EU General Affairs Council Conclusions on Iceland's application for EU Membership, EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia, and more

Main results of the Council

The Council invited that the Commission to give an opinion on an application by Iceland for membership of the European Union.

It adopted a common position extending the scope of restrictive measures against North Korea, in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1874 (2009), following the test of a nuclear device by North Korea in May.

It adopted joint actions extending the duration of the EU's monitoring mission in Georgia and the mandate of the EU special representative for the crisis in Georgia.

The Council adopted a regulation introducing a legal framework for credit rating agencies, providing for a legally-binding registration and surveillance system, and a directive aimed at tightening the rules on capital requirements for banks, in response to specific weaknesses identified in the light of the financial crisis.

The Council adopted a programme on electronic interoperability solutions for European public administrations, with a EUR 164.1 million budget for the 2010-15 period, and a directive making the 900 MHz frequency band, used for GSM, available for UMTS and other systems so as to provide a broader choice of services.

It adopted a regulation setting restrictions on the marketing of seal products, in response to concerns about seal hunting practices.

The Council also approved new rules for the coordination of social security systems, so as to make it easier for citizens to exercise their right to move from one member state to another for study, leisure or professional reasons.

CONTENTS: ITEMS DEBATED

PRESIDENCY PRIORITIES

EU STRATEGY FOR THE BALTIC SEA REGION

ENLARGEMENT - Council conclusions

OTHER BUSINESS

OTHER ITEMS APPROVED

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

- Kenya - Council conclusions

- Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Restrictive measures

- Iran - Technical amendment to restrictive measures

- Implementation of the chemical weapons convention

EUROPEAN SECURITY AND DEFENCE POLICY

- Extension of the mandate of the EU monitoring mission in Georgia

- Croatia - Participation in the EU's military operation against piracy off the Somali coast

- Consultations with the Republic of Guinea

- EU/Eastern Africa - Economic partnership agreement

TRADE POLICY

- EU/Turkmenistan - Interim trade agreement

- Anti dumping measures: Plastic bags, wire rods, polyethylene terephthalate and glyphosate

GENERAL AFFAIRS

- Work in the Council's different configurations

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS

- Credit rating agencies

- Bank capital requirements

- Cross-border payments

- Electronic money

- Programme to support the effectiveness of EU policies

- Slovenia - External auditor of the national central bank

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

- EU/Western Balkans - Action plan on drugs

- EU/United States - Negotiations on payment data

- Cooperation at external borders - Participation of Liechtenstein and Switzerland

RESEARCH

- EU/Russia - Association to the seventh research framework programmes

- Programme on metrology

TRANSPORT

- Freight transport - Amendment to the Marco Polo II programme

ENERGY

- Euratom/Canada cooperation agreement - Atomic energy

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

- Interoperability solutions for European public administrations

- Frequency bands for public cellular digital land-based mobile communications

COMPANY LAW

- Mergers and divisions of EU companies - Simplification of requirements

SOCIAL POLICY

- Coordination of social security systems

ENVIRONMENT

- Marketing of seal products

- Marketing of biocidal products

- Biocidal products: tolylfluanid and flocoumafen - List of active substances

- Trade in dangerous chemicals

- Infrastructure for spatial information

- Substances that deplete the ozone layer

AGRICULTURE

- Maximum residue levels for certain pesticides

FISHERIES

- Total allowable catches - Adjustments for 2009

- Cod fishing effort regime - Spain and Sweden

BUDGET

- Court of Auditors special report on spending on waste water treatment - Council conclusions

- Court of Auditors special report on development cooperation - Council conclusions

STATISTICS

- Statistics on the information society

TRANSPARENCY

- Transparency - Public access to documents

APPOINTMENTS

- Director-general of the EU military staff

- Committee of the Regions

- Economic and Social Committee

- Other

Download the complete General Affairs Council Conclusions (pdf)

| Arriba |

• EU Enlargement: Key findings of the EU Commission's opinion on Iceland (24/2/2010)
• EU Enlargement: EU Commission delivers opinion on Iceland's accession bid (24/2/2010)
• Report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia (30/9/2009)
• "The European Perspective of Iceland" - Speech by EU Commissioner Rehn (9/9/2009)
• "Enlargement and the EU's Role in the World" - Speech by EU Commissioner Rehn (8/9/2009)
• EU Presidency Declaration on the situation in Georgia (4/8/2009)
• EU Council conclusions on EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (27/7/2009)
• EU Council Conclusions on report about management of non-state actors' involvement in EC development cooperation (27/7/2009)
• EU Council conclusions on Kenya (27/7/2009)
• EU Council conclusions on Somalia (27/7/2009)
• EU Council closes consultations with the Republic of Guinea (27/7/2009)
• EU Council conclusions on Enlargement (27/7/2009)
• EU External Relations Council Conclusions on Somalia and EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (27/7/2009)