities, which is a fair balance between flexibility and predictability. Welcome strengthening of governance, respect for the specificities of humanitarian action and enlargement, as well as better coherence between our internal and external policies. Finally, on migration, we feel that a good balance has also been struck. Third comment on the NRP regulation. Here we appreciate all of the adjustments made by the presidency, particularly when it comes to the regional dimension of the plans and the changes that were made in order to respect the institutional architecture of member states. These were two essential points for Belgium. However, we regret that the NLP regulation still reflects a approach that is too centralised and does not sufficiently consider the institutional structure of member states and the autonomous role that our federal entities must be able to play when it comes to implementing EU funding. That is why, and it's the only reason why we will have to abstain on that document. We are, however, of the opinion that it is essential to continue to ensure consistency, continuity of payment of cap support when the plans are adopted and will therefore be supporting the Irish presidency in all the difficult work ahead. Thank you.”
EU industrial funding (mechanism level: EU-pooled vs nationally-financed)
- 2026-06-16 “Thank you. Marielena. Mr. Commissioner, dear colleagues, since I am speaking immediately after Slovenia, it's a perfect opportunity to wish our colleague a warm welcome. And indeed, to all the colleagues who have joined us in this General Affairs, uh, format. Having greeted their colleagues yesterday at the Foreign Affairs Council. I would like to very much welcome the work which has been done under the Cyprus presidency, on an issue which is complicated and a thankless task. It's not difficult. It's not easy, rather to to achieve progress on these matters. But you've shown great determination. We would like to wish the very best of luck to the Irish presidency. So hopefully we can reach an agreement by the end of this year. From Belgium's standpoint, we're still examining the new texts of the Negro box with a view to clarifying our final political decision on the MFF, since we don't yet have a unanimous view within the coalition. But it is important to be already clear about the reasoning which led to the 2% reduction and the distribution scale between the four pillars. Research, uh, looking for an appropriate to strike an appropriate balance has to be, uh, the key. We are continuing to study the impact of this on our national budget, a 2% reduction we believe would be totally insufficient for us. An increase to our European contribution cannot go hand in hand with further increasing our structural budget deficit, which the same, very same EU is asking us to reduce as quickly as possible.”
Size of EU budget · EU fiscal rules and oversight of national budgets
- “Thank you. Chairman. Oscar. Commissioner. Adina. Colleagues, I'd like to congratulate the Spanish presidency because significant progress has been made on land transport files. All this has been made possible, of course, by the preparation made by the Swedish presidency. These three texts [00:21:00] will enable us to make significant progress on road safety and interconnectivity in Europe. Two priorities for Belgium. The cross-border enforcement text has been extended to new offences, including environmental offences, enabling us to encompass all drivers regardless of nationality and then on the driving licence directive. [00:21:30] We think we've struck a good balance. I'm particularly happy with the disproportionate requirements against older drivers not being made compulsory, because mobility needs to remain a freedom. Belgium is delighted to continue work on these texts with the European Parliament during our Interinstitutional Talks, which may take place under our presidency. Thank you.”
Driving licences
- “Thank you, Peter. Thank you, Verginius. Thank you for presenting this initiative. We support the three priorities that have been identified by the Commission and the measures [00:31:00] to turn around the decline in pollinators. We are worried about the decline in pollinators, and we agree that something needs to be done. We are prepared to implement the measures in this initiative to the extent that we can, and that's why we've already taken steps to do so through our national strategic plan. Thank you very much.”
Nature protection and restoration in the EU
- “Cyber violence, forced marriage, gender mutilation. This defines also the rights of the victims and to provide a better protection for them. We can now adopt the Parliament position [00:05:30] in sections 33 stroke 24. Denmark does not participate in the directive and is not bound to it or its application. The results of the vote are now available on the screen. I'm really quite moved to see that we do have a qmv and [00:06:00] that the directive is now adopted. So I think we can be very pleased by this major stride that we've made to realize or to make gender equality a reality. And now we can move on to the regulation on establishing [00:06:30] the Reform and growth facility for the Western Balkans. This facility helps our Western Balkan partners to undertake reforms for their growth and their convergence. So with the European Union through ambitious reform programmes. The facility also encourages the alignment of the partners with the values, the laws, the rules, the policies and practices of the union with [00:07:00] a view to future accession. The Council is to adopt the European Parliament position as in Picone's 80, stroke 24 and the Joint Statement of Council and Parliament as in document 90 405, stroke 24, addendum one and two. The results of the vote are now available.
[00:07:27] I we we [00:07:30] now have a qmv and the regulation is adopted. The joint statement is also adopted. The Council has now adopted the legislative deliberative deliberation items as indicated in the document 9268 stroke 24. And so now I would like to move on to the horizontal [00:08:00] directive on the on implementing the principle of equal treatment. This has been on the table since 2008. This directive aims to complete the legislative framework to combat discrimination against um based on um, sex, religion, um, gender, um, and it covers the access to social protection and social [00:08:30] security and health, education, goods and services, and housing discrimination, harassment and incitement to discrimination is on the rise in all these areas. And for and this is on the rise in our societies. The figures are disconcerting, not just because we have persistent, um, discrimination, but also because the figures are going in the wrong direction. And we cannot deny this reality [00:09:00] that because this undermines our fundamental values, it's up to us as ministers in charge of this file, but also the responsibility of our governments to protect our fundamental values. And we can do this in particular by assuring common minimum protection against discrimination and harassment for all citizens of the European Union. Francis White. Equality is the soul [00:09:30] of liberty. There is no liberty without it. We're aware of the various efforts of stakeholders, and the Belgian presidency would like to make this file much more topical.
[00:09:46] It's it's it's almost 16 years that that the commission proposal was, um, uh, put forth and the we have not reached unanimity on this file. We've had [00:10:00] very constructive and intense discussions with you, and I'd like to thank you for those. The text, the compromise text on the table provides for more legal certainty, allows for more guarantees in terms of respecting the principle of subsidiarity. And, um, the budgetary cost has been reduced because there are, um, protections that that are already enshrined in other legislation that will come into play. But unfortunately [00:10:30] we have not reached the unanimity necessary to adopt the directive. I'd like to take this opportunity to discuss with you how we can bring this to fruition. Are there still objections? What are the obstacles standing in the way of adopting this very necessary legislation? The presidency in 1994 stroke 24. Um, provided you with a steering note for today's discussion, [00:11:00] and I'd like to ask you which additional measures are necessary so that we can have a general approach during the Belgian presidency, taking into consideration the heightened discrimination in the areas that covered by the draft, um, legislation. I would like to give the floor now to the Commission Commissioner. Dalli, the floor is yours.”
Gender roles, equality and inclusion
- “Thank you, chair. Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, thank you for the opportunity to exchange ideas on the future work plan on culture. This is a strategic document and an operational one, and it reflects a real view of member states structuring our priorities and talking about our public policy.
The current priorities are relevant and need to be reinforced, particularly looking at what we've already achieved and what the working groups have already achieved. For example, matters of health, for example. Belgium would like to draw everyone's attention to a number of important points without any particular order.
Firstly, access to culture. We absolutely insist on inclusive and meaningful participation, particularly for children and youngsters and having data based approaches to public participation. This was mentioned during the Belgian presidency.
Secondly, AI and culture. Now we recognize that AI offers a number of significant opportunities in the cultural front. Belgium would like to see in-depth discussion on how it can be used responsibly, its environmental impact, what about copyright, fair and ethical rewards for creativity, and maintaining cultural and linguistic diversity? Discoverability of content remains a very important issue. Against this background, we very much welcome the commission study into the world of cultural content in the new AI world. This is vital for national and European policy.
Thirdly, preparing for crises and security and peace. The current work done on this front must be strengthened, particularly looking at the geopolitical and climate challenges which impact our cultural heritage.
Fourthly, we would like to see a strengthening of our European action on international cultural relations, particularly focusing on the strategies and initiatives done by the EU. Against this background, we can see the open coordination method leading to recommendations which can help us to strengthen our future working plan.
Next, regarding investment in cultural strategy. Belgium is in favor of public and private finance into innovation. In Wallonia, we have the START fund, which deals with loans and grants for participation. In Flanders, we have a similar instrument, which is called culture credit. Players on the creative and cultural front who don't have access to normal bank finance can get a cultural loan as long as they are a nonprofit making organization in order to carry out their own investments. This is co financed by the Flemish government, which also is a standard guarantee in case of nonrepayment. In the German speaking agency, we have an agency which deals with support for creative businesses on the financial front.
Finally, methodology. Here, we would like to see a more structured communication on how the work plan can be put into action and how its results can be measured so we can get collective memory on the added value for the member states. We also support a close interplay between this document and the European culture compass.
And in conclusion, we welcome this work plan, and we call for a transparent, structured, and balanced implementation of it. We think it forms a good basis for our joint work. Thank you.”
EU and national cultural identities
- “Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you colleagues. Thank you Commissioner. Let me conclude. The Council has noted the information provided by the German and Austrian delegations, which was also supported [00:24:00] by the Estonian, Finnish, French and Portuguese countries. On country of origin, labelling of foodstuffs. And we've noted the different points raised by the delegations and the Commission.”
Food labelling harmonisation at EU level
- “Thank you very much, Jeff. Thank you also for all the work that the Cyprus presidency has done on this. The 20 eighth regime is a priority because it is difficult for companies to set themselves up in another member state to provide a cross border context services in a cross border context, and this has been identified as 1 of the so called terrible 10.
Also, to funding has proved difficult for companies. And the twentieth regime, therefore, is 1 tool among others that can be used to make investments to our market to to attract investments to our market.
We do believe that the level of ambition of the proposal could have been even greater either through further harmonization of the rules applicable to EU companies or by introducing the EU as a supranational legal framework that could have, provided a genuine 20 eighth regime.
Belgium favors a regulation as a legal instrument when it comes to harmonization and favors qualified majority voting to reach an agreement before the end of the year.
We need a solid legal basis in order to ensure legal certainty, particularly in those areas that go beyond company law.
