- 2026-07-13 “Thank you. Chair. Commissioner. Colleagues, we support Italy's request regarding the Commission's draft budget for the 2027 annual work programme. We need to boost the competitiveness of EU agriculture. Also, within the context of the agreements that we mentioned, we are concerned that the budget is being cut in terms of food promotion policy. This decision will undermine the competitiveness of Polish and European producers alike. We can hardly claim to be supporting exports and opening up new markets while cutting promotion funding at the same time. Least of all, just as the trade pillar of the EU Mercosur agreement is entering into force with import, competition, mounting and tariff preferences for access to the EU's agricultural market piling up under successive trade agreements, the European Union should be strengthening, not weakening the tools that help European food and EU quality schemes expand into export markets. Thank you.”
Export of EU agri-food products
- 2026-07-10 “Thank you very much, Simon. Thanks a lot for the Saprotik presidency for setting the foundations of our work here. We are always building up on the previous presidencies, and we are continuing the work. The work which Poland strongly supports, and we support we support maintaining, the political momentum on the package and remain fully committed to working constructively towards reaching a general approach in October. MISP has a strategic importance for SIU and for the EU policies at large. As Janet mentioned, we are working, hard on many aspects of the, of this final compromise. Of course, the pace of negotiations should not come at the expense of quality, legal certainty, long term effectiveness of the legislative framework. We need to work intensively, and we've heard the number of, for instance, council working party meetings that the Irish presidency is quite committed to this work.
On substance, in our view, the package should promote a level playing field between different trading and execution models by ensuring that comparable activities are subject to equivalent regulatory requirements. Transparent multilateral markets play a role in price formation process and should therefore not be placed at the regulatory disadvantage. It should also facilitate more efficient cross border post trading processes, taking, into account the diversity of national market structures and ensuring that further integration is beneficial for market participants across all member states, but, of course, reducing the unnecessary fragmentation, operational barriers, and we fully share the opinion, the views, voiced by Maria Luiz that the fragmentation is the, the problem in Europe.
The supervisory framework, should enhance convergence and consistency while maintaining close cooperation between ESMA and national competent authorities and making full use of national supervisory expertise. And this, again, the expertise is, at the NCAs, and this this expertise should be made, made use of by ESMA. So so we think that the transfer of supervisory responsibility to ESMA should be based on clear objective and transparency of the business criteria. The evolution of the supervisory framework should remain proportionate, operational, sustainable, while avoiding duplication of responsibilities and costs.
We also support further strengthening of European framework for for crypto assets, reflecting their inherently cross border nature. A greater role for ESMA can be helpful in ensuring consistent supervision and level playing field, in strengthening investor protection and reinforcing confidence and European crypto markets. And the crypto markets are cross border by nature, and we, we are having also a discussion on, on crypto in Poland. And we we see, how this cross border nature impacts, on the practical working of this market.
The criteria for classifying CASPs as significant should be set at relatively low threshold to ensure that the largest possible number of CASPs fall within this category. And finally, we support measures that facilitate the cross border distribution of investment funds and reduce the remaining the remaining barriers to market integration.
And finally, I would like to ensure that Poland remains very committed to, to this file, and we indeed see it as a very important reform of the financial market. And we are looking forward for a successful presidency, Irish presidency, and we wish you all the best during the next half year.”
Financial regulation
- 2026-06-29 “We may not introduce new legislation. Every time we see a misuse of the system, we have to focus on efficient and streamlined exchange of information that should go hand in hand with new technologies that should be adopted and introduced. We have to first see how the legislation legislation works in practice, and only later try to introduce new provisions and regulations. We might consider an exception for exception for areas that have been ignored by the legislation so far, such as transnational transborder telework, especially in case of digital nomads. We know that it's a very challenging area. Digitalization of social security systems is very challenging as well. We strongly support Spa solution because we believe that it will facilitate the controls and help us avoid transnational misuses that would make the systems more interoperable. On one hand, and on the other hand, would provide sufficient security of these systems. When introducing changes, we have to take in mind and include in these discussions the work of the Social Commission, because they're very well aware of all the intricacies of such regulations as. 883 and this is what we should focus on right now. Thank you.”
Regulation of teleworking labour conditions
- 2026-06-29 “Dear chair. Madam Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we have just completed one of the most challenging negotiations of the EU legislation in Social security systems. At the final stage nine seven, seven, we introduce additional provisions that would strengthen our work in the area of unemployment. The regulation will be possibly potentially adopted this year, but for two years will remain at the casualties. And we have no idea whether the review will answer the challenges connected with activization of the unemployed to avoid any misuse of the system. Of course, we cannot introduce new legislation whenever there are some challenges on our way. So we are in favor of introducing a reviewed version of the existing provisions, and we have to concentrate on practical implementation and use of these legislative, legislative solutions. We have to be very clear on how to implement and execute these provisions, especially with regards to the unemployed. We must bear in mind that the control of the unemployed should be executed based on the national laws of the adopting accepting country. Here, the national legislation should be executed and we should not concentrate on coordination per se. Individual countries have to have a say here. Poland has expressed a similar opinion with regards to the legislative changes in other areas of Social Security.”
EU competences on social policies
- 2026-06-29 “Dear ladies and gentlemen, affordable housing for everyone. Everyone at every stage of their life. It's a cornerstone of functioning economy and society. The gap in the supply of houses means that we cannot fulfill a dream. We cannot find a job, etc. in many countries we have the right to study to education. We have protection of parents. But can we actually ensure the right to education and to study for people, for young people who cannot afford to live in, uh, in a different city or a town, or if people cannot move to a different town or city to find a better paid or a more interesting job. And they failed to do that because they can't find accommodation. What about the situation when families don't have children because they can't afford to have a larger apartment? The current housing crisis requires the efforts of all member states of local authorities and the support, including the financial support from EU authorities. In. In the current situation, we cannot afford as the EU to become a continent of unfulfilled dreams. We are facing also a demographic crisis and as such we cannot afford to. Don't have enough houses because this means less children. In Poland we have an active policy in place for housing and we support from public funds building of new houses. This applies also to the student housing and PhD students housing. Since 2026, public universities can apply for up to 80% of refund of their building costs 10% of the funding that will be used for building purposes will be used for building dormitories. Another factor that supports our fight of this crisis is the government program of. Construction and housing loans. So we know that loans do not solve the issue, but we try to fix it anyway. So we provide some public funds and the local authorities provide the housing. Whenever the. This is especially practical when there are some households who make not enough money to receive proper funding themselves, but don't make enough to actually afford a house themselves. This helps us provide housing for middle income households and helps reduce barriers to enter actually the real estate market for these families. Thank you.”
EU policy on urban development
- 2026-06-29 “Poland wishes to second the Belgian initiative, and we pay close attention to the protection of our workers in Poland a law considers this a human right. This is why we believe establishing such a European day would be a very clear message that for the European Union and all member States, preventing the accidents at work is a priority. So thank you for the initiative.”
EU rules on hazardous working conditions
- 2026-06-29 “Chair poverty is a complex issue and multidimensional issue. Therefore, the policy to fight against it has to be targeted human beings. This is an investment in human capital and long term competitiveness of Europe. Therefore, the preparation of an EU strategy. I thank the chair, The president for that. For the first time, we treat poverty as a challenge for the entire EU and the fight against it. As the necessity to guarantee. The situation where Europe is the best place to live. This EU strategy, including a comprehensive approach based on the entire life cycle of a human being, requires the management of all national on all national levels and also the support from EU institutions. The risk of being exposed to poverty is the outcome of many different factors like revenue and stable situation on the labour market. Poor access to social services or housing problems taking into account housing, education, health care, employment. It is necessary to have services from different sectoral policies. Therefore, public policies should be shaped in order to eradicate the causes for poverty. The poverty cannot be cannot be only a challenge for social services. Therefore, we have to increase the effectiveness of all the measures that we already undertake, and we obviously should concentrate also on prevention. Therefore, we can better eradicate, eradicate poverty. Recently, we have managed to limit poverty. In Poland. We have the lowest level of exposure to poverty among our citizens. And in 2025, this ratio was 15%, whereas in the EU the averages of 21%. This is the outcome of a long term policy covering children, seniors and the handicapped. The source of this success is consistent policy of universal benefits to families without the revenue criterion like 800 plus the famous benefit in Poland, and also a consistent policy of the labor market connected to the increase of minimum wages. We want to break the intergenerational poverty cycle. Therefore, we work a lot with children, with young people through better access to different services and also supporting parents in professional activity. This policy allows us to create a situation where you can leave poverty instead of inheriting poverty. Thank you.”
Child poverty policy
- 2026-06-26 “31:40 - 11:34:28): Thank you very much, chair. I would like to thank the presidency for its work on the file, which is very relevant for Europe's energy transition and further integration of the European energy market.
From the very beginning, of our discussion, we have recognized the importance of cross border infrastructure fund for the integration of the energy market. However, we have also emphasized that several elements of this proposal raise our concern, especially with regard to the over centralization of infrastructure planning, lack of adequate flexibility for member state in utilizing their congestion rent, and ensuring appropriate funding for security of critical infrastructure.
During the past months, many of our comments have been integrated into the latest text for which we are very grateful to the presidency. Nevertheless, there are still elements that, in our view, could be better reflected in the text.
1st, we believe that the system operators and members, they should play a stronger role in the process of throwing the central scenario. If we develop this scenario, without adequate utilization of the know how of the TSOs, we're gonna draw up the scenarios that would be very difficult to implement. But we welcome the positive elements introduced in the text and believe that the role of the TSOs could be still a bit more clearly, reflected.
On the congestion income, we believe that member states should have a greater flexibility in the way they use those found. They already used to finance cross border investment and, to help reducing the rising grid cost based on the consumers via tariffs. That's why we were very skeptical about the obligation of setting aside parts of those funds from a limited amount of time. We therefore appreciate the latest changes made to the text, especially with the inclusion of a time limit.
