PRESS

Council of the EN

BACKGROUND BRIEF1 Brussels, 7 December 2020

Video conference of European affairs ministers, Tuesday 8 December 2020

Chair: Michael Roth, German Minister of State for Europe The meeting will start at 10.00.

Ministers will examine draft conclusions for the meeting to be held on 10-11 December 2020.

Depending on current evolutions, they might take stock of the state of play of EU-UK relations. The presidency will report on the EU's legislative priorities for 2021 and the policy objectives and priorities for 2020-2024.

The Commission will give information about the European democracy action plan. A presidency press conference will be held at the end of the meeting.

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1 This note has been drawn up under the responsibility of the press office.

Press office - General Secretariat of the Council Rue de la Loi 175 - B-1048 BRUSSELS - Tel.: +32 (0)2 281 6319 [email protected] - www.consilium.europa.eu/press 1/3 December European Council

Ministers will examine draft conclusions for the European Council meeting to be held on 10-11 December 2020. The European Council will take stock of the situation and discuss the overall coordination effort that has been delivered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including work on vaccines, testing and the gradual lifting of restrictions. EU leaders will return to the issue of climate change with a view to agreeing a new EU emissions reduction target for 2030 and ensuring that the EUʼs updated nationally determined contribution (NDC) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is submitted before the end of the year. The European Council will address security issues and in particular the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. In line with its conclusions of October 2020, EU leaders will return to the matter of the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and relations with Turkey. The European Council will hold a strategic discussion on EU relations with the Southern Neighbourhood. Leaders will also discuss European Union - United States relations. The European Council may address other specific foreign policy issues in the light of any events occurring in the intervening period. On 11 December the leaders will also meet for the Summit.

• COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic (background information) • Climate change: what the EU is doing (background information) • EU fight against terrorism (background information) • Joint statement by the EU home affairs ministers on the recent terrorist attacks in Europe, 13 November 2020 • European Council conclusions on external relations, 1 October 2020 • , 11 December 2020

2/3 EU-UK relations Depending on the ongoing talks, ministers might discuss the state of play of EU-UK negotiations. Contacts between the EU and UK have intensified in the last weeks with a view to reaching an agreement on the future partnership before the end of the transition period, on 31 December 2020. The left the European Union on 31 January 2020, when the withdrawal agreement entered into force. • EU-UK negotiations on the future relationship (background information)

Legislative programming The presidency will report on the EU's legislative priorities for 2021 and the policy objectives and priorities for 2020-2024. In 2016, the , the Council and the Commission agreed to strengthen the EU’s annual and multiannual programming through the interinstitutional agreement on better law- making. The Commission work programme for 2021 marks a shift from an approach based on strategical choices to the objective of delivering across all six political priorities. It confirms the Commission’s resolve to lead the linked green and digital transitions – an unparalleled opportunity to move out of the fragility of the crisis and breathe a new vitality into the EU. 2021 Commission work programme – from strategy to delivery 2020 Strategic Foresight Report

European democracy action plan The Commission will provide information about the European democracy action plan which was issued on 3 December 2020. The purpose of the action plan on European democracy is to ensure that citizens are able to participate in the democratic system through informed decision-making free from unlawful interference and manipulation. The action plan will also build on the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 crisis and include measures on: • electoral integrity • media freedom • media pluralism • disinformation.

European democracy action plan

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