We are in favor of simplification for companies who wish to set themselves up. However, we need to strike the right balance between speed and legal certainty.
We therefore call on adequate preventive controls and additional safeguards to be in place. The text should also clearly link up to the anti money laundering framework and the customer knowledge check framework.
Finally, we would like to draw your attention to the national language legislation, in particular, the language in which statutes are drawn up.
And finally, as my colleagues from Luxembourg and The Netherlands, I would like to refer you to the Bell Benelux nonpaper. Thank you.”
EU Single Market harmonisation
- “Thank you. Chair. The steel, Steel and Metals Action Plan was an important step in the right direction. However, it will remain incomplete without decisive action on energy and without fully recognising the role of SMEs in subcontracting value chains on energy. The cbam, of course, helps to level the playing field, but it cannot replace access to electricity that is competitive, affordable and predictable, which is essential for industrial resilience. On SMEs, major industrial projects should be encouraged to set out clearly how they will involve SMEs. This must go hand in hand with clear incentives, including mechanisms to de-risk high investment costs, and it should be complemented by practical support enabling SMEs to meet industrial requirements, quality standards, certification, cybersecurity as well as access to testing and pre-production facilities. This approach must apply to all metal value chains. We should strengthen Europe's recycling capacities and carefully assess any potential restrictions on scrap exports. Turning to chemicals, the European chemical industry faces a very real and immediate risk of closures if energy costs remain high, if global competition stays distorted and if demand continues to weaken. Once again, the energy dossier is key. Our priority must therefore be to ensure access to affordable, secure and predictable energy combined with coordinated action on raw materials and critical inputs. In this regard, we look forward to the results of the work carried out by the Critical Chemicals Alliance.”
Energy (green transition)
- “Thank you, Madam Chair. Colleagues, I'd like to thank the commission. In particular, Commissioner Labib, for presenting these two strategies. Equality and combating discrimination is still at the heart of European action and the values that really characterize us. The new gender equality strategy is part of ongoing work over the last few years. We support an approach that combines targeted actions and systematic mainstreaming of gender in all public policies, in particular when it comes to gender based violence and women's involvement on the labour market. We also welcome the new EU anti-racism Strategy data shows that discrimination is still a fact for many people, and so it's vital that we continue our efforts, particularly rolling out anti-discrimination legislation and fostering inclusion in key areas such as employment, education and housing. Belgium is pleased to continue this work with the Commission and the Member States to make sure that these strategies can be made into deliverables.”
EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination · Gender roles, equality and inclusion
- “Thank you. We very much welcome the adoption of these Council conclusions. And to ensure now that the comprehensive approach to mental health, as advocated by Stella and the Commission, leads to [00:09:00] clear and elaborate action plans or strategies by the Member States, it's imperative that indeed we now start implementation. We thereby should pay specific attention to vulnerable groups as to leave no one behind. We also appreciate the request to receive an overview document on the flagship initiatives included in the comprehensive approach, as well as a timetable and the allocated financial budget for their implementation. This will [00:09:30] help us to develop our national plans and strategies. Finally, our strategies, our plans, our measures should be based on scientific evidence, and looking at the best buys can help here to ensure that the effort and resources do result in effective outcomes. To conclude, I am happy to share with you that under the Belgian Council Presidency, the Belgian Minister of Employment will organise a [00:10:00] conference on mental health and work on the 30th and 31st of January. Thank you for your attention.”
EU policy on mental health
- “Thank you very much, Chair. We would like to reiterate that Belgium supports the revision of the European Product Act. And in order to ensure greater coherence between the applicable rules, we generally share the broad lines of the nonpaper presented by The Netherlands and Finland. Thank you.”
Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
- “Belgium welcomes the constructive and tireless work that has been performed. Thank you very much. Also to the Commission. Some progress has been reached concerning this text. As indicated, we support the 90% emissions limit for 2040, but only if a clear and credible guarantees and are provided. But this is not yet the case. Sir. We, uh, we want a pragmatic, uh, compromise that focuses on climate as well as competitiveness. And we shall participate constructively to the exchanges today. We want the citizens and businesses to adhere to this, uh, transition. Thank you very much.”
Energy (green transition)
- “Thank you very much, Peter. It's Belgium, followed by Denmark and then the Czech Republic.
**Belgium Dear Maria, thank you very much for having put this point on the agenda. And welcome to the new Dutch and Belgian colleagues. Christophe, Belgium would like to thank the commission for this first implementation. The priorities are still pertinent and we need to have new actions. As far as the initiatives that have already been undertaken, I think progress cover very important priority areas. For example, an observatory of arable land may help us to find solutions in the longer term. This goes hand in hand with a strategy to renew generational takeover of the agricultural sector. We need to to reinforce the position of farmers in the value chain and the fight against unfair practices. And we hope that this will lead to an improvement in the situation of farmers. As to the future, we'd like to focus on the following points. The recent geopolitical developments may have very serious consequences, and particularly with regard to inputs, and we hope that the Commission will take the necessary steps if necessary. Fertiliser prices are subject to wild fluctuations and we need to have a structural approach. Belgium is particularly attentive to the action programme for fertilisers as well as for livestock farming. This should lead to increasing and improving profitability of the sector, taking into account regional differences. There may be way way of using our system in order to reduce our dependency on chemical fertilisers. There are new challenges for farmers and there are more ambitious objectives we need to fix. We think that there should be a sufficient budget for caps so that we can have a long term, sustainable future. The budget should allow us to carry out the necessary investments in farming and to ensure training of farmers.”
Use of fertilisers
- “Existing state aid frameworks already offer important possibilities to support competitiveness while keeping our transition objectives on track. That is why we call for a stable and strict European state aid framework, one that preserves the integrity of the single market by guaranteeing a level playing field. Fair competition remains a foundation of strength and growth in the internal market. At the same time, we must strengthen demand for clean products and technologies, notably through standards, public and private procurement. And we must also ensure that innovation can effectively move from the laboratory to the market, including through support for a real life testing scale up and access to industrial customers on PFAS. Our objective should be a framework that is robust yet predictable, one that strictly protects essential users while supporting innovation so that production and investment do not relocate outside Europe. In the automotive sector. It is essential to address the system as a whole. Batteries. Raw materials. Recycling software. Electronics. Energy and infrastructure. Our priority must be to provide stable and predictable rules. Corporate fleets can play an important role in accelerating the uptake of zero emission vehicles, provided the framework remains simple and the timelines clear and predictable. Thank you. Chair.”
State Aid
- “The transparency of the supply chain has been the object of Belgium's attention. We have created a monitoring system that registers the producers, and as to the transfer of the risk of a disproportionate costs are for farmers, while Belgium has emitted a clause for a disloyal practices, and there is also an abusive practice clause. Because as such practices mean that the contracting parties have have issues and this leads to unfair practices. There is a grey list as a result, and this bears takes into account the risks. These risks should usually be the responsibility of one of the contracting parties. But in a in a system in which the system is not operating properly, the risks are transferred to the wrong parties. Now there is an, as I said, a grey list of unfair practices, and this would allow the risk not to be transferred to the farmers and it could also be could also target the cap market. Belgium looks forward to the, um to the upcoming information from the Commission concerning this matter, and also looks forward to the Commission taking into account farmers concerns. Thank you.”
EU policy on farmer–buyer relations in the agri-food supply chain
- “Thank you, Mr. President. I agree with Slovakia. We need to protect our farmers better and strengthen them, particularly when we're dealing with unfair trade practices in the food chain. And indeed, in 2024, I took the initiative on behalf of Belgium to push for Proposals which we adopted to complete the list on the UTP, to ban sale at loss, or going under production costs, unless there is a clear agreement that doesn't oblige the purchaser to do so. Thank you.”
EU policy on farmer–buyer relations in the agri-food supply chain
- “Thank you. Yes. Dear colleagues, I should like to thank Czechia for this initiative. I believe that distinction should be drawn between meat based and plant based vegetarian products. This should protect those in the meat production sector and also better informed consumers. This regulation should ideally be carried out at European level, taking into account the fact that traditional names for animal based products may vary in different regions. Having said this, Belgium would like to recall that the legal basis for this is the regulation on consumer information on foodstuffs.”
Food labelling harmonisation at EU level
- “Thank you. Maria. Thank you very much for putting this item on the agenda. Now, generally speaking, Belgium welcomes the Commission's report. The first signals are demonstrating that the directive is having an impact and is improving the trade climate. This is good for our farmers and often they are the weakest link of the chain. However, some elements could be improved. We should also raise awareness via awareness raising campaigns and reducing the fear factor. It would also be good to see how a greater harmonisation in the EU could be attained, and how we could reduce risks now, nationally speaking. We need to increase the transparency in trade on the basis of a sectoral agreements that are standardised. The public bids procedure is centralised in Belgium, and this has to be done for all farming sectors, and it should be standardised for every sector. Now, as to the revision of the directive, the Commissioner should be more dynamic in terms of the list of banned practices and should be aware of ways of circumventing the directive. The farmers should not feel forced to sell below the manufacturing cost, and this is an important fact.”
EU policy on farmer–buyer relations in the agri-food supply chain
- “Yes, dear colleagues, I'll be brief. Belgium recognises the key role of hydrogen in the decarbonisation of our industry. And at the same time, we note that the current application of Red three, with its highly ambitious targets, is difficult to achieve for member states with limited renewable resources, and it creates real investment risks. Importing green hydrogen is therefore not yet economically viable, not only in Belgium but throughout Europe. Strategic industrial projects that are crucial for the decarbonisation of our industry are at risk of being delayed or halted with this non-paper. We therefore advocate a pragmatic and technology neutral approach to supporting the decarbonisation of Europe's energy intensive industry, in which low carbon hydrogen will also play an important role. Renewable hydrogen will remain essential, but we must use all solutions that effectively reduce emissions. In this way, we can effectively reduce CO2 emissions while maintaining European industrial competitiveness. And Belgium wants to work constructively with the European Commission towards a resilient, low carbon industrial future in Europe and hopes for the support of the other member states around the table. Thank you.”
