General Affairs Council meeting chaired by George Ciamba: talks on Multi-Annual Financial Framework 2021-2027

Minister Delegate for European Affairs George Ciamba chaired a meeting of the General Affairs Council in Brussels on Tuesday, an important topic being the Multi-Annual Financial Framework 2021-2027.

According to a Foreign Ministry (MAE) press release issued for AGERPRES, the discussions at the level of European Affairs Ministers in the EU member states focused on the external dimension of the EU budget, with a focus on the European Development Fund and the tools to support EU action in the neighborhood.

"This discussion follows the thematic debates that the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU has scheduled within the General Affairs Council meetings during this half year to prepare for EU leaders' talks at the European Council meeting on 20-21 June. The discussion on the external dimension of the EU budget was the last thematic debate organized by the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council before a revised document was presented as the basis for leaders' discussions in June," the quoted source informed.

The MAE points out that the discussions highlighted the "convergence of Member States' views on the importance of a strengthened Union action in the external sphere", but there are differences in the "architecture of the Union's external action instruments, including the European Development Fund tool for EU objectives in the neighborhood."

At the same time, the minister delegate for European affairs reviewed the results of the Conference on the European Half Year, which took place in Bucharest on 4 April, 2019.

The Presidency of Romania at the EU Council presented the conclusions of the Paris Ministerial Meeting of May 3, 2019, co-chaired by France, on the European cultural heritage. The minister delegate highlighted the importance of the discussions at the Paris event on the tools and means to strengthen cooperation and the exchange of good practices among member states in the management of crisis situations, such as the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the MAE also informs.