European Council

Youth Guarantee Seminar /Berlin, 18-3-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — Minister, ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank Minister von der Leyen for arranging this event and inviting us to Berlin. I am grateful for her strong support for the public employment services network … Read the full press release →

Brussels, 15-3-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — Addressing the challenges of economic recovery and the social dimension of Economic and Monetary Union, including the important role of workers’ and employers’ representatives, were the main issues discussed at the Tripartite Social Summit ahead of the … Read the full press release →

Brussels, 15-3-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — We just concluded the first evening of our traditional Spring Council. This time each year, we meet to set the direction on how best to guide our national and European economic policies. Tonight, in view of our … Read the full press release →

Brussels, 14-3-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — The Commission is today able to report about some success in its strategy to fight global trade barriers. The efforts of the European Commission to fight protectionism over the last year bear fruit and could create better … Read the full press release →

Brussels, 14-3-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — Welcome to this Spring European Council. Every year this season, we meet to inspect our economic situation, our prospects; and we set the direction on how best to guide our national and European policies. It’s called the “Spring Council”, … Read the full press release →

Brussels, 14-3-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission has proposed operational rules to implement the Youth Employment Initiative to combat youth unemployment. The Youth Employment Initiative was proposed by the 7-8 February 2013 European Council with a budget of €6 billion for the … Read the full press release →

Brussels, 14-3-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission today agreed the draft mandate for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement with the United States, effectively firing the starting gun for what is hoped to be a relatively quick negotiation. The draft … Read the full press release →

Brussels, 14-3-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — Political parties should nominate a candidate for European Commission President in the next European elections and they should display their European political party affiliation, under a recommendation adopted by the European Commission today. The proposals aim to … Read the full press release →

Excessive austerity is stifling growth, yet the EU cannot simply spend its way out of the crisis, MEPs admitted in Wednesday’s debate on efforts to revive the EU economy, held with a view to the Spring European Council starting on … Read the full press release →

Long-term EU budget negotiations: EP sets out its stance 13-3-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — Parliament’s mandate to negotiate the EU budget for 2014-2020 with the EU member states’ Irish Presidency was approved in a resolution on Wednesday. Parliament rejects the 8 February … Read the full press release →

EP seats after 2014 elections: no member state to lose more than one MEP 13-3-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — To comply with the 751-seat limit set by the Lisbon Treaty and make room for Croatia, 12 EU member states would each lose … Read the full press release →

13-3-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — Following today’s resolution by the European Parliament on the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework, the Irish Presidency acknowledged the Parliament’s views and committed to step up negotiations in the weeks ahead. Tánaiste – Another step has now been … Read the full press release →

Statement by Commissioner Michel Barnier as proposals to create European funds for venture capital and social businesses are agreed by the European Parliament Brussels, 12-3-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — “I warmly welcome the European Parliament’s vote on our proposals to create Europe-wide funds … Read the full press release →

Brussels, 7-3-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — Immediately after the accident in the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan on March 11, 2011, the European Union decided to reassess the level of nuclear safety in all nuclear power plants in the EU. This was the first … Read the full press release →

Forum for the future of agriculture – session: sustainable intensification and resource efficiency Brussels, 6-3-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — Mr Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen, Thank you for inviting me to speak again at this conference. I appreciate your recognition of the importance of … Read the full press release →

6-3-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — The Irish Presidency hopes to make progress on outstanding technical issues in discussions with the Parliament over the coming weeks. Agreement also reached on the “Two Pack” of economic surveillance measures for the Eurozone. There was broad … Read the full press release →

Brussels, 5-3-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — Today, Latvia formally asked the Commission to deliver an extraordinary convergence report with the aim of joining the euro from 1st January 2014. The report will assess if the country has achieved the five convergence criteria as defined … Read the full press release →

28-2-2013 — /europawire.eu/ —  On Thursday February 28th the EU EPSCO Council meeting (EU Employment and Social Affairs Ministers) will be jointly chaired by Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton TD and Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton … Read the full press release →

26-2-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — Taoiseach (Prime Minister of Ireland) Enda Kenny today met with the Prime Minister of Sweden, Mr Fredrik Reinfeldt in Dublin for a meeting dominated by Presidency matters. At the centre of the discussion was the contribution which … Read the full press release →

26-2-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, will chair the second meeting of the Agrifish Council under the Irish Presidency on Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th February. In the agriculture area, Ministers will … Read the full press release →