Low-carbon hydrogen
- “Thank you, Madam Chair. Colleagues, I'd like to thank the commission. In particular, Commissioner Labib, for presenting these two strategies. Equality and combating discrimination is still at the heart of European action and the values that really characterize us. The new gender equality strategy is part of ongoing work over the last few years. We support an approach that combines targeted actions and systematic mainstreaming of gender in all public policies, in particular when it comes to gender based violence and women's involvement on the labour market. We also welcome the new EU anti-racism Strategy data shows that discrimination is still a fact for many people, and so it's vital that we continue our efforts, particularly rolling out anti-discrimination legislation and fostering inclusion in key areas such as employment, education and housing. Belgium is pleased to continue this work with the Commission and the Member States to make sure that these strategies can be made into deliverables.”
Gender roles, equality and inclusion · EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination
- “00:54 – 16:03:07): Merci Maridos. Thank you Maridos. Now the priority in Belgium is to strike a balance encouraging innovation to boost productivity and competitiveness while still protecting workers' rights and insisting on the responsibility of employers.
At this stage, in order to get a level playing field across the world, we think it's best to have an international set of recommendations based on the principle that human beings remain in charge rather than having lots of different sets of legislation at national level or European central level. We fully support the ILO and the OECD in this.
In addition to this, we've got to have the European Semester which will enable our council and all our committees to play a full role and which should be set its sight high in bringing in employment and skill aspects so that new technologies can be adopted successfully on the basis of the new recommendation on a human capital which we adopted today.
Specifically, we'd like to have a policy based on activation, employability, and mobility with sustained investment in skills, lifelong learning to help people get through sexual change and technological change.
Now it's essential to focus on young people because some first jobs are particularly exposed to computerization and that can make it difficult for youngsters to get into work all the way through. They need sufficient guidance, work-study contracts, and start-up training and training right the way through the work in line with the market needs.
Now if used properly, AI can help to achieve matching on the labor market and improve the effectiveness of public employment services because you can have better forecast and identification of shortage areas.
None of this, however, will work without having a sound social dialogue at national level, business level, sector level, national level with sound negotiation on how AI should be introduced, clear rules on use, and make sure a proper sharing of the benefits of productivity so that innovation, productivity, and quality can all be mutually reinforcing.”
Artificial Intelligence
- “Thank you Jan. Okay. First, I would like to once again thank the commission for the package. The discussion we are having right now is very timely. The integration of capital markets is an important and necessary step in the global competition that is currently taking shape. I would like to highlight that Belgium stands very positively towards the Savings and Investments Union, which we see as a key opportunity to strengthen EU competitiveness. Now, moving forward, I would like to express my appreciation for the efforts made by the presidency to advance the negotiation further. It is therefore important that we work quickly indeed, but without rushing. In our view, the package offers room for targeted and pragmatic progress. We are open to support a carve out and fast track approach for clearly defined elements where broad consensus already exists and which can deliver quick, concrete added value. For example, on distributed ledger technology, overall clarity is important. Therefore, regular updates on the overall progress of the discussions are needed within this Council presidency. In response to your second question. Belgium believes that the most effective reforms for mobilizing long term savings are those that strengthen market efficiency and facilitate cross-border investment.”
EU Single Market harmonisation
- “Thank you. Magnus. First of all, I would like to thank the Danish Presidency for allowing us to have this essential item on today's agenda. I would also like to thank. Member States have already expressed their support. Now, e-commerce is growing at an unprecedented speed in Belgium and elsewhere. Almost a billion in value in every year in Belgium. Some of these products are not compliant and are of poor quality. This represents a real risk for health and safety of consumers with some harmful substances in toys and cosmetics and textiles. They can be environmentally harmful and they can contribute to climate change. They cause more waste of resources and more pollution. There's also unfair competition on our markets. As things currently stand, we're not in a position to pursue the players who produce these items. Belgium calls upon the commission and the member States to act rapidly to stand against any operator in the EU who is clearly responsible for product compliance. We want to strengthen our laboratory system across Europe. We want to enhance online monitoring, looking at tools such as the Icms and by speeding up the products e-passport. We also want to have more cross-border cooperation and take steps against the big online platforms using the Digital Services Act as an example. This should not lead to additional burdens on companies which are obeying the law and living up to the standards. And if we are going to have a satisfactory internal market, we need to have effective rules which are actually enforced. We need to take now. We are delighted to see that the Commission has set itself the task of strengthening the EU legislative framework in order to have better market surveillance and a more safe online economy. We you can count on our full support in taking steps to address this issue, particularly for product compliance, protection of public health and consumer safety, looking after the environment and making sure that we can have fair competition on the internal market. Thank you very much.”
"Buy European" provisions
- “Thank you very much, Luis. And thank you for putting [00:31:30] this very important debate on the agenda today. This debate on rural areas, rural areas significantly contribute to the economy, the environment and society and social life. The functionality of these entities provide many opportunities, but they also constitute a challenge. And so to respond to the question, the first question, member States and the regions should have a European long term vision to make sure that that can translate [00:32:00] in their countries and we can have national and regional visions and rural areas should be developed based on their specific specificities. So we need to take into consideration the impact on rural areas of our policies and also we need to have an integrated approach. Access to basic services should obviously be improved. For example, we need digital infrastructure and [00:32:30] also broadband. This contributes to the development of rural areas and allows for the digitalization and the sustainability of agriculture. We need to have a system of exchange of knowhow and data collection. And this, of course, goes hand in hand with cohesion policy and sectoral policy in the member states, providing [00:33:00] services, improving infrastructure, digital connections. All of this allows for better development of rural areas. We could have establishment and improvement of activities in rural areas.
[00:33:15] Support from the Cap for diversification contributes to the economic dynamism of these areas. In terms of the agricultural funds, we should have a viability [00:33:30] assessment to look at the necessary measures to guarantee access to land, especially for young farmers. On the second question, on current programmes, I note that agriculture is facing heightened pressure because of climate, the environment and we need to make sure that there is production and viability of farming activities as well as food sovereignty. We need to be aware of [00:34:00] these challenges and we need to be able to manage those challenges on our territories. One of the policy challenges is to have a long term vision and to provide solutions for all. Financing should support the traditional finance given by public powers and should constitute an added value. We should have more synergies in order to have better financing. And then of course, leader, [00:34:30] smart cities, smart areas. All of this needs to be looked at and we need to encourage innovation in terms of. We should look at the national or European policies for land use. This could be part of rural proofing as provided by the Commission or could be part of an impact assessment of current public policies. [00:35:00] Thank you very much.”
Cohesion and rural funding
- “And the only way of doing that is through the so-called examination procedure. At the same time, the process needs to remain lightweight, workable without administrative burdens. And we need clarity on the competitiveness coordination tool and the steering mechanism. Second priority defence. We welcome the fact that the FP ten is being opened up to dual use and the defence only activities, but we need a clear legal basis, so the Council Legal Service and the Commission Legal Service need to provide us with a guidance on that as to legal validity. And we are also open to making the Ehrc more accessible, um, for the defence sector and pure defence projects, uh, need to be financed through the ECF, uh, in order to keep the EIC budget available. Uh, second priority European partnerships. Uh, and we need strategic coordination on that to a guarantee. Um, continuity. So we'd like to have a cap, uh, placed on pillar two, the pillar two budget on widening. Uh, we support Austria and Finland when it comes to that subject of widening. Thank you very much.”
EU competences on defence · Defence spending
- “Thank you. Jacob and Christoph, thank you for the information that you've just given us. The Cap proposal aims to overcome major challenges such as food security and competitiveness. I have to underline that these ambitions will only be reached with a strong, understandable and sufficiently funded cap. Regarding the cap measures, these have been subdivided in various regulations. This fragmentation makes it complicated for Member states and farmers. To understand these texts. We propose a single text that would comprise all articles, and this would ensure better and more streamlined implementation. The cap must be a clear tool. Christoph, regarding the first question, the green transition will only be implemented only if it is not perceived as a limitation. The elements of this green architecture therefore must be simpler to understand. This is a fundamental principle. Belgium calls for simplification and stability in all the proposed texts by reducing um, reducing administrative burden and monitoring processes. This will encourage farmers to adopt practices that are beneficial to the environment and climate. It is difficult to ascertain at the moment if the proposal is actually in line with the WTO proposals and objectives. We must make sure that the toolkit is easy to understand and easy to implement, but climate objectives vary depending on member states, and member states must be able to choose how to implement these measures. We must also ensure that measures are fair for everybody, taking into account uh, member state specificities is also equal is also important.”
Agriculture (green)
- “We must overcome the current difficulties. Belgium welcomes the farm stewardship proposal. This measure should, however, be simpler than force conditionality and must ensure that we can align this with national rules and to bring about adequate, uh, financial compensation. At this stage, it is difficult to express our views on simplification for the green architecture. Budgetary, um, funds have been limited, but it is absolutely essential for administrative burden to be considerably reduced and that for procedures to be, um, lessened so that these projects can be implemented in a more efficient manner. Regarding the second question, Belgium underscores that equality among member states is fundamental. It appears that the contribution to the cap to biodiversity and environmental objectives is included in the 43% of the financial budget as part of the NPS, and the obligation for a national co-funding for 30% as part of all the green architecture lacking because of a lack of green ring fencing that is specific to the CPE, requires that every member state, based on their budgets, will be able to develop more or less this green architecture. We must take into account the risk of distortion that might take place amongst European farmers. We want an understandable cap that is fair and that will accompany farmers in responding to environmental and climate, uh, difficulties without weakening their economic status. We must avoid, uh, sudden ruptures with the past and look at what we have achieved so far. Thank you.”
Agriculture (green)
- “Thank you chair. I would like to thank Portugal for having brought this item to the agenda. We support this the message and the Belgium, like other colleagues, believe that such a reinsurance system is indispensable in order to strengthen the capacity of a resistance for the farming sector to such crises, a reinsurance system would mean that there would be a large scale system that would allow the farmers to defend themselves better. Thank you.”