We also we also raised the the question of the security of infrastructure, and, we underline, the need for more holistic approach to the security of the European infrastructure to ensure that all critical infrastructure is taken into account as expressed by the statement which we submit with other colleagues.
In in conclusion, I would like to underline that further work will be needed, in, the trial logs to ensure that the final text remains balanced, workable, and responsive to the concerns expressed by the member states. And we count very much on the Irish, presidency, to deliver, on this file. Thank you very much.”
EU energy infrastructure integration
- 2026-06-26 “06:54 - 10:08:40): Thank you, mister chair. Poland welcomes the work done, on this file, and we thank, the presidency for the newest text, with many changes going into the right direction. Inefficient permitting process and grid connection procedures can be 1 of the barriers bottlenecks actually contributing to delays in energy infrastructure investment, which is why streamlining these procedures is action. However, it is important to strike a balance between the effective implementation of investments and the environmental and social considerations, especially considering different regulatory, political, and social landscape across member states. In Poland, to let you know, we have, carried out a comprehensive, reform, changing the, the legislation, and helping basically renewables to get grid connection faster and also develop projects. We do think it's extremely important and we have already done a lot in this direction. We recognize the importance, of this file, and see a way forward towards supporting, the latest, compromise text. At the same time, we continue to see room for certain improvement and further adjustment during the next phases of negotiations. The different existing frameworks across member states require more flexibility and optional mechanism to ensure that the uniform approach does not turn out counterproductive. Again, I would like to thank you, the, the presidency, the commission for the hard work and looking forward to continuing.”
EU policy on permitting for renewable energy projects
- 2026-06-26 “27:55 - 12:29:29): And now Poland. Thank you very much, sir. Very often in this room, we are discussing high energy prices. When, we discuss electrification, I must tell you that, actually in Poland, we have just started, the discussion on the electrification plan, but we cannot deliver on electrification if we do not decrease energy prices.
This is why Poland is in favor of having this discussion. This is why Poland wants to discuss electrification, but we have to do it into account but we have to do it taking into account, very specific, situations, of the member states, including countries like, Poland. And this is only when, we can really have, a dialogue and deliver on on electrification.
So, to to be, a conclusive on that, we are much in favor of having the discussion on electrification. But, again, we need to, in parallel, having a discussion on, decreasing the energy prices and taking into account, the situation of different, member states and, have certain flexibility, on that. Thank you. Thank you. And finally, Portugal.”
EU approach to electricity market and prices
- 2026-06-26 “49:54 - 11:51:12): Thank you very much. I would like to 1st thank all of the colleagues who have so far supported this nonpaper. This support provides a very solid foundation, for further action, and this action action is needed because, we are now speaking about, energy security.
As Poland has underlined in the December, TD Council, we continue, the dialogue, and we look for the pragmatic approach to the implementation. But given the urgency, time is of the essence.
Key obligation for importance will soon apply while recent developments in The Middle East and continued volatility of global oil and gas markets underline the need for clarity and predictability at European level.
While we understand that the commission is preparing a recommendation for member states, we believe that additional more concrete steps will also be needed given the limited time available.
This is also why in in this context, the proposal set out in the paper, including a time limited postponement and assessment of the impact of import related provisions, and an implementation dialogue should be carefully considered in the coming weeks. Thank you. Thank you. So, Italy, Lithuania followed by Thank”
EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
- 2026-06-25 “Thank you Marianne. Congratulations and best wishes to the Republic of Slovenia on your National day. I agree with many points that that Vanya made Italian minister made. Um, you know, we, we shared the opinion that electrification of transport will be the, the key pathway. But, but we need to stay open to other pathways as well. And, and that's why we need more technological neutrality on in this file. Um, we support the overall direction of, of making this pathway more realistic and more credible. Also to keep to keep the industry in Europe in terms of flexibility that is currently on the table. Um, we think that, uh, green steel and, and allowing for some, for some renewable fuels is not, is not enough. It's a good, a good direction, but certainly not enough. We need more flexibility options in particular on, uh, on light commercial vehicles, we seeking super credits and target reduction to 30%. Um, and also I would like to point out that we, I, I agree, although our positions are not aligned on this file, but I agree on many points, uh, that the French minister made um, vehicles eligible for super credits must be made in Europe. This is an absolute necessity to, to actually have this industry still around. Um, and, this should be a real production, not just assembly, because I think this this proposal on the table allows for assembly. And I think we should be pushing for a real manufacturing in Europe and and also for us, this this proposal is, is a an element of a wider picture. I think, uh, we need to make sure that it's well connected with, uh, with the commercial fleet decarbonization and also the, the I a, a proposal because we need to have the whole value chain in Europe. Also battery manufacturing, we need to bring it to Europe. We need to increase the footprint for, for this industry. Otherwise the jobs will will just leak from Europe and will lose this industry and will not replace it with with anything new. Thank you.”
Road transport environmental policy
- 2026-06-25 “Thank you. Chair. We support the modernization of reach through implementing and technical measures rather than a comprehensive legislative revision. The key priorities should be the simplification and digitalisation. Equally important is adapting the requirements to scientific and technological progress. The competitiveness of chemical industry depends largely on greater regulatory predictability and more effective enforcement of requirements on imports from outside the EU, and ensuring a level playing field for EU manufacturers. Such an approach would simultaneously maintain a high level of protection for human health and the environment, while strengthening the autonomy, resilience and competitiveness of European chemical sector. Thank you.”
Classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals
- 2026-06-25 “Thank you. We also do recognize the importance of nature and biodiversity to our economy. And in order to ensure a better future, we must protect our competitive edge by shifting to a nature positive economy using three decisive strategies. Firstly, we must demand coherent, workable regulation. Our regulatory framework must be predictable and conducive to biodiversity restoration. Crucially, they must remain balanced, avoiding excessive financial or administrative burdens that drain resources away from practical, on the ground conservation. Secondly, we must embed biodiversity objectives into all sectoral policies, for example, prioritizing natural water retention and implementing standards to minimize habitat fragmentation in transport networks. And thirdly, we must unlock the market. We need to strengthen incentives for conservation investments, mobilize public private partnerships, cooperate deeply with the financial sector, and champion innovative nature tech solutions. Enhancing consumer awareness is key as it can become a major driver. Motivating business to act. To conclude, healthy ecosystems are the baseline for food security, climate adaptation, and regional stability. Thank you.”
Overall simplification of regulation in the EU · Nature protection and restoration in the EU
- 2026-06-25 “Thank you very much. We welcome the Water Resilience strategy and highly valued the structured dialogue with the Commission. This platform has been instrumental in allowing us to voice our challenges, particularly the lack of adequate funding. Poland is actively working to reinforce its water resilience. We are currently adapting our drought risk management plan to directly address the climate resilience of our water services as part of our national defense program is we plan to invest in restoring wetlands along our eastern border zone. However, significant challenges remain, particularly regarding investments in retention and water infrastructure in rural areas. Progress here is constrained by high capital costs. Regarding the Digitalization Action Plan, it is key to ensure data interoperability and reduce administrative burdens. We also welcome EU support in developing training programs for local administrations, alongside targeted assistance for small and medium sized farms, adopting digital technologies, exchanging best practices on smart metering, water abstraction monitoring and the digital mapping of soil and retention conditions will be vital to improving water management in agriculture. To mobilise private investment, we must focus on mitigating investor risk and creating highly attractive financial instruments. Nevertheless, we must emphasize that white private capital can complement water related actions. It cannot replace robust public and EU funding. Thank you very much.”
EU policy on water management
- 2026-06-25 “Thank you, Maria, and thank you to Sarah for bringing up this important topic. And I just want to underline that life is great and the life is beautiful. And we should we should try to preserve it. Um, you know, this, this is the only program that has been for, for 30 years consistently supporting implementation of environmental legislation. And it has an amazing track record in, in my country and I believe in Europe as well. Um, it serves capacity building. It serves knowledge sharing. It helps region as well. Regions as well. And, uh, the, the money for, for environmental legislation implementation is, is, is rather scarce. So, so importance of this program cannot be exaggerated. And also the the procedure to get the funds is also very transparent, very robust, involves member states regions. So it has proven its worth as well. Um um, let's assess the program. Let's assess its results and will be open to discuss its future. Hopefully. Thank you.”
Nature protection and restoration in the EU
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I strongly appreciate all the work that was put into the evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy. We support the revision of the CFP. Since CFP is one of the measures to ensure food security and to promote a strong EU. Fisheries, however, are facing numerous challenges, including climate change, low biomass of commercially valuable fish species, high fuel prices, excessive red tape, complicated regulations, floundering generational renewal, and many other external disruptions. The situation in the Baltic Sea remains deeply alarming. Critical state of economically significant fish stocks contribute to that situation. Therefore, we need legislations that would improve the situation in the Baltic Sea without excluding fishermen, including the small scale fisheries. The current regulations are too complex, difficult to understand. They create numerous barriers for fishermen and the sector as such. The CFP rules should be coherent, simple, clear, objective and transparent. At the same time, they should ensure legal certainty for coastal fishing. We need to reduce red tape. The changes have to be based on stability and flexibility criteria, among others, especially with regards to compliance. Access to the EU support, preservation of biodiversity in the Baltic Sea and with regards to food security, while at the same time they should help us preserve fishing traditions for future generations.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you very much, Madam President. Mr. Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to thank, first and foremost, the presidency and the Commissioner Costas, for the presented communication, which I believe represents a strong and relevant ground. For further discussion on the future of CFP. We do support the objectives set out under the CFP, in particular, in particularly the stock management, in compliance with the MSY principle, but at the same time maintaining the balance between the environmental, economic and social dimensions because we believe this is crucial for the sustainability of the sector. Many of the delegates have already mentioned the specific and challenging situation in the Baltic Sea. I wish to reiterate it myself. Uh, the, uh, challenging situation is, uh, not only affected by fishing, but rather the state of stocks is linked to non fishing factors such as the climate change, eutrophication, or disruptions in the marine ecosystems, which requires, in our view, a more comprehensive approach. Fishing opportunities must be more predictable and as such offer adequate financial means for fleet modernisation and for the energy transition. This will allow to maintain the competitiveness of the sector and will prepare us to be more resilient to changing market conditions. We believe further action should also help improve the economic situation of fishermen and women, and support generational renewal in the sectors. Thank you.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you very much, Madam president, Mr. Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to thank the Cypriot presidency for its work on the compromise so far, which was able to develop a partial general approach to the EU Council of the EU. As I already mentioned, early in 2025, if we abandoned the separate fisheries Fund, this must not lead to a deterioration of the position of fishers that apply for EU funding in the future. Given the current geopolitical and climate environment, the fishing activities are becoming more and more challenging. It is particularly striking in the case of the Baltic Sea region, where consecutive crisis situations unfold, having a significant impact on the situation of fishing farms. Due to its nature, the fishing sector is unable to compete with the mass production of food based on animal protein. They have a much shorter production cycle. Given the important contribution of fisheries production to both food security and to the variety of healthy foods available, it is absolutely necessary to guarantee the support to this sector at an appropriate level, at 11, at a level that will in fact contribute to its development. This is why we support any efforts to enable quicker modernisation of the fleet and efforts aimed at decarbonisation of the sector. These efforts should be available for all segments of the fleet, and this is why we will do everything to make the proposal proposals clear and transparent in this area. Thank you.”
