Minister Byrne attends General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels

The Minister of State for European Affairs and for Defence, Thomas Byrne, is attending a meeting of the General Affairs Council in Brussels today (Tuesday, 18 March).

On the Council Agenda, Minister Byrne will join in discussions on the future of EU-UK relations, the European Semester, and on the Commission’s Legislative Programming. The Minister will also discuss and prepare the agenda items for the upcoming meeting of the European Council, which will take place on 20 and 21 March.

Ahead of the meeting, Minister Byrne commented: “This meeting of the General Affairs Council comes at an important time for Europe, with significant discussions underway about the future of European defence and security. European competitiveness is also a key focus.

“The meeting will provide a welcome opportunity to prepare for the meeting of the European Council later this week, which will be attended by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, and where the latest developments in Ukraine and the Middle East will be on the agenda.

“I am also looking forward to discussing the future of EU-UK relations. This is a highly significant relationship for Ireland and it is important that it develops in a positive way. The Irish Government looks forward to the EU-UK summit on 19 May, marking a strengthening of cooperation, between the EU and the UK.”