Agricultural funding
- “53:48 – 14:56:51): I do feel, however, that we need to be realistic and especially agree as to the use of the funds that are going to be allocated. Now we know that today that if we were to build from scratch from, the EU budget, well, then our priorities would be very different to those that were enforced decades ago. But reinventing the wheel? No. I think, my country is attached to very important protected guaranteed funds for agriculture, including fisheries as well and for social cohesion as well because that's where, that that that is something that is very important to the European project.
But the major challenges today are around competitiveness and security and the attractiveness as well because at a planet level, only 4% of investment in AI are taking place on the EU territory. That tells us a lot about, how far behind we are. So when it comes to security and competitiveness, all of this is very important.
Now we shouldn't reject what happened in the past. The past is something we can refer to, but we can't live there. We need to adapt to today's realities. Now we need to raise a lot of money quickly, and we need to to, remove the obstacles to the single market as well. Now in our countries, there are still barriers, and, these are basically the equivalent to 40% a 40% tariff and 40% for for services as well for goods and for services. And so we can improve significantly our competitiveness internally as well.
So we need to find the smart balance between investment and reform. The national regional partnerships, these are going to play an important role. We support these just like the European Competitiveness Fund. This needs to be merit based in order to maximize the budget. So we need to mobilize private capital as well. That's a debate we're going to have to have. There shouldn't be any taboos here. Invest EU is an essential tool tool for this, and we need to continue moving forward to putting in place the savings and investments union.
Let me remind you that in a single market only works if the rules are respected. And here, we need to ensure that the rules be correctly applied with more checks, especially at external borders. So maintaining this 25% is a priority for Belgium in order to guarantee effective, checks on this. Thank you. Thank you, Maxim. Now Claudia, Austria, and then Slovakia and Spain. Phil Dank, Lieb.”
EU industrial funding (mechanism level: EU-pooled vs nationally-financed)
- “Thank you very much. So let's continue and move on. Now to the AOB points we have on the agenda for today for the first AOB item. We're honored that Mr. Matvey Bedny is with us, Ukrainian Minister for Youth and Sports, who will inform us on the consequences of Russia's war of aggression on the Ukrainian sports sector. He was with us yesterday After noon in Brussels and is with us again this afternoon. We appreciate that. Over to you, Minister.”
Russia-Ukraine conflict (10th term)
- “Thank you. Chairman. Dear Pascal. Well, first of all, I'd like to really thank you very much for all the effort that you and your teams have put into this so as to align the member states position in this. And we know this is a very politically sensitive issue. Having heard from all the delegations. I think we can say that there is a broad consensus for a reinforced role for the European Commission, not just when it comes to inspections and inquiries in the member states, but also when it comes to decision making. And obviously, we will take that into consideration as much as possible as we follow up on this. Looking for a level playing field and an efficient and sustainable governance means that we have to have a consistent approach which will fully respect fundamental human rights. And with your help, we will work towards a general approach and start negotiations with the European Parliament with a view to reaching a political agreement still under the Belgian presidency. Thank you.”
EU Supervision of the Rule of Law
- “Colleagues, thank you for reminding us of how important SMEs are for competitiveness. I'm speaking here as a minister but also as a former entrepreneur. The European Competitiveness Funds, Belgium believes, is a political and structural step forward for SMEs. It places them at the heart of the mechanism to make sure they have effective and balanced access. All SMEs, that is, to this fund. And to mechanisms such as the ipcs. There are three main things we need to focus on today. Firstly, the ECF should focus on all SMEs, whether start ups or scale ups or more traditional SMEs such as those involved in craftsmanship, services or industry. And I'd like to remind you of the think small first principle here, which means that administrative burdens can be reduced and we can avoid pointless requests for funds, which is a real problem that SMEs face. There are initiatives such as the 28th regime and the European Innovation Act, which can be powerful tools to help achieve these goals. I'd also like to welcome the fact that defence has been given such an important place within the ECF. Indeed, it can boost European SMEs Competitiveness in international defence markets, whether as pilots or as subcontractors.”
Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
- “This is a territorial mechanism, and for that reason, we need enough flexibility so that we can adapt to local rural realities and the different components thereof. But there isn't just one form of rural life. There are many different ones. Now, when it comes to rural development, the leader program that we have in the Cap is a lever for tackling challenges and helping communities. However, leader can't deal with all those things. The rural proofing should not be limited to evaluations of the Cap strategic plan. It's an important instrument, the purpose of which is to ensure that structural policies do not make it impossible to carry out local initiatives. The result of leader projects could contribute to the rural proofing mechanism, allowing us to improve things from the by looking through a rural lens at situations, because I think it's important to have innovations made permanent over time, things that actually have emerged from the leader program. And for that reason, Belgium feels that solutions have to be implemented once we have completed projects in order to ensure continuity and cooperation and to ensure long term success of rural initiatives. Thank you for listening.”
Cohesion and rural funding
- “Thank you, Jose Manuel. In general terms, Belgium shares the concerns and the issues that you have raised in your AOB point. It's important that we have a full range of tools and instruments that are properly adapted and adequate funding to quickly respond to catastrophes and climate related events. I also support the request being made to the Commission to present a strategy for risk management for climate events in the agriculture and forestry sectors. Prevention and adaptation are both very important. Thank you.”
Climate efforts
- “Thank you. Alexis. Colleagues for Belgium. As for all member states, their climate resilience is not an abstract debate. We had terrible floods in July 2021, which really made their mark on the collective memory. It was a devastating event, but it was also a turning point, raising awareness of how urgently we need to act in the area of climate adaptation. Resilience is no longer just an environmental add on. It's a matter of security, economic continuity and social stability. Belgium thus supports the development of a European framework for climate resilience. We see real added value in strengthening coherence, in improving the comparability of risk analyses, and also in developing better anticipation at EU level. However, experience has taught us one other thing. When the crisis happens, what matters most is preparation and implementation. A number of member states, including Belgium, at federal and regional level, have recently carried out significant climate risk assessments and are making forward steps when it comes to adaptation strategies. The European framework should be based on this. We feel that it's clear what the right balance should be a limited number of obligations, which are fundamentally proportionate and results based. And beyond that, we need flexibility. We would support the idea of having a full territorial coverage via adaptation strategies and plans, adopting that by an agreed deadline and basing this on climate risk analysis.”
EU policy on infrastructure for preventing climate-related disasters (floods, droughts, extreme weather etc.)
- “Now, in addition to this structure, the content and the methodologies have to remain indicative. Adaptation is by nature territorial and has to fully respect the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. In the current economic and geopolitical context, resilience policy has to bolster competitiveness, confidence in investment and the purchasing power of our citizens and not create new administrative burdens. And above all, member states who are precursors. Early movers should not be penalised. Member states in regions which have already massively invested in risk analyses and adaptation strategies, should see their efforts recognised and showcased. The framework should encourage progress and not take people back to square one. Finally, financing will be crucial. Belgium supports strong and clearly indicated role for the life program in the future policy here. Public and private investment here via EIB and looking for market based solutions at European level to address, uh, the deficit in terms of insurance coverage. So colleagues, let's come up with a framework which provides real protection. Belgium is prepared to work constructively with all delegations and the commission to achieve this balance. Thank you.”
EU policy on infrastructure for preventing climate-related disasters (floods, droughts, extreme weather etc.)
- “Thank [00:28:00] you. Thank you, dear president, for the opportunity. And I would like to thank all the colleagues for their expressions of condolences of the with regard to the terrible act that happened in, in Brussels, and as I already did also, of course, my condolences to France and other member States that have been affected. I already spoke with Ylva and Gunnar because of course, the Swedish victims that were victim [00:28:30] of the attack in Brussels need to be remembered and respected, and I think that will be for later on on this agenda that we need to discuss how we can strengthen our security services, exchange of information. And that brings me to this topic. I express also my the sympathy of Belgium for the proposal. I think it is a result of hard work already and a balance. We are still examining [00:29:00] the right balance between law enforcement and privacy. The tools that are provided for in the draft directive. But I think it's important that we make a statement because we need to protect our children, taking also into account the privacy of these children. I think that's an argument that we also need to put in the mix of all the arguments. Like for other topics, the balance between privacy and security is a [00:29:30] very delicate one that needs to be examined, in my view, on an ad hoc basis. But I think it's good. Dear Fernando, that you have made progress and you can count on Belgium too, to be with you, and will also make it work and a priority during the Belgian Belgian presidency. As of the 1st of January. Thank you.”
Privacy & detection of online child abuse
- “Thank you very much to the presidency for having organised this exchange of views. In answer to the first two questions, we need to take account of the growing concerns in civil society and to strengthen trust in our regulatory process. Our strategy remains very necessary and topical, and this with a view to achieving our zero pollution goals. Revising the Reach regulation should be a priority to ensure that European industry is competitive. At this stage in the process, whilst ensuring high protection for health and the environment, this requires updating the regulation to bring it into line with existing challenges and to ensure that it can take account of the latest scientific developments. We have to support SMEs and new cutting edge industries so that they can benefit from their investments and enjoy fair competitive conditions. Conditions particularly with respect to imported products, Belgium supports an ambitious and pragmatic approach with respect to PFAS, and we would call on the commission to take measures as quickly as possible in order to ban uses for which there are effective alternatives. If there should be an exemption, it should be time limited. We call on the commission to to revise and update as quickly as possible the organisational framework for Echa, and to provide sufficient sustainable resources to ensure its full independence. In answer to the third question, it's a complex issue. There is a lot at stake. I can only invite the commission to work with and and consult the Member States before publishing any legislative proposals. Finally, the European Union should play a worldwide leadership role and should be a pioneer in taking strong measures against double standards with firm measures, particularly in respect of the exports of chemical products which are banned in our own countries.”
