Minister Byrne to attend EU General Affairs Council in Brussels
- Published on: 27 May 2025
- Last updated on: 28 May 2025
The Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne, will today (Tuesday 27 May) represent Ireland at the General Affairs Council in Brussels. The Minister will advance Ireland’s key objectives of defending the rule of law across the EU, promoting European democratic resilience and simplifying EU regulations.
Minister Byrne will join his colleagues in a hearing on the rule of law in Hungary. Speaking ahead of the rule of law hearing, Minister Byrne said:
“I am deeply concerned by recent developments in Hungary to provide a legal and constitutional basis on which to ban Pride events. Under EU law, the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all citizens must be respected and protected. I call on Hungary to reverse this troubling course and to re-commit to the EU’s fundamental values. Hungary’s proposed bill on “Transparency in Public Life” is also deeply worrying. If enacted, the legislation would severely curtail the work of independent media outlets and NGOs, contrary to EU fundamental freedoms.”
In working to simplify EU regulations, Minister Byrne and fellow Ministers are due to adopt a new approach to the regulation on the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. Speaking on this issue, Minister Byrne said:
“I welcome the focus on cutting red tape by the new Commission through the Omnibus Packages. Engagement with stakeholders on simplification is crucial. Our priority is better regulation, not deregulation. In the case of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, it has been possible to increase the application threshold, which eliminates its obligations for approximately 182,000 (90%) importers, while still covering 99% of the mechanism’s emissions. This is a win-win outcome for business and for our climate goals.”
Minister Byrne will also join Commissioner McGrath and fellow EU ministers in a discussion on strengthening EU democratic resilience. Minister Byrne commented:
“Democracy is a core value of our Union. Ireland is supportive of efforts to bolster democratic resilience throughout the EU, and to be responsive to threats from malicious state actors and their proxies, including disinformation and attempts at election interference.”
Ministers will also discuss preparations for the next European Council meeting on 26 June, which is likely to focus on the situation in Ukraine, the Middle East, European defence and security, competitiveness and migration.