Funding for fisheries and aquaculture
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you, Madam Chair. Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we thank the Latvian delegation for preparing the document at hand. We are closely following the negotiations on the new protocol to the EU Mauritania agreement, and we express our concern at the lack of progress during the latest round of talks. We stress the importance of reaching an agreement in good time, one that will ensure stable and predictable operating conditions for the EU fisheries sector and continuity of activity after the current protocol expires. We hope that the continued political engagement will make it possible to reach a compromise satisfactory to both sides, and allow the negotiations to be concluded smoothly. Thank you.”
Funding for fisheries and aquaculture
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you. Maria. Mr. Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, first and foremost, let me congratulate the Cyprus presidency for the works they delivered on these two draft regulations. I wish to thank, especially for the project, for the proposal on the protection of animals during transport. Transport of animals is crucial for Polish agriculture due to the large scale animal production in our country. This is why we appreciate the works in this area so much. However, it is extremely important that the proposed rules are proportionate and that safeguarding of the competitiveness of EU agriculture remains a priority. We thank the Cyprus presidency for taking this aspect into account in their works. At the same time, we still see a potential to increase the administrative burden due to the plant obligatory training and certification for persons involved in the transport of animals, including those who catch poultry intended for transport. We encourage the incoming presidencies to continue their works based on the solutions developed by previous presidencies, in order to achieve a balanced and workable compromise based on the work delivered by the Cyprus presidency. And thank you very much.”
EU requirements on animal welfare for farmers
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Commissioner. We fully support the position expressed in the document on implementing implementability of EU control measures in order to maintain the competitiveness of the European Fisheries market. We believe that the new fisheries control measures must be feasible in practice, especially in the case of SMEs. They must not impose any disproportionate burdens on those enterprises. Therefore, the proposed analysis is highly relevant. The analyst analysis should address the questions of how to practically streamline fisheries control measures without compromising the basic objectives of such controls. Thank you.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you. Maria. Commissioner. Ladies and gentlemen, we believe that any lowering of the protection regime for the brown bear in Romania and Slovakia should be based on sound scientific evidence and consistent with the applicable procedures. Any discussion on reducing the protection regime or on managing this species at EU level should take place, should consider the safety of citizens and consider the damages caused by the brown bear. Thank you very much.”
Large Carnivores
- 2026-06-22 “Allow me to highlight the significance of environmental, social and economic objectives. Each of them is crucial for fisheries. However, they are consistent and complementary and all crucial to achieve the CFP objectives. The new rules must provide an adequate level of flexibility to allow for a smooth and rapid response to multiple crises. The revision of the CFB should and must take into account the specificities of and needs of the regions, and aim to identify the problems and promote a level playing field in order to ensure the best possible functioning of the CFB. We need to revise multiannual plans for the Baltic Sea, because the current maps present many challenges and they hinder the implementation of the CFP as well as they slow down the activities of the sector. As such, the future CFP should be able to respond to changing environmental, economic and geopolitical circumstances, but at the same time, they need to support their competitiveness, resilience and long term development of the sector. It is therefore of crucial importance to ensure the right conditions for investments, modernisation and generational renewal, renewal, as well as to maintain coherence between our ambitious policy objectives and available instruments and funding. Thank you.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you. Maria. Mr. Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we believe the rules for BSE monitoring need to be amended and made more flexible. We generally support the direction of proposed changes and recommend testing cattle from high risk populations for BSE from the 60th months of age. Thank you.”
Animal diseases prevention and management in the EU
- 2026-06-16 “Thank you Marilyn. So Poland supports reaching an agreement on a partial general approach regarding three key sectoral regulations as part of the next MFF. The negotiations were very intense. We appreciate the Cyprus presidency's commitment to achieving a compromise remains under discussion. Many elements still require further refinement and polishing. We stand ready to engage constructively and contribute to that work. Poland supports concluding the negotiations on the next MFF, including the regulations and the discussion in 2026. Although the quality of our work matters when it comes to the regulation. For Poland, it was particularly important that during the negotiations in the council, we strengthened the provisions regarding the active role of regions in the design and implementation of an RRP increase, the visibility of cohesion policy and the Common Agricultural Policy while preserving its key features and principles, ensuring flexibility and simplifications not only for commission but for all member states and provide appropriate dedicated support for eastern border regions. When it comes to the ECF regulation, Poland supports the fund focusing on projects with a clean, clear pan-European impact. We are open to discussion on the final wording of this provision. In order to reach an agreement within the Council, the criteria of excellence remains key, but it should be supplemented by the need for the spread of excellence and the building of European value chains across the EU. In light of the above, we call for an explicit reference to these elements in the operative part of article three. Such a provision will strengthen the EU's economic resilience and reduce dependence on non-EU suppliers. Thank you.”
Cohesion and rural funding
- 2026-06-16 “Thank you Marilena. I'd like to thank the presidency for their effort and for navigating those conflicting expectations. I know it's not an easy job. We feel the presidency is right when it comes to preserving budgets for cohesion, common agricultural policy and fisheries. And let me remind my my colleagues that in the commission's proposal, those are frozen on the level, uh, on the current level in nominal terms. Uh, so we all know what that means in real terms. To put that in context, heading to competitiveness, even after cuts proposed by the presidency would increase by 122%, 122%. So we need to recognize those major shifts that have already happened in the budget. So I'm really surprised to see calls for even more changes or cuts. I don't think that's realistic or constructive on specific items. Um, we very much appreciate the recognition of the specific situation of eastern border regions, including those bordering Ukraine. However, the proposed provisions are general in nature. At the same time, several dedicated solutions are proposed for outermost regions, and we are happy to see that. However, also for eastern border regions, we feel we deserve specific solutions as the outermost regions have. Uh. As regards the de facto disappearance of the Cohesion fund, it is not only about money. It's main advantage was the possibility of EU co-financing of up to 85%.”
Cohesion and rural funding
- 2026-06-16 “It supported major transport and environmental projects across the entire territory of a Member states, regardless of the category of regions. We are also happy that the presidency chose the option in which member states will be able to tap simultaneously. Wide range of sources for crisis response cascade mechanisms was not acceptable for us. We'd like to see more progress on the implementing rules, co-financing higher pre-financing and the commitment rules. We argue for higher co-financing for transition regions that are upgraded from less developed status. We believe that extending the commitment rule should go further, which would better reflect implementation needs on cap. To ensure a level playing field in the internal market, we propose clarifying the maximum levels of national co-financing for Cap interventions. Without such limits, there is a risk of excessive national. Uh, support regarding the proposed cuts under heading two. We have concerns about the reduction of funding for the defence component of the ECF and also, uh, for agora EU, especially financing for democratic resilience. Those areas require adequate financing in light of growing challenges that we keep on discussing here. Finally, the rebate system and own resources should have been dismantled after the UK left the EU. We are open for new owner sources except the ETS, which is highly regressive. Thank you.”
Cohesion and rural funding
- “We prepared for the discussion on the basis of three questions. How should, firstly, how should work continue into the future in terms of the directive and what should what should what approach should we be planning? Most member States Believe that we should continue working on this if we want to move forward with this directive. Some wanted to continue only after an agreement prior agreement with the European Parliament. Others said that they were more flexible. So, uh, the their view being that if the negotiations allow that, one could be more flexible. As regards what some of the points highlighted by delegations. They stress the fact that one needs to ensure consistency in terms of the practical goals and the principles, and that in terms of pay and social welfare protection, one should ensure the necessary level of protection. What is what is meant by high quality and accessibility of um traineeships? These should be Highlighted in terms of hybrid and online traineeships. One should have clear provisions. Clarifying these matters and the adapting them to national circumstances. I would like to suggest that the Danish Presidency to encourage the incoming Danish Presidency to continue our efforts, its efforts. I think Roxanna wanted to take the floor again, if I'm not mistaken.”
Youth employment & training
- “Dear colleagues. In response to the first question, we believe that to boost, uh, the bioeconomy and the future cap should support financially farmers in agri environment. Uh, to increase production while preserving, uh resources. We should strengthen local supply chains. We should also diversify our sources of income in rural areas, and also by means of renewable energy. To minimize the impact on the environment, we should promote circular economy. By using new technologies. And training farmers. In replies to the second question, I'd like to point out a number of actions that would be important to improve competitiveness of bio based products in the global markets. And we believe we should harmonise standards of production as well as processing and labelling of bio based products in EU. We should also support research and innovation by financing, uh, innovative products and methods of production and by ensuring better cooperation through networks between businesses, research centres and public bodies. There is a need to increase organic farming, support for organic farming and sustainable farming practices, for the development of infrastructure necessary for the processing and distribution of bio based products. We should also promote the unique value of bio based products, including the organization of global campaigns to promote European bio based products.”