Chemicals regulation
- “Thank you. Mary. Lina. You can keep your headphones on. I will speak in French. Just to vary things a little bit. I'll speak French. Um, from Belgium standpoint, we support a modern flexible MFF to meet the challenges of the future. And let us be clear, the primary concern, primary priority for Europe is now is to show its ability to develop its own strategic autonomy in the geo strategic sphere. We have seen what our weaknesses are. So it is obvious now that the European budget Git of the future has to take account of these new challenges. Need to ensure greater strategic autonomy in defence and security in terms of competitiveness as well. Technological autonomy and energy. Autonomy as well. Food, uh, autonomy and security. And in the health field as well. We have, of course, the issue of own resources on which, uh, Belgium hasn't yet entirely made up its mind, but it is clear that choices will have to be made. Uh, and this, these choices should not be detrimental to our competitiveness, which is already under pressure as a net contributor. We are very much aware of the budgetary implications and let's call a spade a spade. The projections on the table now from the European Commission, we believe, are not reasonable in and disproportionate.”
Size of EU budget
- “Thank you very much, chair, vice president of the committee, colleagues. We thank the Cyprus presidency for its partial general approach and the efforts that have been put into this whole process to listen to the points of view of all member states and to come up with a compromise that is the outcome of a collective effort, which responds to common goals, having a program that will allow us to preserve cultural and linguistic diversity, supporting cultural creation and cross border cooperation and strengthening an independent media space, freedom of speech and citizen participation as well as promoting our common values.
Firstly, we welcome the general partial general approach, which deals with each strand in a balanced manner and gives particular attention to specificities and the continuity of the various sectors involved. We also welcome the reference to the governance mechanism. Indeed, a strong decisive program committee that can monitor work in all sectors will allow us to supervise and coordinate actions clearly, coherently, and ambitiously.
We welcome and take note that the current wording improves the coherence and readability of the Agora EU desk. When it comes to the CRV strand, we need to have an ambitious framework which fosters gender equality, which combats violence against women, and which explicitly combats all forms of discrimination, racism, and intolerance.
Lastly, moving forward in the work, we'd all reiterate attention that needs to be put into a fair share of resources with minimum percentage per strand to ensure the coherence and sustainability of the program in all dimensions. Assessment of the Europe Creative Europe program currently shows that predictability of tenders is vital because we need long term planning for cultural and creative projects. Too much flexibility would create uncertainty and would reduce accessibility, including in the audiovisual field. Thank you.”
EU and national cultural identities
- “And even. But we don't have very much time. So I would like to ask the delegations to be brief. When they take the floor, we have an information point from the French delegation of the selection of Bourget as the European Capital of Culture for 2028. As you probably already know, in 2028 there are three cultural capitals Bourget. Ceske Budejovice. Ceské Budejovice in the Czech Republic and Skopje [00:00:30] in North Macedonia. Burgess was the last one to be selected, and so I'd like to give the floor to the French delegation colleague. The floor is yours.”
EU and national cultural identities
- “Thank you. President. Colleagues. [00:46:30] Commissioners. First of all, obviously, I would like to thank the Spanish presidency for placing this item on the agenda, namely, improving the working conditions of cultural and creative professionals. Good working conditions are essential if we are to have a healthy and lively cultural industry. And fair pay is a crucial question for which all stakeholders have to shoulder responsibility. In Belgium, responsibilities for culture lie with the three regions, and [00:47:00] I'll refer to the various initiatives being taken by the various regions. In Flemish policies, fair pay and fair practice are enshrined. Good pay is important not only to create good working conditions, but also to retain talent given worldwide competition. Applying these principles of fair practice and fair pay for artists are included as one of the criterion for assessing subsidy applications for cultural organisations in the new Arts degree in Flanders in [00:47:30] the French Community. Support for the artists sector is linked to the quality and the quantity of artistic employment, and visual arts are linked to good pay and a remuneration scheme. And the last thing we have the German language. Community where cultural is supported by. One decree. They receive lump sums for employment and staff costs, provided [00:48:00] that they generate at least 20% of their annual income. There are also grants to acknowledging artists working time at federal level. We have a newly adopted piece of legislation which provides social protection to artists because of the very irregular and uncertain nature of their work. European level is important to exchange good practice in information between member states that promotes understanding and greater mobility. [00:48:30] We can also build further on initiatives that have already been begun at European level. Thank you.”
EU and national cultural identities
- “In the name of Belgium. I would like to express our sincere gratitude for the way in which the Swedish presidency has steered this file so close to the finish line. We believe this act can bring tangible benefits to our businesses and citizens. [00:12:30] It will effectively boost trust in the cybersecurity of products and by extension, in the digital transition itself. Given the importance of the file for Belgium, we are happy with the direction of this file and we are pleased to see that some of our key concerns have been taken on board. The first one being proportionality. We have sought to balance the burden on all markets and especially on our small and medium enterprise SMEs. But in order to guarantee [00:13:00] a level playing field for all manufacturers across the Union, we must carefully design conformity assessment to avoid creating new obstacles in the future. In the same sense, the CRA must complement the certification framework of the Cybersecurity Act. The second principle is transparency. Making more information available for consumers has been one of our main goals. In particular, when it comes to [00:13:30] security updates, which would be provided automatically by default while informing the user how long he will receive them and how to turn them off. Finally, it's important to stress that the act also concerns open source software on which we rely heavily to digitise our societies. As authorities, we will have to actively inform developers of what this act would and more importantly, what it would not mean for them. It's [00:14:00] clear that we do not intend to impact the non-commercial supply of open source software. We give our full support to the upcoming Spanish presidency to take this further. Thank you.”
Scope of EU cybersecurity obligations
- “First of all, we need to have cross-border cooperation, cultural diversity and innovation and artistic quality need to come to the forefront. We need to have a shared and universal values so that we can, Because these values are under pressure internationally and in Europe. We need to have a proper cooperation across policy areas, and we need to draw attention to specific resources for culture and media. It needs to be visible and guaranteed for the whole programming period. We also accessed for client organisations. We need, for example, to provide 100% financing and pre-financing for the drafting of, uh, of applications. We see a great EU rule for innovation, particularly with artificial intelligence. And to stimulate cooperation, we need to compete on content and not on technology or infrastructure. We need to defend our strategic cultural infrastructure, including local media landscape and independent media, as well as local creative ecosystems. And finally, uh, once again, a reminder for us all about the impact of social media, and particularly the impact it has on our younger generations. And I would like to draw I would like this council to pay attention to that issue. Thank you.”
EU and national cultural identities
- “Thank you, colleagues. The Council has taken note of the information provided by the Dutch delegation, and we'd like to thank them for that.
***International Conference ‘Towards the recovery of the culture sector of Ukraine’ from 6 – 7 June 2024 in Vilnius, Lithuania”
EU and national cultural identities
- “And the only way of doing that is through the so-called examination procedure. At the same time, the process needs to remain lightweight, workable without administrative burdens. And we need clarity on the competitiveness coordination tool and the steering mechanism. Second priority defence. We welcome the fact that the FP ten is being opened up to dual use and the defence only activities, but we need a clear legal basis, so the Council Legal Service and the Commission Legal Service need to provide us with a guidance on that as to legal validity. And we are also open to making the Ehrc more accessible, um, for the defence sector and pure defence projects, uh, need to be financed through the ECF, uh, in order to keep the EIC budget available. Uh, second priority European partnerships. Uh, and we need strategic coordination on that to a guarantee. Um, continuity. So we'd like to have a cap, uh, placed on pillar two, the pillar two budget on widening. Uh, we support Austria and Finland when it comes to that subject of widening. Thank you very much.”
EU competences on defence
- “Thank you very much for all of your comments. Minister, thank you very much once again for being here with us today. It's important for you to be here, but I want you to know that it's very important as well for us to have you here. We continue to be shocked by what we hear. We will be by your side as we have been. I think, you know, we express all the very best of luck to you and to your people who are fighting Russian aggression on a daily basis. And of course, all the very best of luck to the athletes in the future sporting events they'll be participating in. Thank you for being with us again.”
Russia-Ukraine conflict (10th term)
- “Thank you, Christophe. Thank you for telling us about the commission's action plan. It's taking place against a background of high and very volatile fertilizer prices. Our dependence on imports and the disruption of to the supply chain are exerting great pressure on farm profitability and on food production within the EU. Implementing an action plan, therefore, is very welcome against this background.
Well, Maria, I'd like to thank you for enabling us to have a discussion on this subject. Belgium takes a view that the measures set out in the 2022 communication remain relevant, but they must be stepped up and new measures taken. In the short term, what's essential is to make sure that fertilizers are available and accessible. The temporary waiver of tariffs on imports is therefore a step in the right direction.
We need to have a close eye on prices and stocks in order to avoid future shocks. We also need to make sure that finance is available in the long term. And here, the action plan, I think, is a good starting point. At the same time, it's important to support farmers in the optimized use of fertilizers. Currently, we've already got some instruments within the CAP whereby we can take actions such as encouraging precision agriculture and the use of organic fertilizers. Decision making tools such as, planting interim crops.
It will be necessary to step up these training and accompanying measures for farmers and integrate to make sure they have efficient use of both market mineral and organic fertilizer. Regarding agriculture's resiliency and competitiveness, we think that we need in the medium and long term to reduce our dependency on imports. Already now, we must step up European fertilizer production and develop circular solutions.
This means you have to have affordable energy, stable framework for investments, and reducing red tape. This can avoid fertilizer businesses closing down in Europe. We also need to step up the development of sustainable circular alternatives such as bio based fertilizers. Belgium is already at the forefront of circularity matters. Renewer products, which are currently available, can reduce dependency on on mineral fertilizers and and also produce energy.
We also need to make use of digestates. Taking this these actions will be very useful without excessive red tape. Finally, when it comes to transfer to a resilient or autonomous agriculture, we need to make sure that we provide us satisfactory and targeted support in the CAP. Basically, we think this is a very good starting point, but the action plan is not in itself enough to solve our problems. Further measures will be necessary, particularly in the short term, to deal with the sector's urgent needs.”
