Press release
Minister Burke will attend the EU General Affairs Council on 19 September 2023 in Brussels
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister of State for European Affairs, Peter Burke, will represent Ireland at the EU General Affairs Council meeting on Tuesday, 19 September in Brussels.
Among the items to be addressed at the Council are the Future of Europe where Ministers will be briefed by two members of the Franco-German Expert Group on EU Institutional Reform. This lunch discussion is intended to gather views from Member States in advance of discussions that will take place on the next EU Strategic Agenda at the informal European Council in Granada on 6 October.
Ministers will also discuss the draft agenda for the regular European Council in October as well as a number of other issues including an evaluation of the annual Rule of Law Dialogue, the Commission’s legislative plan for the coming year and a Spanish request relating to the proposed addition of Catalan, Basque and Galician as official languages of the EU.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Minister Burke said:
"The discussion and briefing on the Future of Europe is very timely and important, given that work is now beginning on preparing the EU’s next Strategic Agenda to cover the period until the end of this decade. As a strong supporter of Enlargement, Ireland recognises that the EU must start to prepare and consider what internal changes may be required to prepare for an expanded EU extending into the Western Balkans and the Eastern Neighbourhood.
"I also look forward to discussing with colleagues the draft agenda for next month’s European Council. Apart from examining how the EU can continue to offer its full support to Ukraine in dealing with Russia’s unjustified aggression, Leaders will also need to address the economic situation and Commission proposals relating to the EU Budget. The emphasis must remain on improving competitiveness and advancing work to complete the Single Market as the best means of safeguarding Europe’s economic security and continued prosperity."