Agriculture (green)
- “We also showed the view expressed by Belgium and Slovakia regarding the difficult situation in the milk market. We believe that this situation justifies action at the EU level that would address the needs of the sector. We would like to also point the attention to the difficult situation on the market of field crops, in particular cereals. As a result of decrease in their prices and an increase in the production costs, the potato market is struggling as well. Prices have dropped by 70% year on year. We therefore asked the commission to consider intervention in these markets. In the current volatile geopolitical situation, it is of utmost importance to secure US part of the reform work to provide adequate funding for agriculture under Cap that would ensure food security. Thank you.”
Agricultural funding
- “Some of you referred to the procedural aspect. Once again, let me underscore this agriculture simplification package is part and parcel of a broader simplification drive. So we're in a difficult situation. We do understand that what was achieved has been used so far in terms of procedure is not optimal, and I took careful note of your requests on that. I want to emphasize I do agree with those. I did agree with those in February and in March. It's important that we continue to work on fine tuning the proposal from the commission, so that our farmers out there can really and tangibly benefit from what we're proposing. Everybody understand, um, emphasize that everybody said that, um, fast tracking may actually lead to certain, uh, delays. Um, and that is a real risks. But our council and the SCA always worked very efficiently, and that's where the work needs to stay. So I think this is also an issue I'm going to include in my formal summary of this round, a very difficult round, a difficult challenge in front of us. What used to be debated before this whole thing of a single fund. And I hope that it's done and dusted. No return to that. And I think the momentum is shifting right now. There were attempts to undermine the independence of the cap. But that is coming from outside the structures that we happen to be moving in. And I suspended my voice intentionally at this point. Because these ideas were coming from outside our community, outside our council formation, if you remember.”
Agricultural funding
- “Thank you very much, Marquis. Uh, we fully support rapid progress on the market integration package and welcome the presidency's commitment to intensify the work, delivering the required coordinated effort across all institutions. And continued engagement from the European Parliament will be essential. And as one of the recent presidencies, I may testify at all, the institutions will have to do their work for Europe to build a stronger capital market union, we must increase the role of regulated exchanges in equity trading and better understand why European investment banks and brokers are losing global market share. Targeted measures to support European intermediaries are needed if we want competitive and resilient markets. At the same time, integration must remain proportionate to reflect the diversity of our national ecosystems. We should avoid reforms that could unintentionally marginalise smaller markets or lead to excessive concentration of trading and post-trade services in only a few financial centres. A balanced and diversified market structure is strategic for the union strategic asset are. We recognize the value of increasing retail participation. Supported by national instruments such as investment accounts and long term savings products. We also see merit in transferring supervision of crypto asset service providers to ESMA to ensure consistent oversight and reduce regulatory gaps. However, in areas such as consolidated market data, cross-border depository or infrastructure links, we must proceed cautiously. These choices will significantly influence liquidity, operational costs, resilience of the local markets, and finally, beyond integration, we call for a dedicated EU level agenda to simplify financial services. Reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens on public markets is essential if we want to strengthen Europe's competitiveness and attract long term investment. We know this process. We know the omnibus. I may also say that we have introduced omnibus one, uh, into our internal law just one week. Uh, well, we are almost there. There's still signature of our president needed. Uh, but but we are, we are working on simplification, uh, a lot. And this is very important for us. Thank you very much.”
Financial regulation
- “Thank you very much, Commissioner Labib. I would like to ask you if there is anyone wishing to take the floor, and if not, we can conclude. So I conclude that the Council has approved the conclusions on advancing gender equality in the AI driven digital age, as set out in the document number 9408 25. The statements by Bulgaria and Hungary are set out in the addendum one and addendum two to document 9408 25 will be recorded in the minutes.
***A Roadmap for Women’s Rights”
Gender roles, equality and inclusion
- “I wish to thank the Danish presidency for the ambitious works aimed at finishing the works on the package. We started by concentrating on increasing the competitiveness of the pharma industry, and of increasing the access to patients to all. Medicinal products, but I would like to point to three key aspects of the mandate that should be included in the ongoing negotiations during the trilogue. The first one is the that we need to actually address the 11 year protective period that is at the. At the moment, the maximum allowed period. We need to bear in mind that it's one of the longest protection periods in the world, and we have to think how it affects the financial capacity of our health system. The same goes for the efficiency and maintaining the modulated incentive scheme. The second aspect is expanding the exemption. The third mechanism of giving access to medicinal products. We have to maintain the mandate of council that needs to counteract the unequal access to medicinal products in the EU. Thank you.”
Pharma IPRs
- “However, it is essential that any such derogation be consulted with the farmers, representatives and inter sectoral organisations recognised in accordance with the CMO rules. The Council mandate allows member states to decide whether a written contract is necessary or not. If the first purchaser of agricultural product is a micro or small enterprise. And if the delivery of goods and payment takes place at the same time, or if the value of deliveries does not exceed a maximum maximum of €20,000. The farmers can trigger the revision clause for long term contracts after 12 months, rather than the six months initially proposed by the Commission. The introduction of mediation mechanisms by member states remains optional, as opposed to the commission proposal, which was mandatory. The Council mandate reverts to a status quo regarding the derogation from competition rule rules for producer organisations. Meaning that it will be applicable only to recognised producers organisations. The term direct and close connection in the definition of short supply chain has been clarified. The council is ready to start negotiating with the European Parliament once European Parliament adopt this position. The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development is expected to vote on its report in September. And the approval at the plenary session is expected in September or October 2025. Colleagues, at this point, I want to thank you for your close cooperation and support reaching an agreement in such a short time. Despite all the differences, proves that we all care about improving the conditions for our farmers. It shows that when we are united around a common objective, we can act swiftly and effectively. Colleagues, this is a point under any other business and no discussion is foreseen. However, should anyone wish to take the floor, you are welcome to do so. I would only ask you to stick to one minute speaking time. Who would like to take the floor? We have a list here. France is first, followed by Romania. Go ahead. France.”
EU policy on farmer–buyer relations in the agri-food supply chain
- “Ladies and gentlemen, let us now move on to the following agenda point AOB. This is a suggestion by Slovakia, supported by Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia. The need to better combat unfair trading practices and to prevent the abuse of a dominant position by certain actors in the food supply chain. Slovakia has drafted an information note on this topic. It is. Document 5615. Slash 25. I will now give the floor to Slovakia to present this point. The floor is yours.”
EU policy on farmer–buyer relations in the agri-food supply chain
- “Um are important. We need to strengthen knowledge exchange and the implementation of innovative practice, practice driven solutions responding to real farmers needs. It is equally important to put in place support mechanisms to provide incentives to create favourable conditions for farmers. The upcoming EU digitalisation strategy for agriculture could be helpful in achieving those goals faster. The Polish presidency calls for action and within the biased initiative, strengthening the inter-institutional cooperation in terms of research and innovation as a next step. A roadmap could be elaborated in order to explore the possibilities of a Europe wide R and D initiative. Using the capacities of Central and Eastern Europe member states, the Western Balkans and candidate countries. Strengthening the European research area. The Polish presidency wants to support the research and innovation in order to improve competitiveness of European agriculture and strengthen our food security. That would be all on my part. As far as this conference is concerned, dear colleagues, this was an AOB, so no debate has been foreseen. Nevertheless, if any of the delegations wishes to take the floor, you're welcome to do so. Could you please limit your intervention to one minute? I would like to stress that Um. Um. The commission was very strongly represented, um, and its, uh, research and innovation, um Directorate. Let me now give the floor to Hungary. And then Latvia. Hungary.”
Digital and precision farming
- “Thank you. First of all, I'd like to thank the Commission for presenting their report on simplification. Also, thank the Danish Presidency for keeping this critical issue on the agenda. The omnibus are a good start, but feedback from our industry is very, very clear. We need to make a much bigger effort to bring the results which are tangible for our companies. We must finally change our mindset to transform the EU from a regulatory superpower into an economic superpower. We cannot do this with simplification only we need deregulation where it is necessary. The EU needs to build a true capacity for deregulation, not merely streamlining the regulatory state, but actively reducing its scope. We need to have a reality check of our legal aqui to see if it's still fit for our purpose. If the purpose of specific regulatory actions are not aligned with our current goals, we need to roll them back. If targets set in our laws are not feasible considering technological and economic capacities, we need to revise them. This refers clearly to the current discussion on pragmatic approach to green transition. This must, however, happen through a bottom up approach led by European businesses. They best understand the burdens they face. Poland has successfully tested a bottom up approach, with business leaders co-leading the work on the regulation along government. We, as the council, must also adopt a rigorous approach to new legislation. Thinking about the economic impact and a new provision or amendment will have on our companies. Thank you.”
Energy (green transition)
- “Madam chair, Mr. Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we support the note addressed by France to the Commission with regards to the revision of the regulation on the provision of information about food to the consumers. That should be concluded as soon as possible. We believe that the labelling EU non EU labelling is enough and provides sufficient information that enables identification of products and their basic ingredients coming from third countries. Such labelling is also, in our view, the most feasible one because it means the lowest possible burden to the producers while providing sufficient information to the consumer. We also believe that it is in line with the activities promotional activities proposed by the Commission for 2026, including the campaign that was announced by the EC president, namely by European Food Campaign. Thank you.”