Use of fertilisers
- “Thank you, Ebba. Good that we can have this discussion on the proposals of the commission, the proposals that we welcome and that we also support in principle, and in particular, the underlying objectives. Underlying objectives. I would qualify them that. That is to avoid that the most expensive last unit that is produced would have to be used. The proposals, the measures that are in the proposal undoubtedly will have an impact on the longer term in the form of market improvements and also delivering benefits of low marginal cost electricity generation to the end users. But they will not offer any short term protection. That's why we propose to analyse whether adjustments and or prolongation of emergency measures that we have decided last year should be extended with regard to our measures to security of supply. We have already extended one this morning, but also our measures that have had the intention to give shelter to citizens and public authorities from high prices should also be extended. I think, for example, on the inframarginal, what was already discussed, the proposal, to me it seems to be a patchwork of different proposals, which is not in say, a bad thing. But for us it's very important that there is a closer look on the interactions between new and old instruments, and that should need some clarifications with regard to some of the specific topics in the text. And for example, with regard to CFDs, we are strong in favour that with regard to CFD, that it should be allowed to sell back the volume that is contracted under a CFD as a PPA to consumers or to suppliers, or in other words that if you have a CFD that you have a carve out of a volume that could be contracted through a PPA.”
EU approach to electricity market and prices
- “Thank you, Chair. Chair. Commissioner. Ladies and gentlemen, colleagues. Belgium agrees [00:36:30] with the need to strengthen European systems of social protection. Recent years have shown that it can be easier to face a pandemic or economic crisis with a well developed Social Security system. The social system provides the role of an automatic stabilizer for citizens as well as our economy. We have to reinforce what is already working well and adjust adapt our systems to future challenges. [00:37:00] In order to do this. The recommendations of the Council adopted in recent years at European level provide some essential guidelines as the conclusions that we've adopted to date underline, we must continue our efforts to implement the resolution of 2019 to guarantee formal and effective protection thanks to Social Security systems that [00:37:30] are appropriate and transparent. Now, concerning the minimum income, we have to step up our work here to fight against poverty. We must increase the lowest social benefits and ensure that no one is failing to take up their benefits. Digitalization is a key tool for facilitating coordination of Social Security. Digital tools can improve or simplify [00:38:00] processes for the benefit of citizens, reinforce institutional capacities, help with decision making, and make sure that services are safe and proactive. Citizens must always be at the center of discussions. Belgium welcomes European initiatives in the area of digitalization when it comes to coordination of security, Social Security. They must be built on existing tools. It's essential, [00:38:30] therefore, to ensure that these measures are fully implemented and that the SSI system is fully implemented and serves as a basis for future action. Thank you.”
Minimum income harmonisation at EU level
- “Thank you Jan. Okay. First, I would like to once again thank the commission for the package. The discussion we are having right now is very timely. The integration of capital markets is an important and necessary step in the global competition that is currently taking shape. I would like to highlight that Belgium stands very positively towards the Savings and Investments Union, which we see as a key opportunity to strengthen EU competitiveness. Now, moving forward, I would like to express my appreciation for the efforts made by the presidency to advance the negotiation further. It is therefore important that we work quickly indeed, but without rushing. In our view, the package offers room for targeted and pragmatic progress. We are open to support a carve out and fast track approach for clearly defined elements where broad consensus already exists and which can deliver quick, concrete added value. For example, on distributed ledger technology, overall clarity is important. Therefore, regular updates on the overall progress of the discussions are needed within this Council presidency. In response to your second question. Belgium believes that the most effective reforms for mobilizing long term savings are those that strengthen market efficiency and facilitate cross-border investment.”
EU Single Market harmonisation
- “Thank [00:41:30] you, Madam Chair. In name of a minister who had to leave a bit earlier than foreseen. I would like to thank very much the delegations who have expressed condolence or sympathy in the wake of the terrorist attack in Brussels. As regards this point, I want to thank the presidency very much for bringing this theme on the agenda this morning, because we think it's very important for our economy and our entrepreneurs. The protection of the creditor's interests [00:42:00] is at the heart of this new harmonisation instrument, and avoidance actions play a vital role in the recovery of assets that have been removed from the insolvency estate. Further harmonisation is indeed necessary if we want to make another step towards the integration of the EU capital market. Significant action is needed to discourage forum shopping and avoid abuses. Harmonisation, yes, but we need to find the right balance and that is difficult. That is a difficult exercise. We must take [00:42:30] into account all interests, more specifically those of the debtor, the creditor, but also the employees and the diversity of legal systems in the European Union calls for a degree of flexibility to enable such. Each member state to meet its European obligations while preserving its well functioning national system. For example, in the Belgian insolvency legislation, we choose to work with a six month time period for the avoidance actions, but for fraudulent acts it [00:43:00] is possible to act without a time limit. So the current proposal provides for several different time limits. So we are in favour of a simple system that sets a minimum time limit acceptable to all Member states, but with the possibility of extending it. And therefore Belgium is in favour of a minimal harmonisation, but with the flexibility for Member States, so that good practices and rules that have proved their worth do not necessarily have to be changed. Thank you.”
EU Single Market harmonisation
- “Existing state aid frameworks already offer important possibilities to support competitiveness while keeping our transition objectives on track. That is why we call for a stable and strict European state aid framework, one that preserves the integrity of the single market by guaranteeing a level playing field. Fair competition remains a foundation of strength and growth in the internal market. At the same time, we must strengthen demand for clean products and technologies, notably through standards, public and private procurement. And we must also ensure that innovation can effectively move from the laboratory to the market, including through support for a real life testing scale up and access to industrial customers on PFAS. Our objective should be a framework that is robust yet predictable, one that strictly protects essential users while supporting innovation so that production and investment do not relocate outside Europe. In the automotive sector. It is essential to address the system as a whole. Batteries. Raw materials. Recycling software. Electronics. Energy and infrastructure. Our priority must be to provide stable and predictable rules. Corporate fleets can play an important role in accelerating the uptake of zero emission vehicles, provided the framework remains simple and the timelines clear and predictable. Thank you. Chair.”
State Aid
- “Thank you very much, Madam Chair. The Draghi report is a strategic analysis of the challenges that we're faced today when it comes to our competitiveness. We would fully agree with the recommendations made on the urgency to step up our competitiveness and make sure that we take a strategic approach to R&D and make them a priority at the European level, in particular to assure to our competitors. Faced with our competitors like China and the US, for example, we have a roadmap with the Draghi report, one that's very ambitious to step up our European competitiveness by focusing on excellence, research, disruptive innovation at the heart of our public policy. Doing all of this with a view to our economy, of course, is very important as well to ensure our competitiveness and productivity. Now, to make all of this concrete, I think there's five key principles that should guide our efforts. First of all, excellence as a key driver that should be at the heart of our framework programme by promoting disruptive innovation. Secondly, make RNA more attractive in Europe to international researchers, for example, step up initiatives to attract and retain the best global talents via targeted mechanisms. Thirdly, stimulate inclusive innovation, encourage SMEs and their innovation and innovation via technological transfer mechanisms and collaborative projects as well. Fourthly, strategic alignment between the priorities that we have with our horizontal objectives. Make sure we can concentrate investment into strategic areas, align our objectives with our strategic European objectives, and then finally step up investment in bottom up research. I think we need enough space for bottom up research, which is the basis for innovation and greatly contributes to expanding our knowledge for proper and effective implementation, we need to focus on a limited number of priorities.”
"Buy European" provisions
- “Chair and colleagues. Yes. We share what the Netherlands has said in terms of European regulation for the personal mobility devices and also the various issues that have arisen with these PMDs. And we welcome European harmonization on this in order to have any sort of fragmentation of the market, which may be in line with national requirements. We need to have a single market reinforcement, therefore, and to stimulate European growth with European manufacturers, and also to provide benefits for European citizens to have the same standards and safety established. Thank you.”
"Buy European" provisions
- “Thank you very much. And thank you [00:46:00] to the presidencies for the work that they've done on this text, a text that Belgium supports. We understand that this text reflects a balance that's been achieved today between making it or keeping it sufficiently ambitious to protect our environment, on the one hand, which will have a positive impact on health and on the other hand, guaranteeing that the new provisions are feasible. The directive [00:46:30] sets out the minimum level of joint ambition in the European Union and allows member states to go further if they wish. Belgium is in favour of having an efficient mechanism, which is extended producer responsibility, and understands that the any derogations will be limited and will be on the polluter pays principle. And it would seem, therefore, that a one tonne [00:47:00] per substance threshold is not strict enough, and it would allow producers to escape their responsibilities too easily. Now, given that this is a new approach in the water policy sector, we call on the Commission to be proactive and support Member States in its implementation. That really will be essential. Thank you.”
Water pollution
- “Thank you very much. Much. Christie? No, Maria for Cyprus and after Peter for Czech Republic. Maria,”
Multilingualism in EU institutions
- “Thank you. President. Commissioner for Belgium. We have three main priorities. First of all, simplification needs to remain central to relieve the burden on researchers and to make legislation more accessible and more efficient. And throughout the whole program, we need to focus on excellency, not just under a pillar one. Pillar one is for us today, the only mature pillar, and the IRC and the Marie Curie actions need to remain excellent, independent and bottom up. And we also need to keep up a well developed innovation pipeline. We'd like to have an active exchange of information between the European Competitiveness Fund and the and the Msca. I'd like to focus on three critical issues for Belgium. First of all, governance. Belgium welcomes the link between the 10th Framework Programme and the EU to make the most of both the work programmes and committees need to be able to count on support and expertise from the Member States. We need more clarity as to strategic priorities within the FP ten. How are the committees going to work together? How will the Member States be involved, and how can we help provide direction for the ECF policy objectives for Belgium? It's important to set priorities together with the Member States, and they need to be fully involved right through the whole process.”
Governance of academic priorities within the EU
- “But we've got to make sure that strategic investments are essential in order to be able to ensure the trust of the investors, mobilise private capital and also stay assured sustainable development. So these aspects are going to be able to improve the trust of the companies and of the investors. Decarbonization of industrial activities and clean technology aspects are absolutely obvious as far as resilience and the competitiveness of the companies, and we've got to make sure that long term, as far as climate is concerned, and climate will be able to make sure that it's relevant with regard to investors and companies. The PMS have got to have specific support through this fund, which will differentiate from the help for small mid-caps midcaps, and with regard to attribution, the fund has got to be able to have a financing for the most promising projects according to their merit and excellence in research and innovation. And to finish. Commissioner Belgium is interested to know whether the Commission actually envisages, with regard to the financial administrative food, to associate with the classical criteria of evaluation, the non-financial criteria which will reflect the sustainability of the companies.”
