Press release
Minister Byrne to attend General Affairs Council in Luxembourg - 11 April 2022
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
On 12 April, the Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne, will attend a meeting of the General Affairs Council (GAC), in Luxembourg. As part of the annual rule of law dialogue, Ministers will have a country specific discussion on rule of law in Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands and Austria.
Ministers will also discuss the Conference on the Future of Europe, following an update from the Presidency on this item. An informal lunch of the “Ministers for the Future” initiative is also scheduled.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Minister Byrne said:
"I’m looking forward to the second meeting of the EU-wide Foresight Network of Ministers for the Future and our discussion on the interaction between the digital and green transitions. Meeting the shared challenges of these transitions will be key to building a stronger and more resilient Europe. Now more than ever, we must come together to find innovative solutions to these issues that are of such concern to our citizens.
"We will also discuss the Conference on the Future of Europe, following an update from the French Presidency and the latest Plenary which took place last weekend. The Conference will conclude its formal proceedings by 9 May, Europe Day, this year. However, the work will not end there but will continue for all the Institutions. Everyone who has engaged with the Conference has made an invaluable contribution to the debate on the future direction of our Union. We must continue to ensure that the voice of our citizens remains at the heart of our efforts to respond to the challenges we face."