Food labelling harmonisation at EU level
- “Thank you very much, Theresa. And I first must commend you for this excellent work you did on this proposal. I think a few months ago it wasn't obvious that you could take us that far. And I think that's already [00:22:30] a great, a great success, regardless of the outcome of our discussion today. There are four points on my side to be fully able to agree to. To that general approach. First of all, the development of enabling conditions for the decarbonisation of heavy duty vehicles will require a significant investment and adequate time for implementation. So it is therefore for us important to have realistic targets for 2030, 2035 and 2040 and [00:23:00] an extended timeline on. And in this context, we very much support the Italian proposal of a carbon correction factor to allow to better reflect low carbon fuels in this sector. Second point and second, major concern on our side is regarding connectivity and competitiveness of EU transport companies. Road transport with third countries is characterised by high mileage, and there is little infrastructure and regulatory [00:23:30] stability in those regions. To ensure that they will. That EU transport companies would be able to sell access road transport markets there. And therefore we should reflect that in the proposal at the least by introducing a review clause monitoring that possibility of using vehicles outside the EU. Thirdly, on the issue of semi trailers, 7.5% is a step in the right [00:24:00] direction, a 5% target accompanied by a flexible approach would be the best for for us. And last but not least, on the requirement concerning city buses to be zero emission by 2030, we fear that that may be difficult for porous municipalities, and therefore we can support the French proposal to postpone the targets to 2035 at least, [00:24:30] and a more flexible approach for smaller cities, for instance, based on population density or population thresholds. Thank you.”
Road transport environmental policy
- “Madam Chair. Poland strongly supports the name of the Epsco and adding equality into the name. We believe the core value of equality, one of our priorities, deserves a stronger visibility and support, not only but also on the symbolic level. And we all know that the change often begins with the language. Thank [00:09:30] you.”
Gender roles, equality and inclusion
- “Maria. Uh, chair. Commissioner. Ladies and gentlemen, as we know for some time, those issues are at the center of interests of farmers and ministers. And it relates to relations with Ukraine, Mercosur and India and their impact on the agricultural sector. The debate is taking place both at the Council of Agricultural Ministers and in many member states, and many agricultural organisations and producers take part in these discussions suggest that in addition to opportunities for export growth and trade agreements also pose serious threats to sensitive sectors of the agricultural market. The note presented by Austria, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia contains a proposal for a summary of possible solutions and protective mechanisms that were put forward during the discussions. They concern effective protective mechanisms in the event of excessive imports. For example, mechanisms with the Mercosur countries are far from satisfactory. The need to deepen the analysis of the cumulative impact of agreements on agriculture. I will remind you that Poland appealed for that a year ago, and this type of analysis will give the impact of liberalizations and allowed imports to Europe and the adaptation of imported products to the EU production standards. This is key, in order to maintain the level playing field, the establishment of appropriate financial mechanisms to compensate farmers for possible losses. We believe that the implementation of these solutions is necessary for the future of the EU agricultural sector, and the European model of agriculture. It is also essential to guarantee food security. Thank you very much for your attention.”
Import of agri-food products in the EU
- “Thank you, dear president. Um, ladies and gentlemen, the current EU law do not protect enough the consumer interests in relation with environmental challenges, and the consumers are not fully able to make sustainable decisions, for example, while shopping. Um, currently, the consumers do not have a clear information about the products in relation with sustainable approach. That should be our common goal. That's why Poland do support this general approach. It is also absolutely crucial that we will support our local, medium and small businesses during the introduction of this regulations. I want to thank the presidency for this final, well-balanced compromise and both the fact that Poland supports it. Thank you.”
Food labelling harmonisation at EU level
- “Ladies and gentlemen, let's move on to point two. We will now reach a general approach on the proposal for a regulation on insolvency proceedings to replace its annexes A and B, to avoid any misunderstanding, because I think this is important also for our viewers. I just wanted to add that here we're not dealing with the Insolvency Directive draft, which is something that we will discuss later on during our meeting today. Here we're dealing with the proposal for a regulation which is, um, supposed to adapt the names of insolvency procedures and practitioners listed in the annexes to the 2015 Insolvency Regulation. So here we're supposed to adapt to the latest changes in national insolvency procedure. This proposal aims at ensuring that the scope of the regulations, adjusted to the actual current legal framework of the Member States on insolvency. The Council shall not be able to reach this general approach. I can't see any requests for the floor. Anyone voting against with respect to this general approach. Therefore, I note that we have reached a general approach as set out in document number 8878. 25. Dear colleagues, let's move on to point three. We continue with the adoption of an amendment on the regulation on prudential requirements for credit institutions as regards requirements for securities financing, financing transactions under the net stable funding ratio. This is a targeted amendment of the Capital Requirements Regulation. It renders permanent the transitory stable. Securities financing transactions with financial customers. The council should now be able to approve the European Parliament's position as set out in document. P e cons 1425.”
Financial regulation
- “Thank you chair. And thank you, Commissioner, for your announcement of the so-called omnibus on food and feed safety. This will be very important to us. Facilitating the rules for registering plant protection products, including biological active substances, is greatly needed. Simplifying administrative procedures should contribute to faster access to more effective solutions. This is particularly relevant for biological plant protection products adapted to local conditions. At the same time, high safety standards should be maintained. We hope that the changes proposed by the Commission will enable the use of new technologies and innovations in plant protection, among others. Like my colleague said, including drones, which fits the concept of precision agriculture. Thank you.”
Digital and precision farming
- “Thank you. I would like to thank the presidency for the hard work done on this file. We truly appreciate it. I believe that [00:05:30] it is necessary to further strengthen our resilience through enhancing the cyber crisis management framework, but we should not complicate it further. It is also very important not to duplicate the existing structures like CCTV network, where already member States act in a spirit of solidarity and therefore we should enhance the existing information sharing structures. We also need to have clarity on new procedures with a strong role of for Member States and [00:06:00] Enisa in the Cyber Reserve. With this, we remain committed to engage constructively in further negotiations. Thank you.”
Governance of EU cyber crisis-response mechanisms (Cyber Solidarity Act)
- “Brother Christoph, thank you very much. Colleagues, we'll open the floor for debate. I'd like to hear from you. I'd like you to respond to the two questions to the extent that you think is necessary. I'm not going to read, but the first question is whether you agree that we really need to improve the mechanism. And if yes, how do we go about doing it? I'd like to hear your suggestions on how to increase the effectiveness of implementation at EU level. Second thing is, we'd like you to share ideas on how to more effectively address rural development and other strategies and policies and EU funds other than the Common Agricultural Policy. Then the second question, we also want to hear from you on good practices from local, regional and national level. So the first to take the floor Sweden. Daniel. The floor is yours. Followed by Finland.”
Cohesion and rural funding
- “Thank you, Magnus, and thanks for a very good movie. You have a career ahead of you after the presidency. Um. Poland welcomes the Ocean Pact. Um. There is no doubt that ensuring good environmental status of ocean is one of the greatest challenges of our century. And and there's still a lot to do. So this initiative is, is is very good. Um, we recognize a number of challenges still ahead of us. Um, and the main one is the complexity of pollution sources. Particularly those originating from from land, such as chemical pollution, plastics, microplastics, and nutrient runoff from from agriculture. It is therefore important to to limit these inflows and to strengthen the the source to sea approach through better integration of inland and marine water protection efforts. Um, the effectiveness of the European Ocean Pact depends on its coherence with the with other EU uh policies and international efforts, including those related to water, agriculture, environment and climate. And in this context, I would like to point out that, uh, um, we welcome the Commission's declaration to revise the Maritime Strategy Framework Directive. Um, the revision, in our opinion, should focus on simplifying implementation better, addressing land based pressures and strengthening the synergies between the strategy and the Water Framework Directive, particularly regarding environmental objectives and the harmonisation of reporting timelines. And in terms of international aspect, um, the lack of the the Global Plastics Treaty is an issue and we should do whatever it takes to, to to push ahead on this. And there's it's good that there's a separate point on this. Um. Uh, it's also worth emphasizing that any changes to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive should avoid introducing new regulatory burdens. And this is an overall objective of ours to to limit overregulation. And it also applies here. Um, and last but not least, an important step in reaching objectives of the Ocean Pact would be to establish ambitious and effectively enforced marine protected areas which are currently lacking, and to promote integrated coastal zone management, considering local ecological and economic needs. Thank you.”
EU ocean policy
- “Thank you very much. Madam [00:07:30] chair, madam Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, ministers, we are facing a new era. We are all aware of this digital transformation brought with it unprecedented possibilities, innovation and connectivity. But it also poses challenges. And we have to face them carefully and with long term view. Education has a key role in making sure that our citizens will have the necessary [00:08:00] skill and knowledge needed in digital economies. Investing in educational programs, focusing on digital skills. We can provide for people the possibility to reap the benefits of digital revolution without, uh, leaving behind, uh, those who are more exposed to risks. We have to define anew the basic confidence as key competences and cross-cutting competences, [00:08:30] which will respond to the needs of this generation and their challenges.
[00:08:36] In curricula, we have to include AI, its risks and challenges. It is necessary for citizens who are aware of what these technologies means. We should, as early as possible, prepare students to be able to safely use the technologies. It is also necessary to introduce ethics and developing competence and social [00:09:00] competencies, uh, so that they can develop in an integral way. Teachers should be necessarily supported in lifelong learning related to AI. Ai could also be used by teachers as uh, support when hybrid teaching and flexible teaching, by personalizing teaching, adapting it to needs and preferences of of students. It could also be a mechanism helping [00:09:30] to prevent discrimination or exclusion. Let's not forget about the possibilities of that AI's give us, for example, interactive environment for learning for students, but also mechanisms that help to analyze the educational systems. The key challenge for the EU now is to create innovative methods of teaching when and using uh technology. [00:10:00] For this, in order to achieve this, this is necessary for Europe to be to remain competitive. We could also cooperate in conducting international research. And uh, there therefore, we could base our policies on facts. Our measures related to AI, um, could be, for example, coming up with a joint framework and joint ethical norms. Thank you. Merci [00:10:30] beaucoup.”
Focus of EU policy on education (shaping workers vs citizens)
- “In other business, it is the challenges for the livestock sector related to the revision of the European regulation on transport of live animals. It's an information from Italy supported by Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal and Romania. The information note was provided with the number of 9278 stroke, one stroke 25. As you know, the analysis of the proposed regulation on protection of animals during transport. This is taking place in the Working party of the Council for many years. It's a complex proposal. It has to take into account the welfare of animals and to balance this against the interests of the livestock production sector and the internal market.”