Energy (green transition)
- “Belgium is in favor of continuing and improving rural proofing. This is an important concept to reinforce quality of life and governance in rural areas. However, a distinction should be drawn between the implementation of this mechanism when it comes to European legislation and its implementation at national regional level. In the first instance, we need to come up with a common understanding of what this concept means. This concept of rural proofing. Having looked at the reports that test out and compare rural rural proofing in EU member states in other countries, we feel that the following elements are important. Firstly, we need a clear framework on the basis of what principles is rural proofing carried out and what issues should it address systematically? We also then need to have the necessary tool tools to carry out rural proofing. We have to be able to collect up to date and exact data associated with this, and then clarity. When it comes to the scope of rural proofing as a consultative advisory exercise, in order to come up with that common understanding of rural proofing, the Member States need to cooperate and exchange knowledge. Pilot projects could be useful in this respect. We also need to ensure, when drafting the evaluation methodology, that we take into account the specific features of the Member States, so that we don't have a one size fits all approach.”
Cohesion and rural funding
- “And that allows me to move on to the next point. On the next point, under AOB, the Commission will give us an overview on the state of play, on the preparation of the communication, on the implementation of the Lgtbq equality strategy that was published in November 2020. [00:09:30] All citizens are equal in the EU, and they should live in freedom and free from discrimination in all forms. Equality and non-discrimination are fundamental values of the European Union. They are enshrined in the treaty and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Over the past decades, progress has been booked to protect the rights of LGBTQ persons, and unfortunately, discrimination is still a sad reality [00:10:00] for these persons who are, um, the subject of hate and homophobic, um, speech. Equal treatment is not just theoretical. It is our responsibility to for us to make it a specific reality. The European strategy is a very important phase within the context of our combat against inequality. It allows us to face the, um, the, [00:10:30] the challenges that Lgbtiq persons have to deal with. Uh, we need to analyse the results. And so, um. I'm very pleased that the Commission can now give us an overview of the situation, commissioner Marie Colvin”
LGBTIQ+
- “Thank you very much. I don't see anyone else asking for the floor, so we can conclude that the council takes note of the information provided by the Commission on the State of Play, of preparing the communication for implementing the 20 to 25 equality strategy for LGBTQ. [00:16:00]
***Communication on progress made in implementing the EU antiracism action plan – state of play”
LGBTIQ+
- “Thank you. President. Belgium would like to focus on three priorities to strengthen the implementation of the Msfd. Reporting, surveillance and measures regarding reporting. Belgium supports the Commission and its efforts of simplification and harmonisation of the obligations of reporting on the marine environment, without this being to the detriment of environmental ambitions. Belgium recommends increased cooperation among environmental authorities and funding and research authorities institutions, rather so as to prepare a group work within the European Partnership Programme. This would enable us to work cooperatively in implementing the Msfd, particularly in terms of surveillance and measures, this in cooperation with regional Uh maritime areas and with intensive uses of the sea and stakeholders. The measures so far are experimental and must be tested, preferably in a coordinated manner across Europe and respected by all users of the sea. Belgium underscores the importance of as many participants as possible, including public and private stakeholders, by contributing not only to research, but also on automated automated automation, surveillance and an feasible pact. Thank you.”
Water pollution
- “Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Dear colleagues. 10,000. That's the number of industrial jobs that we have lost in a small country like Belgium in one single year. So what we are talking about today, it's it's not only the future of our industry, it's the future of our democracies. And it's also the future of our innovation here in Europe, because we know that when industry leaves, it's a whole ecosystem of innovation that also leaves our continent. And so Belgium welcomes the Commission's initiative to put forward a legislative proposal aimed at preserving industrial jobs, sustainable industry and valuable industrial capacity in Belgium and in Europe. We support the Midwest Europe approach, provided that a set of conditions are met and in particular with respect to reciprocity, the Industrial Acceleration Act and all new EU legislation in general must be streamlined, coordinated and evaluated. Please keep it simple and stable and harmonised. This is key to a better functioning and a more competitive single market, as well as driving acceleration in industrial investments and decarbonisation. We have general questions regarding the exact scope and concerns regarding the complexity of the IAA, including its administrative burden and unforeseen impact on the whole value chain, especially for SMEs. For Belgium, the principle of free market forces remain a guiding principle. While acknowledging that the use of public procurement and other public support schemes as a targeted strategic and economic lever can be necessary to safeguard our economic and strategic security interests, particularly when the competitive position of our companies is under pressure. Thank you.”
Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
- “Yes. Thank you. In the current context, which is very complex and where we have major change and challenges, the arrival of AI involves a paradigm shift, a new era indeed, and [00:09:30] public administrations in general. And those active in education cannot stand by watching. We need to use these tools to serve teachers and pupils, to strengthen and redefine systems, so it could be a catalyst for moving towards from superficial to more profound knowledge. And this will lead to better skills for our pupils and better [00:10:00] personal and professional careers. Or at least that's what I would say if it was asked what its benefits might be. But there is also a dark side to it. You could end up with very superficial knowledge and abusive uses of it, and we must ensure that that doesn't happen. This I cannot substitute human beings. So it's extremely important that the EU should, [00:10:30] uh, remain in control of this, because I may sometimes appear divinely powerful, but it lacks the emotional intelligence of human beings that for the training of teachers and development of curricula. It will be, however, of great use, and it will help students to gain skills but in [00:11:00] an all round fashion. So we need to. Of course, we cannot treat people as computers. They are not. We cannot replace people with machines. It would be a grave mistake. We have to continue to feel pain, pleasure and all those feelings without giving way to AI [00:11:30] in the wrong form. Giuseppe in Italy is next. And then France, please.”
Governance of academic priorities within the EU
- “Colleagues, thank you for reminding us of how important SMEs are for competitiveness. I'm speaking here as a minister but also as a former entrepreneur. The European Competitiveness Funds, Belgium believes, is a political and structural step forward for SMEs. It places them at the heart of the mechanism to make sure they have effective and balanced access. All SMEs, that is, to this fund. And to mechanisms such as the ipcs. There are three main things we need to focus on today. Firstly, the ECF should focus on all SMEs, whether start ups or scale ups or more traditional SMEs such as those involved in craftsmanship, services or industry. And I'd like to remind you of the think small first principle here, which means that administrative burdens can be reduced and we can avoid pointless requests for funds, which is a real problem that SMEs face. There are initiatives such as the 28th regime and the European Innovation Act, which can be powerful tools to help achieve these goals. I'd also like to welcome the fact that defence has been given such an important place within the ECF. Indeed, it can boost European SMEs Competitiveness in international defence markets, whether as pilots or as subcontractors.”
Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
- “Thank you very much, Theresa, and thank you for all [00:41:30] of the work that's been accomplished. Decarbonising the sector of lorries, buses and coaches is a key step towards climate neutrality, and it will also create positive opportunities when it comes to air quality as well. We are in favour of reducing emissions and it will give a clear signal to the sector. We would have liked to [00:42:00] see 100% objective by 2040. We therefore cannot support any options which would further weaken the objectives, such as a carbon correction factor. The text as proposed, we think sets out a good balance and Belgium fully supports the text as is. Thank you.”
Road transport environmental policy
- “Thank you, chair, and thank you for your continued efforts in steering this discussion. Belgium sees value in a more balanced and integrated supervisory approach for financial market participants that are significant in size at the EU level, whether they are part of a group or not, and whether they have cross-border activities or not. But this should not come at the expense of higher costs or added complexity and risks. Against this background, we would favor a more targeted scope. This would point to caspase providing only crypto services, trading venues and CSPs while excluding hybrid infrastructures such as Csds with a banking license. Splitting supervision in such cases would increase compliance costs, add complexity and create risks of contradiction, thereby fragmenting supervision rather than strengthening it and running counter to the objective of simplification. That said, from a general perspective, we do not think that the current proposal delivers this balanced and cost mindful approach. Further discussion is also needed to ensure that national competent authorities retain a meaningful decisional and operational role. Europe's competitiveness also requires that we keep this overall impact on firms in mind. In particular, we should ensure that small and medium sized firms do not end up bearing additional costs. In this context, we should assess whether alternative supervisory models beyond the one proposed by the Commission, could achieve the necessary convergence in a more balanced and proportionate way. Such models could also ensure a better distribution of competences and more effective checks and balances between the Board of Supervisors and the Executive Board. Finally, the level of involvement of NCA should also be reflected in how day to day supervision is organised through jointly built structures between asthma and ncas, with sufficient flexibility for both types of supervisors. Thank you.”
Financial regulation
- “51:56 – 11:54:40): Thank you, chair, commissioner, apostolos, colleagues. I would like to start by noting the number of AOBs on railways. As our Greek colleague said, that attests to the fact that the railway system is at the heart of our transport system and, is on the transport agenda of many member states, whether this be ERTMS, competitiveness of the rail industry, or bolstering the competitiveness of railway freight. And I support these initiatives and hope that the discussions begun today will be translated into tangible effects for the sector. The non paper I'm presenting here is on the deployment of the ERTMS. This is a particularly sensitive issue for my country and is part of the recent history of Belgium following the Boesingen tragedy, which cost the lives of 19 people. A plan was set up in 2011 with the single aim of deploying ERTMS to all Belgian rail networks. This plan is a success. Belgium is 1 of the pioneers in Europe with around 92% of our rail movements happening with ERTMS. It is a highly performing tool whether this be for security or the effectiveness of the rail sector. However, its deployment on the European rail network is happening at 2 speeds. This is a real break upon interoperability and particularly because of the maintenance of several signal systems. So with other signatory member states who I should like to thank, dear Apostolos, we would like to invite the commission to simplify the current system. We have seen how the current patchwork of technical specificities multiplies costs for countries which have already deployed ERTMS and slows down investments, particularly for countries which have not yet deployed ERTMS. Any new rule or standard should only be proposed for absolute reasons of security or indispensable progress to the system as in the case for cybersecurity efforts. This any new norm should must be compatible with existing solutions already financed by the member state. Thank you very much, dear colleagues, for listening.”
