EU Council Presidency
Portugal: Europe needs ‘comprehensive, balanced view’ of Asia
The European Union must adopt a “comprehensive and balanced view” on Asia, Portugal’s minister of foreign affairs has told a conference, stressing the “enormous challenges” posed by the United States-China-Russia triangulation. In the closing session of the conference “EU-Asia: challenges...
Portuguese official: Socially excluded must join green, digital transition
Portugal's secretary of state for integration and migration said on Thursday that socially excluded populations should participate in the climate and digital transition, enhancing their opportunities, integration and participation in the labour market.
Africa seeks Europe’s support to invest in ecological transition
Africa is the continent that contributes least to climate change, yet it is impacted more harshly than others and lacks support to innovate, says the Portuguese presidency of the EU Council, which organised an EU-Africa Green Talk in Paris on Tuesday (13 April).
Lisbon, New Delhi expect to restart EU-India talks in May
Portugal has said it hopes to resume negotiations on trade and investment between the EU and India at a summit between EU leaders and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Porto on 8 May.
Kyriakides: Lifting patents is not way forward to produce more vaccines
Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides on Tuesday (13 April) acknowledged the need to accelerate production of COVID-19 vaccines but stressed that lifting patents is not a way forward and that other options are under consideration.
Energy ministers urge for regulatory framework on hydrogen
European energy ministers on Wednesday highlighted the need to create a stable regulatory framework for hydrogen in the European Union, capable of attracting private investors into a competitive and predictable market.
EU social summit offers prospect to move ‘from principles to action’, presidency says
Portugal's Secretary of State for European affairs, Ana Paula Zacarias, assured Lusa on Tuesday that there is a prospect of moving "from principles to action" at the planned Social Summit of the European Union to be held next month in Porto, which is to be a centrepiece of the country's six-month presidency of the Council of the EU.
Vulnerable adult victims of hate crime struggle to file complaints
Portugal's minister of justice has said the main difficulty for vulnerable adult victims of hate crime or gender violence in Europe lies in making a complaint to the formal instances, as "fear" is the main barrier to overcome.
Airbnb welcomes common tax framework for digital platforms
Airbnb has welcomed the agreement reached among EU member states to create a common tax reporting framework for digital platforms, which will require sales to be reported to the tax authorities.
Commissioner supports modernising, expanding EU railways
European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reform Elisa Ferreira has expressed her support for expanding railways in the European Union, calling for investment in modernisation and regional connections.
Portuguese EU Presidency vows to adopt new Erasmus+ in June
Portugal's minister of education, Tiago Brandão Rodrigues, has welcomed the European Commission's launch of its proposed Erasmus+ exchange programme for the period 2021-2027, pledging to work towards its formal adoption and announcing its official launch on 18 June in Viana do Castelo, in northern Portugal.
Barroso calls for more European support for global vaccination
President of the Global Alliance for Vaccines (Gavi), José Manuel Barroso, on Thursday called on the European Union to accelerate access to vaccines in developing countries by increasing multilateral contributions and donating excess doses through the Covax platform. “We have...
Portugal gets mandate to negotiate health technology assessment law
The Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union on Wednesday obtained a mandate from the member states to start negotiations with the European Parliament on a legislative proposal on Health Technology Assessment (HTA).
Portugal will ‘do everything’ to ensure health passport by June
The Portuguese presidency of the EU will "do everything possible" to ensure that the legislative process for the implementation of a COVID-19 digital health certificate is completed by June, the Secretary of State for European affairs has said.
Lisbon, Brussels want citizens to participate now in Conference on the Future of Europe
The Portuguese presidency of the Council and the European Commission today indicated that it wants citizens to start participating in the Conference on the Future of Europe now, even before the formal launch planned for 9 May.
EU adopts €5billion fund to train and equip foreign military forces
Despite criticism from European lawmakers and advocacy groups, the EU adopted the €5 billion worth French-brokered European Peace Facility (EPF) on Monday (22 March), which will open the door for the bloc to deliver military aid to partner countries and...
EU’s Vestager has ‘reservations’ about online privacy proposals
Margrethe Vestager, the executive vice-president of the European Commission, said on Friday (19 March) that she has "reservations" about a proposal from the Portuguese EU Presidency to unblock negotiations on the ePrivacy regulation.
Presidencies for sale?
The practice of multinational companies sponsoring the governments which hold the EU's rotating presidency, while lobbying the same ministers, is a rotten practice that must stop, write Vicky Cann, Suzy Sumner, and Manuel Araujo.
EU ministers to confirm budget rule suspension in May
EU countries agree with the criteria proposed by the European Commission to determine how long budgetary rules should be suspended for and should decide in May to continue the suspension in 2022, Portugal’s finance minister João Leão said on Tuesday (16 March).
EU Presidency: Council meeting on migration ‘extremely constructive’
EU foreign and home affairs ministers had an “extremely constructive” joint meeting on Monday that gives confidence that progress can be made on the new Pact on Migration and Asylum, Portugal’s interior minister Eduardo Cabrita has said.
Portugal wants online terror content removed within an hour
One priority of the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the EU is to conclude the legislative process that will allow terrorist content placed on the Internet to be eliminated in just one hour, Portugal's minister of internal affairs, Eduardo Cabrita, said in Madrid on Thursday (11 March).
Seven EU countries have not yet submitted recovery plans
The European Commission reiterated on Thursday (11 March) that the remaining seven EU member states have to submit their national recovery plans by the end of April in order to access the funds.
Portugal convenes EU ‘recovery summit’ in June
Portugal will hold a high-level summit in Lisbon on 21 June focused on the recovery plans of the 27 EU member states, defending "smart fiscal policies" in response to the economic crisis triggered by the pandemic.