Road transport environmental policy
- “Good morning. Thank you, Madam Chair. Poland would like to thank for placing a policy debate on the need to provide more flexibility to Member States on the on the proposed regulation of title two of the of the proposal for a directive on the harmonisation [00:48:30] of certain aspects of insolvency law. And we are of the opinion that Member States should be given more freedom to choose the sanction to be applied to legal acts of the debtor, to the detriment of the general body of creditors before the opening of insolvency proceedings. As it stands, the rules proposed by the Commission do not reflect the stated approach of minimum harmonisation of insolvency law in this area, [00:49:00] and it should be noted that article five allows Member States to retain their existing rules on the avoidance, violability and unenforceability of legal actions of the debtor, made to the detriment of the creditors as a whole. So if the national rules provide for a higher protection of creditors than that provided for it in title two of the draft, while the other provisions of this title only use the [00:49:30] concept of availability of such actions, so they do not appear to be any objective considerations in favour of harmonising sanctions in respect of a debtor or legal actions carried out to the detriment of creditors. So the rules in place so far in the Member States adequately fulfilled their role, including in those Member States whose rules only provide for a sanctions of [00:50:00] unenforceability. So imposing on the Member States the need to apply sanctions of liability for a debt or legal transactions carried out to the detriment of creditors is, in Poland's view, not only unnecessary for the achievement of the objective declared by the Commission, but also renders the declared minimum harmonisation meaningless. Thank you very much. [00:50:30]”
Jurisdiction conflicts between EU and national courts
- “Thank you. Thank you colleagues. I can conclude that the general approach has been reached. The Council's statement will be entered in the minutes. The council will need to reconcile the European Parliament on this directive. A written procedure to that effect will be launched shortly after the council meeting. I propose we now move to any other business on the current financial services proposals still in public session, as was the case already in February. Ecofin.
***AOB: Current financial services legislative proposals”
Financial regulation
- “Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Latvia, for introducing this topic. In the discussion we supported because we fully agree with the need to simplify the new Cap framework and control framework. In our proposal, we see that they follow our suggestions that we reported to the Commission in 2025. We believe that it needs to be. The control framework should be changed in a way that would foster the achievement of objectives within the Cap framework. Currently, the European Commission audit bodies, uh, penalize individual weaknesses and they do not account for the actual level of risk. We need to make sure that we, instead of penalizing, we concentrate on remedies. We need to reframe the controls so that they are more effective and help us implement a new cap. We will support all the Member States and commission to that end. Thank you.”
Agriculture (green)
- “Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, [00:36:00] I'd like to thank the Spanish presidency for putting this item on today's agenda. Regarding the actions that we're taking in Poland, we have prepared a draft law to improve the status of the artist, which responds to the requests that have been voiced by the cultural circles for years. Under the draft, there will be subsidies to social security contributions and [00:36:30] payment and pension contributions between 20 to 80%, and also rebates from contributions for jobs contracted by freelancers. And it allows for grants, scholarships and Aids. Also, we're envisaging the so-called professional artists Charter, which will allow for advantages, tax breaks and special offers targeted at artists. Such a solution might possibly be [00:37:00] considered also at the general EU level. We should also try and think how to best benefit from the lessons learned from today's debate, because many issues related to the professional status and the operation of artists may be within the remit of the Epsco Council. On the second question, we'd like to draw special attention for promotions in the EU for programmes related to artists, mobility and [00:37:30] culture practitioners such as I Portenos and the Culture Moves Europe programmes. They ensure financial support for artists and cultural practitioners who, together with other international partners, implement international mobility programmes and they support sustainable measures and they are conducive to social inclusion, especially for emerging artists and young professionals. [00:38:00] On top of that, given the experience of the ICC ID cards for students or the. Icomos I.D. card for practitioners in heritage protection and historical monuments preservation. We might consider launching a European ID card for artists and culture professionals. Such an ID card might undoubtedly have a positive [00:38:30] impact on the mobility of artists, which is promoted. Thank you very much for making it possible for me to speak in this very important topic. Thank you.”
EU and national cultural identities
- “Thank you. Poland supports long awaited proposal to simplify the legal framework applicable to securitisation in the EU. In our view, revitalizing the securitization market is an important step in unlocking investment capital so needed in Europe. Well-functioning securitization markets can contribute to faster economic growth and facilitate the achievement of EU strategic objectives. From Poland's point of view. It is important that the proposed solutions are designed to facilitate securitization activity in the EU while preserving financial stability. The proposals to simplify due diligence and transparency obligations and to introduce proportionate requirements depending on the level of risk deserve support. We welcome them as they can significantly reduce transaction costs and increase the efficiency of the securitisation market. We also support the direction of amendments to the Regulation on Prudential Requirements for credit Institutions regarding calibration of capital ratios. The current levels, as indicated by the Commission, are too high and lead to unjustified levels of over capitalisation in some transactions. During further work, we will aim at adopting solutions that will reduce barriers to the development of the securitisation market. Thank you.”
Financial regulation
- “During our presidency, we will also stress the role of research and innovation and digital digitisation and precision farming in order to enhance the competitiveness of EU agriculture in ensuring food security. On the 15th of June, it will hold a high level conference in Warsaw concerning digitization in agriculture and veterinary issues. We will continue work on the regulation on protecting animals in transport. Our goal is to arrive at solutions for some of the provisions in this proposal. We will also negotiate with the EP on the proposal for regulation on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability. We are ready to go ahead with this work as soon as the European Parliament arrives at its position in sanitary issues. We will continue work on the proposal for a regulation on the proposal for a regulation which on plants which are obtained from the latest GM RTS. We would like to take stock of the existing results of negotiations. Our goal is to maintain the competitiveness in the plant sector in the EU. We will also continue work on the proposal for a regulation on plant reproductive material in fisheries. We will focus on ensuring competitiveness of EU fisheries and in including its interest during regional negotiations in regional management fisheries organizations in agreements with third countries. We will make take efforts to make sure that decisions are taken to take stock of the socio economic aspects, as well as the existing scientific advice.”
Digital and precision farming
- “Madam chair. Mr. Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we fully support efforts aimed at increasing the welfare of animals. But they must not ignore the free market and have to ensure access to affordable food to the consumers. We believe that it's better to encourage than to force the farmers to increase the welfare of animals. Therefore, we believe that future Cap Camp should allocate funding to farms that undertake additional commitments in this regard. As far as the fur farming is concerned, we believe that it from 2034 we will have a ban on fur farming. However, let me express certain reservations in this area because we believe that restrictions in this area are an excessive interference in the freedom of choice of our consumers. Thank you.”
EU requirements on animal welfare for farmers
- “Well, we do support [00:11:00] this idea to work on new vaccines for, uh, other diseases that are quite an economic threat, including AFS and highly pathogenic, uh, bird flu. We're watching other member states, what they come up with to, um, vaccinate against this, um, version of influenza. We want to reduce the risk for the [00:11:30] contamination to spread. We teach people, we check how requirements are met. We do support the ideas to practically apply vaccination in order to avoid losses in breeding. Uh, at the same time, this should not affect the areas and the ideas on how or rules how an area will be treated as free of disease.”
Animal diseases prevention and management in the EU
- “Thank you very much, Commissioner, for your intervention and for speaking on the subject. Let me formally conclude this item. The Council took note of the information provided by Germany concerning the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. The Council also took note of the comments made by delegations on this subject, as well as of the intervention by the Commissioner. I would also like to say a few words about this situation. It seems that we need more EU intervention, more EU um assistance to farmers who suffered losses because of this situation. I believe that we should reflect on this subject and take adequate measures. Ladies and gentlemen, a short technical break. I would like to ask the technicians to switch off the cameras, and we will have a very short break now. Thank you.”
Animal diseases prevention and management in the EU
- “Thank you. Chair Poland supports the adoption by the council. Uh, general approach to the draft regulation. [00:32:00] Poland appreciates the efforts of the Spanish presidency in working on particular solutions of the draft regulation, which, uh, enabled elaboration of the text of the Council general approach. Uh, Poland positively considers the objectives of the proposed regulation, which is to streamline criminal proceedings with a cross-border element and approves the proposed compromise solutions, especially with regard to [00:32:30] procedural guarantees for the parties and the criteria and consequences of the transfer. Transfer of proceedings. In summary, it should be pointed out that Poland supports the adoption of general approach by the Council of the of the regulation on the Transfer of Proceedings in Criminal Matters, and looks forward to further constructive work in Trilogues. Thank you very much.”
EU law enforcement cooperation in criminal matters
- “We agree with the need to strengthen innovation in the agricultural sector. However, we believe that these solutions must first and foremost respond to the real needs of farmers. The principles of better regulation are based on three pillars and evidence based EU policymaking, the simplification of EU rules and avoiding unnecessary burdens, and thirdly, involving citizens and stakeholders in the decision-making process. And these principles should be strictly respected. We are therefore in favour of simplifying these rules for farmers, and we are in favour of removing unnecessary burdens. We stress the importance of a proper impact assessment based on scientific evidence. The impact assessment should take into account the impact on the economic situation, the competitiveness of eo, agriculture, food security, and it should take into account the socioeconomic aspect of the proposed solutions. I would also like to stronger involvement of farmers in adopting new legal solutions. Thank you.”
Agriculture (green)
- “Mr. Chairman, Dear Commissioner, Ministers, let [00:08:30] me first thank the presidency for including this item on the agenda, even though we propose it quite late. It's important to discuss this. And also let me use this opportunity to thank you for the informal council organized in Cordoba by the Spanish presidency. It was informal, but also very informative. Thank you very much. Well, thank you that we start working [00:09:00] on this nature restoration draft. But most of the work is happening in environmental fora without quite including the farmers point of view. People mainly look on the need to restore nature. But. There are ideas, for example, to restore ecosystems by, for example, [00:09:30] irrigate peatland. But all this will reduce agricultural production in Poland. This would mean that up to 700,000 hectares would be excluded. That's more than 4% of arable land. This would lead to big losses, 2.5 billion zlotys. This could make this would force about maybe even 60,000 [00:10:00] farms to close down. We cannot have this kind of aggressive legislation, especially as even now we have new conditionality in strategic plans. That means that 4% of arable land has to be excluded from production. So if we if we adopt this regulation and conditionality, up to 8% of Polish arable land will be excluded.