EU transport infrastructure integration
- “27:08 – 17:27:49): you, chair, colleagues. Initiative from my colleague, Vincent, is an interesting 1. This is something which has already drawn our attention in possibly problematic situations. We need hope to be careful to fully uphold the current legislative framework, particularly when it comes to managing data with the GDPR. It would be judicious for a full study to be carried out, and the commission could perhaps propose a harmonized approach. Thank you.”
GDPR
- “Thank you very much. And thank you so much for putting this important issue on our agenda. Christophe Belgium supports the overriding objectives in the vision that you've just set out. We emphasise the strategic importance of our farming sector and also our plant horticulture sector. It's important to have fair remuneration for farmers and to promote a sector that is resilient, sustainable and well remunerated. Same goes for young farmers and I'm extremely pleased to see that writ large. We have the main objectives, but they need to be translated into specific objectives. And we look forward to simplification of red tape on standards for imports, generational renewal and also initiatives in favour of breeding. With regard to the ambitious objectives set out, it is necessary that the future MFF is able to ensure a dedicated Cap budget that is independent and strong. This budget needs to be structured in two strong pillars that must continue the first pillar, providing a stabilising effect on an annual basis. Secondly, providing funding across several years. It must not target any other objectives other than farming and its mission to provide food. Any reduction in the agricultural budget might endanger a strategic autonomy and make us more reliant on imports and make us less resilient in the face of external shocks. I want to emphasise Belgium's particular situation our constitutional and institutional framework. This, in particular requires that we need to continue to work up regional frameworks for autonomy. On your questions from the Polish presidency, Belgium would like to focus on the following points competitiveness and resilience.”
Agricultural funding
- “Thank you. Chair. I would just like to share the reflections of the Spanish minister as a member of the same trio. I would like to thank the Hungarian presidency for all the efforts of the team to enable progress on this important file and to the incoming Polish presidency. I would like to stress that you can count on Belgium's support in pushing this ambitious file forward in order to create a create a customs union fit for purpose. Thank you.”
EU policy on custom fee on non-EU imports
- “Thank you very much, Istvan. The floor now to Belgium, followed by Spain and then Luxembourg. Catherine, you have the floor.
**Belgium Thank you. Maria. Thank you. Thank you. Maria and Francesco. Thank you for putting this point on the agenda. Digested is an interesting alternative to chemical fertilizers, and it has a lot of potential. Belgium, during the council session, said that the fertiliser market is under pressure, and as other member states, we think it's necessary to support agriculture and to find viable alternatives and circular solutions. Obviously, we're going to have to have an agronomic approach in order to find an appropriate response. Thank you.”
Use of fertilisers
- “Thank you very much. I'd like to thank you for the very good introduction to this issue. We absolutely support Spain when it comes to the difficulties with implementing article 14. But I would like to make an additional point as well. We are also concerned about the implementation of article 14, paragraph two, which says that the fisheries sector must enter estimated quantities caught into the electronic logbook after every single trawl. This rule also is simply not workable in Belgian mixed fisheries. There are some regions where we catch more than 20 different fish species, which means that registering for each trawl is extremely time consuming and you just try it. Ladies and gentlemen, when there's a storm and you've got to obey, abide by this rule, which is completely out of step with reality at sea. We can also see similar safety problems as raised by Spain a moment ago. So we would ask for this provision to be revised, or at least to have a transition period so that we can have automatic transfer of quantities from the scales to the electronic to the electronic logbook. Finally, when as regards catch, we can see some structural problems here and also communication problems when it comes to the product environment. 10th of January was too early to make a start. We can see that operators are coming up against real problems in Antwerp and Zeebrugge. Some containers had been held up and some have actually been held up at the border with the UK. This really threatens the security of supply and also disrupts the work in the docks. In addition, fisheries products don't have a very long shelf life, so urgent action is necessary and we are very willing to do everything we can to help. Thank you.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- “So I'd like to wish you every success in your priorities, which are very much in line with what we hope for now. It was a turbulent start to the year, and it's just shown that strategic autonomy is vital as central really, when it comes to security and defence. Support for Ukraine is our main priority and we need to approve the 20th sanctions package as soon as possible. We also have full solidarity with Denmark for their sovereignty and territorial integrity. Belgium wants a quick implementation of the Strategic Defence Readiness Roadmap by 2030 for 2030, with support for SMEs. Now competitiveness is a strategic priority as well. We need to deepen the capital markets union, and we're looking forward to future debates. And when it comes to our trade relationships, we need to be defend our positions. And when it comes to our global relationships, we hope that we can have the opening of cluster one for the accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. Now, it's vital as well that Gaza remain on our agenda and that the EU gets involved in peace negotiations in the region now. Migration is a major issue as well. So the migration asylum package needs to be implemented. And then finally, by the end of 2026, we need to reach an agreement on the MFF. We support a modern, simplified and future orientated MFF that takes into account our priorities, and obviously predictability needs to be at the heart of that as well. Thank you very much.”
EU enlargement
- “Thank you very much. I would like to thank all of you for your contributions to this discussion. We've taken careful note of all of your comments. This has been a very useful contribution to our further work. Now, I would just pick up on what Rob Walker has said and thank you to him. I would just like to mention a couple of issues which have been raised. We can all agree to say that the 2040 target presents opportunities and challenges, and this must guide us towards an autonomous and competitive industry. We must fully deploy the potential of green technologies. Electrification of the energy sector is a precondition. A number of you have already stressed the importance of the principle of technological neutrality. Another precondition for the is the implementation of the fit for 55 package. We've also heard that all sectors must contribute towards this effort. The circular economy will have an important role to play in achieving this objective, and we must also strengthen our strategic autonomy. Social acceptance is another key aspect and we need to have a just transition, focusing on the quality of jobs and information for our consumers. We also need to strengthen our climate diplomacy to extend our work outside the EU. We've been talking about 90%. The 90% target as recommended by the Commission. A number of you have said that a rapid decision must be taken for the 2040 target.
Not necessarily this afternoon. We need this in order to have predictability, which has been mentioned and the stability for our businesses, and also to set the example and to ensure that we are credible internationally. Many of you have talked about the need for a consistent and clear financial framework, including the development of innovative financial tools and doing away with any obstacles to investment. The post 2030 framework must provide enough flexibility to allow Member States to achieve their objectives. To strengthen Cbam and European ETS have been raised. A number of you have also talked about the need to ensure that there is national responsibility, with a strengthening of convergence of efforts, and some have also said it is of course necessary to have adequate financial resources. Some delegations have talked about carbon absorption, and we need to draw a clear distinction between technological absorption and natural absorption. There are another other points, of course, but these were just the main points. And I can conclude that the council has had an exchange of views on the communication on the EU's climate target for 2040 climate, and this will feed into further work in this area. And I would like to thank you very much. And over the next few days, we will be sending you a summary of our discussion on this topic. So thank you all very much indeed.”
Climate efforts
- “Here it is necessary that agriculture is made more attractive and more accessible for young farmers, while also providing the opportunity for targeted Cap support to active farmers, for example. Plus, we need to ensure that farmers have a better place in the value chain so that farmers are able to sell their products above production cost. With regard to external trade here, we need to focus on fairer competition, better application of EU rules around production and ensuring that stronger controls are possible when necessary. That's a very sensitive issue. We also need to take account of quotas given to third countries. There is a knock on effect of that, and the ceiling for these quotas for third countries are expressed as a percentage of their total agricultural production. The vision rightly sets out the problem of the EU being dependent for certain commodities, such as protein crops and imported fertilisers. We need to curb that reliance, and it's up to the union to develop its sectors and to continue to support input prices that are more economically viable. With regard to climate change, we need strong agriculture while also being mindful of soil health, the quality of our air and water, as well as keeping an eye on biodiversity. Environmental offset compensation measures should not aggravate land take. We believe that further risk management tools are required, and we welcome the assurance and reinsurance to allow for resilient income in the event of any crisis that will make our sector more robust.”
EU policy on farmer–buyer relations in the agri-food supply chain
- “Yes. Thank you. Stephanie. Let me first begin by expressing our full support for reaching agreement in 25 on the digital Euro and the broader single currency package. The moment has come to move forward decisively. The digital euro is a key component of our open strategic autonomy, strengthening our monetary sovereignty and reducing dependencies. We see no political barriers preventing us from reaching consensus, provided we stay pragmatic and focused on delivering tangible benefits to our citizens. On outstanding issues the governance, the privacy and the compensation, we believe the core discussions are well defined. On privacy, our view is clear. The proposed framework offers strong and proportionate protection, and this should no longer be seen as an obstacle to agreement regarding remuneration and compensation for banks and intermediaries. We acknowledge the importance of ensuring incentives during the start up phase. Transitional arrangements can be designed to support the ecosystem without distorting the market and on governance. Member states can have a role in decisions on launch and holding limits, but this can be achieved through workable mechanisms that avoid procedural delays and ensure the digital euro is introduced efficiently and effectively. But let me underline one essential condition the availability of offline functionality at launch. This is not just a technical feature, it's a matter of public trust, upholding the highest privacy standards and ensuring accessibility for all. A digital euro without offline capability would fall short of its potential and risk undermining its purpose. If offline functionality cannot be guaranteed from the outset, we would prefer to postpone the entire project rather than proceed with an incomplete solution. And finally, if you allow me Stephanie, I would like. I would also like to refer to the proposal on legal tender of banknotes and coins. Belgium supports the protection of cash as legal tender, but remains concerned about the obligation for unmanned services, such as vending machines and parking meters, to accept cash. Proportionate exemptions are needed to avoid high retrofitting and maintenance costs. Thank you.”
Digital euro