General Affairs Council adopts conclusions on counter-terrorism

Foreign Affairs Minister Tonio Borg and Malta's Permanent Representative to the European Union, Richard Cachia Caruana attended the meeting of the General Affairs Council, held in Brussels yesterday.

The General Affairs Council meeting focused on EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the 2014-2020 period. The purpose of the Multiannual Financial Framework, previously known as the ‘Financial Perspective’, is to act as a guide for annual budgets in the seven-year period it covers.

This framework lays down seven-year maximum amounts for each heading of expenditure and thus imposes budgetary discipline on the EU.

Each annual budget during the seven-year period has to respect the agreed ceilings adopted as part of the MFF.

Member States were briefed by the Polish Presidency on the state of play in relation to the initial discussions held by Member States on the Commission’s proposals.

The Presidency also gave an update on the technical clarifications which have been given to date in the discussions going on in the Friends of the Presidency Group – which include representatives of the Member States and the Commission and is tasked with the technical analysis of the proposals put forward by the Commission at the end of June.

Ministers also examined the draft agenda for the next European Council meeting, which will be held in Brussels on 17-18 October 2011.

This meeting is expected to focus on three main issues: the external aspects of the EU’s economic policy aimed at enhancing competitiveness and growth; preparations for the next G20 summit to take place in Cannes, France, on 3-4 November 2011; and the EU’s position for the United Nations conference on climate change, which will be held in Durban, South Africa, from 28 November to 9 December 2011.