Minister Carroll MacNeill to attend meeting of the General Affairs Council (GAC) in Brussels, 24 September

“I look forward to working along with my EU colleagues on preparations for the October European Council. I will be raising the ongoing catastrophic situation in Sudan and will propose that we consider discussion of it to be included on the agenda for the next European Council conclusions. The gravity of the humanitarian situation and the scale of the violence against civilians in Sudan demands our urgent engagement.

“The European Council will also take stock of the report by Mario Draghi on ‘The Future of European Competitiveness’. Ireland welcomes the publication of this report. Europe faces a competitiveness challenge, which necessitates fresh thinking and new policies to stimulate growth, innovation and investment. The Council will also address Ukraine and the terrible situation in the Middle East.

“The nomination of Commissioner-designate Michael McGrath as EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice and Rule of Law reflects Ireland’s strong commitment and support of the rule of law as a fundamental value of the EU. I look forward to having a positive exchange on the general trends of the rule of law in selected candidate countries and EU candidate countries Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. As Ireland begins preparations for our EU Presidency in 2026, EU enlargement will be one of our major priorities.”