[00:10:29] So [00:10:30] in Cap, we should focus on encouraging farmers to farm rationally and to provide food security in the EU and the world. The European Parliament sees that this is necessary, so we should support the Parliament's concerns and exclude that farming sector from this regulation. We should, as agri ministers, look first of all at [00:11:00] the farmers interests, especially as natural disasters are more and more frequent and as we have the situation around the war in Ukraine. Now our position on soil protection. First question, if we have a uniform system to evaluate the situation of the soil, that's an important initiative. Yes, but. This will create some challenges. [00:11:30] It's not clear how this will be linked to the future and current cap sustainable soil management practices. Will that be part of a voluntary instrument or will become an obligation now? It's conditionality in the first years. The system should be based on incentives, not only financial. [00:12:00] We should educate people, we should promote good practices not and we should not base base it on fines. The Commission's wants a certificate that will be optional for farmers, but it will be obligatory for member states. It's an interesting proposal, but it may not be effective.
[00:12:22] So perhaps instead the member states should have the leeway to decide whether they implement the system [00:12:30] and they should first base it on what they need in the country. What will be important too will be how we arrange this schedule of implementation. The idea here is for the Member States to be obliged to evaluate the status of the soil. We may need flexibility about the deadlines for all milestones. [00:13:00] We think that we need a list of practices for sustainable management of soil. This should be first, though. Uh, preceded by an evaluation of the soil's status. So the other sequence that the Commission has proposed the opposite of it. Well, experts show that research does not prove a change [00:13:30] in major change in the status of soul. That would require a evaluation every five years, as the commission proposes. Poland has had many initiatives over the years to protect soil from degradation. We have a lot of attention to the improvement of soils of soil status, for instance, regarding organic elements in [00:14:00] the soil. About everything about nutrients and biodiversity of soil environment. All practices that protect soil. Include good farming practices. Included in the conditionality. Thank you.”
Nature protection and restoration in the EU
- “Thank you Attila, and thanks for putting this topic on the agenda. Very timely. I think we all realize that Draghi is not is not Umberto Eco. But I think it's a it's still a must read for all policymakers. Um, we are falling behind. We have been falling behind China and and and America for, for a time for, for a long time now. And I think more of the same will not take us from from the situation where we where we in we need to we need to start anew. We need to try to address the situation where our competitiveness is, is really, really far behind the the main competitors. Um, I think Draghi, Draghi rightly pointed out the energy prices is one of the biggest, biggest problems we we are facing. Um, and we are not only using we are not only using green tech companies to our competitors, but also existing existing Industries. Energy. Energy intensive industries. Products. So we really need to act fast. I will just mention five points. Um, where we, we we see that the action is needed. I think first is, is clearly, um, um, technology neutrality. My, my French colleague already mentioned this Sweden as well. We not only need intermittent power sources, but also baseload. We it's not time to pick winners. I think we need all technologies to to drive us towards towards climate neutrality.
Second point is the ETS system and the so-called end game and the prices in ETS towards the late 30s, and how the industries need to prepare for that. And also Cbam. I think Cbam is a very good tool, but we need to work on broadening its scope and also cutting red tape, because this needs to be usable at at the companies level. Third point is that we already have a very good council conclusions on grid, because grid will be important going forward. But we still need to need we still need to work on funding. I think CEF is a very good tool, and we need to make sure it stays around, and it has sufficient budget for helping the grid development to also, um, uh, mitigate the price increase for consumers. Um, point number four, we need to see if the energy taxation framework is fit for purpose. Um, for example, we are doing decarbonisation of transport in Poland and the directive does not allow us to reduce taxes, excise taxes for, uh, for electricity in transport. And last but not least, I think we need to look have a long, hard look at the fit for 55 and see if all the tools are still, uh, best designed for for where we are. Thank you.”
Energy (green transition)
- “We strongly support a lot of aspects of the joint letter by Hungary and Slovakia, especially in terms of the need to review the impact on agriculture of different trade agreements, including the one with Mercosur and Ukraine. And as far as the alignment with our production standards, that would be equally restrictive. As for the EU producers, we find that especially important in terms of increased duty protection of the grains market, especially in terms of maize imports. In terms of our Ukrainian partners, we support the position that the bilateral protection measures should be an integral part of the Dcfta. We need to have the ability to have an interim preferential cancellation for all agricultural products now.”
Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports · Import of agri-food products in the EU
- “Thank you. Lars. Um, I'm. I'm really glad that I'm on this part of the presidency seat now. Uh, thank you for your hard work on this file. Um. Uh, it's it's certainly not easy. Um, and thank you for not pressing for a for a vote on a general approach today. Um, because we've, uh, we've been working very hard to to have this discussion on, uh, on the ECL at the, at the UCO and I'm really glad that it will. It will happen. Um, it's a it's a very much strategic, economy wide, um, debate that, uh, that requires exactly the European Council and the heads of state and governments. So I really appreciate we really appreciate that this this goes to, to, you know, um, today the presidency presents us with, uh, with progress report and, and some discussion of main elements. Again, thanks very much to to Lars and your team, uh, and the commission for, uh, for progressing this file. Um, there's certainly encouraging elements like, you know, uh, beefing up the text, considering competitiveness and and growth. This is very much welcome because, you know, this is not just climate policy. It needs to be economic policy growth policy, competitiveness policy because otherwise we will not have a just transition. So that's that's to start with. Um, certainly further work is needed. Um, and uh, please consider the five main elements we would like to put on the table as the, as the enabling conditions going forward. Um, there's plenty of small issues, uh, important issues that we've provided as a textual, uh, textual proposal. So these are still valid, but I'll just want to focus on five main elements. First, the the the issue of future burden sharing.”
Energy (green transition)
- “Yes. Good morning. Thank you, Madam Chair. First of all, in our opinion, agreement today is achievable. We should all aim at the timely adoption of the budget. And the success will depend on the willingness to find compromise. So second, we strongly contest combining [00:26:30] work on the draft budget for next year with the ongoing negotiations on the MFF revision. And that is why we support the Spanish presidency and call on the European Parliament to conclude an agreement today. Let me add a few points in more detail. First, the sufficient level of payments is crucial to safeguard the implementation of all EU objectives and priorities. And in this regard, [00:27:00] the draft budget is a minimum for us, in particular in the cohesion and agriculture and therefore the Joint Declaration on Payments. Enabling smooth mobilisation of additional funds during the budgetary year is the crucial element of the final compromise. We consider the Council's position as the basis for negotiations with the European Parliament. We are open to European Parliament demands in respect to certain programmes that are not related to unagreed issues [00:27:30] included in the MFF revision. We are concerned by the low level of new commitments provided for the needs related to the war in Ukraine.
[00:27:39] We were particularly disappointed by the lack of support for the Member States hosting refugees therefrom. At the same time, we are open to new proposals to increase humanitarian aid in the Middle East, exceeding the Council's position. However, additional humanitarian support for the Gaza Strip should [00:28:00] not come at the expense of support for the Ukraine, and therefore we welcome the increase of commitments for Erasmus and humanitarian aid in the first draft elements for joint conclusions. But we still expect an increase of commitments for Amif and BMV. We are also open to an increase for impact activities in Europol's budget, as suggested by Bulgaria at the last meeting. Lastly, all possible [00:28:30] increases of commitments should be followed by appropriate increase of payments. We welcome that it is included by the Commission in the first draft of the elements for Joint Conclusions, and we hope the presidency and the Commission will continue this good practice. So Poland is ready to work with the presidency and other member states in order to find an acceptable compromise. Thank you very much, madam.”
Size of EU budget
- “Thank you very much. I would like to thank you for your experience. This experience makes it clear that culture is not only about heritage. This is a real foundation of social resilience. Therefore, on behalf of Poland, I would like to say something about our leading priorities that should be guiding our debates at the council.
First and foremost, security and preparedness in the context of war, social tensions, and climate crisis. Culture is becoming a strategic resource. That is why we must strengthen resilience of cultural institutions. We must develop the modern systems of the protection of our heritage and better coordinate our actions and the crisis. It is also important to build social peace.
Second of all, culture is a means in developing social cohesion. Well functioning cultural institutions have a real impact on everyday life of citizens. They build the feeling of community. At the same time, investment in culture may reinforce in the regional development of subsequent regions. That is why we need to invest further in infrastructure, culture education, as well as in modern mechanisms of funding for culture.
Last but not least, conditions of work of artists and cultural staff. More and more creators function under economic uncertainty. They lack social security in Poland. We have prepared a draft law as a protection for people performing these missions. In Europe, we must have a greater protection of artists as well as qualifications recognition. It is also substantial to discuss how AI impacts cultural sectors. The development of AI changes the situation of copyright landscape. That is why we need a European debate on transparency, in this respect about liability and new mechanisms for creators remuneration. We must also reinforce competitiveness of European or the visual sector. We must uphold European cinemas, European productions, and greater visibility of European productions on digital platforms. And finally, environmental issues, we mustn't neglect them either. Sustainable development must be embedded in country policies and in the overall functioning of the country sector in the entire EU. All these areas come as responses to the current challenges, and they are well enshrined in our talk about the future of Europe, European cohesion, and social resilience. Thank you.”
EU and national cultural identities
- “Thank you very much, chairman. Commission. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to thank the Irish delegation for raising this important issue at this meeting of the Council. The status of pelagic stocks in the Northeast Atlantic is alarming, and action must be taken to ensure rational management, which should result in an improvement in their condition. I am concerned about the approach taken by the other coastal states in the efforts to agree on the allocation of fishing quotas for mackerel, atlanto, scandian, herring and blue whiting. In the absence of agreement on these issues, these fish stocks are not being exploited in a sustainable manner, which also affects the Recovery potential. We agree with Ireland that the European Commission has the means to exert influence on those countries, which are particularly uncooperative in the rational management of pelagic fish stocks in the north east Atlantic. These countries should be called upon to adopt corrective measures, and in the event of further non-cooperation, the Commission should prepare a proposal for discussion with Member States on the use of measures under regulation regulations established in the EU. Thank you very much, Jacob.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- “Well, thank you, Commissioner. Ladies and gentlemen, let me formally conclude this item. The council has heard information from the commission about the planned campaign to promote sustainable EU aquaculture. And the council heard the comments from the delegations and the commissioner.”
Funding for fisheries and aquaculture
- “23:22 – 16:25:13): Thank you, Nicodemos. First of all, I would like to say that I'm grateful to the presidency for your tremendous work on the AI omnibus. As you rightly said, Nicodemos, it was urgent. It was under pressure from many sides, and yet, you achieved the proposal which was discussed here at the council, then in the parliament, then during tough dialogues with the parliament and the commission. Thanks to your involvement and commitment, our companies now have a larger amount of time.
When it comes to the larger digital omnibus, I would also like to thank the presidency for their commitment and work on the issue. I see that there is great potential, and I believe that the Digital Omnibus proposal is a great opportunity to really simplify our digital legal system. We need to discuss especially on cookies management, data protection, and AI development. That's why I'm really hopeful that within a couple of months from now, we'll be able to say together that we achieved the ambitious level that we've seen at the beginning of this proposal. Thank you very much.”
Artificial Intelligence
- “Dear colleagues, still within a public session, we are going to discuss the next AOB item which will be presented by Sweden. It concerns action for the recovery of fish stocks in the Baltic Sea and better future prospects for the sectors sectors dependent on those stocks. Sweden has prepared a note with the number ten 233 slash 25. I would like to invite Sweden to briefly present its document. Peter. The floor is yours.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- “Thank you very much, chair. We are not concerned by the plans for the Mediterranean Sea. However, we see a clear need to revise the map for the Baltic Sea. The current wording of article four para six creates serious interpretation problems. This has been raised many times at our meetings here and we hope it can be addressed again soon. Revised rules are needed to improve the situation in the Baltic Sea, especially for eastern Baltic coast, whose condition has not improved despite the fishing ban in place since 2020. At the same time, it is important to ensure legal certainty for fishing communities. A review of the legal framework is necessary. Finally, efforts to rebuild fish stocks must continue and should lead to real improvements for our fisheries. Thank you.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- “Cha Commissioner. Ladies and gentlemen, in principle, we share the view that the revised Fisheries Control rules, as well as the Commission's proposed implementing measures and the amended control provisions, will and should significantly lower administrative and financial burden on both the fishing sector and control authorities in the Member States. In our opinion, the objective of the revision of the EU fisheries control system, i.e. the simplification has not been fully achieved. We believe that there is still a need to simplify these rules. Thank you for your attention.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- “Thank you very much, Commissioner. Colleagues, allow me to formally conclude this item. The Council took note of the information provided by Sweden on the action for the recovery of fish stocks in the Baltic Sea, and better future prospects for the sectors dependent on these stocks, as well as the comments made by Member States and by the Commissioner colleagues.
***Atlanto-Scandian herring”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- “We have already received these proposals and they do not provide substantial changes, as they will not remove the significant barriers that were broadly discussed, and their implementation will still lead to fragmentation and additional administrative burdens for financial institutions and supervisory authorities. In our opinion, we should all reflect on the future of this proposal and have an honest discussion during the upcoming council working party whether we should continue working on this file. Similarly, on the open finance file, so-called Fida file, we held the first trilogue on 1st of April, similar as for retail investment strategy file. Both the presidency and the Parliament have requested the Commission to prepare a non-paper focusing on simplification and burden reduction. We are still waiting for the Commission's concrete proposals. Our teams continue to work on the payment service package, with the objective of reaching a council mandate as quickly as possible. As we are quite close to reaching a mandate, I would like to call on delegations to show flexibility so that we can agree on a council mandate before our term ends. Since my latest update in February, the Commission has made a proposal for targeted amendment of the Capital Requirements Regulation.”
EU regulation on financial data access
- “Delegates were asked to reflect on how Cbam and ETS can better align with the industry needs, and what additional measures are needed in the Chemical Industry Action Plan. There is a common understanding that the industry needs immediate and tangible relief. There is also a common understanding that the carbon cost must be brought down. As regards the direction of the changes to ETS, different views were expressed. We heard a clear call for suspension of the ETS system, as well as statements underlining the importance of the system as such. We observe broad support for pragmatic adjustments to ETS. Free allowances phase out when it comes to cbam sectors. Free allowances should be frozen at least until the effectiveness of cbam is confirmed beyond doubt. A number of member states also highlighted the issue of ETS allowances, price stability and the predictability of the system. A number of member states also highlighted the issue of ambitious cbam revision that will prevent circumvention, as well as downstream and export related carbon leakage. Some member states have called for an extension of the scope of Cbam to some downstream products. Member states attach high importance to the establishment of the Critical Chemical Alliance as its role in identifying key chemical molecules and production sites. The platform is therefore essential to the development of EU's largest support and safeguard measures. We've heard a clear call for maintaining simplification, spirit and self-restraint when it comes to the new legislation. Legislative addressing industrial competitiveness. Thank you very much for your attention.”
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
- “Thank you, Mr. Minister. Poland fully supports the draft directive and the direction of the discussion set by your presidency, as reflected in the notes you shared with us. Before I answer the questions, I would like to sincerely thank Commissioner Johansson for her determination in fighting these horrible crimes. The sad truth is that in our public debates, we still do not pay enough attention to children victims of sexual abuse. And you, Madam Commissioner, have been making for the whole mandate of the Commission a difference in that respect. Thank you. When it comes to the first question, Poland supports the introduction of uniform and sufficiently long limitation periods. They should allow the victims to reach maturity and awareness necessary to report crimes. We should do our best to eliminate the phenomenon of impunity for perpetrators. Of course, we are aware of the differences among the member States when it comes to the limitation period. We would be ready to work to find a consensus at the technical level in response to the second question. And in our view, materials depicting child sexual abuse generated by AI should be included into the draft directive and should be criminalised. In that respect, we agree with the considerations as spelled out in the note of the presidency. Thank you.”
Criminal-law harmonisation of child sexual abuse offences (CSAM Directive recast)
- “The reason behind these conclusions is to raise awareness about the serious challenges that young artists have to face at the beginning of their careers, and particularly to gain access to the labour market and to obtain a stable revenues. The conclusions were discussed by professionals from the countries. We spoke about several aspects connected with the health, including the mental health and the possibilities to support young artists. The conclusions Collusions invite the member States and the commissions to tackle those challenges. We speak of promoting a social dialogue as a means of improving the working conditions. To take in to consideration the data and the public statistics regarding the data regarding those artists, or creating European programmes for them. Thanks to the openness and engagement of all the members of the committee, we managed to come up with a compromise version of the document. I would like to thank everybody for their valuable contribution. I would also like to thank the Commission for excellent cooperation and constructive approach while discussing the document. I'm happy that all the Member States can support the conclusions. And before we approve the conclusion selected, give the floor to the commission, please.”
EU and national cultural identities
- “Dear colleagues, uh, this dialogue on the future of agriculture, on the situation in agriculture has been started by our farmers during their protests. Uh, they. [00:19:00] Talk about these challenges and what are their demands. So they want the revision of the cap. They say that they have too much costs to incur. There is also uncontrolled flow of goods. There is no profitability. Uh, farms go bankrupt. And the commissioner talked about the decreasing [00:19:30] number of farms. And in this chain between farm and fork, where the weakest link, we have no say when it comes to the prices of food, the machines. We do not have anything to say when it comes to the selling prices. And I think that this dialogue is very important. It is necessary. We as ministers, we go to such meetings, we discuss things, and I would like [00:20:00] to encourage the commission, maybe not only the Commissioner for Cekovsky, but also other commissioners, to go out there and listen to the farmers. Maybe their perception would be different and the decision taking process would look differently. And finally, we have to know that farmers are become very radical, and this is something that must be taken into account. We must consider this because the situation is very volatile. Uh, and uh, [00:20:30] the second issue, the war in Ukraine, uh, this war has made us look differently at food security, because when it comes to globalization, it is not that we can buy and sell anything we want. We can buy a lot of, uh, goods, but they will never arrive. They will never be delivered. So I think that, uh, we need [00:21:00] a different perception. There is a new a new perception when it comes to security. And there is also the issue of opening markets. If we open new markets, we liberalize trade with regions, with countries. We have the experience that, uh, when we were giving negative evaluations, they were always rejected by the trade committee in EPP, agriculture also always lost, uh, when it was [00:21:30] compared with trade to, with businesses. So please listen to me right now. And agriculture has always been on the losing side. Everything was at the expense of agriculture. So let's take a look at the reality, for example, the budget. Let's take a look at the budget. The budget in agriculture, for example, when it comes to permanent prices, the budget is on the decrease when it comes to different agricultural [00:22:00] areas. So how to finance, where to get the funds from? If we take into account if we consider fixed pricing. And this is these are the answers to your questions when it comes to the situation in agriculture, because this sector is quite specific, very dependent on climate, on weather, on external factors. And we have to take all this into account. This is very sensitive sector. [00:22:30] And in the future policy we should go more into financial instruments. We should consider these financial instruments that will provide security to our farmers. But we cannot have a situation whereby farmers are, uh, led to bankruptcy. And this is something that is happening. The situation is very serious. And to finish, I would like to say that we need an in-depth analysis [00:23:00] of the past and the presence of the present of the Common Agricultural Policy. This is about the challenges, challenges of the times that are ahead of us. Thank you.”
EU policy on farmer–buyer relations in the agri-food supply chain