LIVE: TK after the meeting of ministers for EU affairs in Prague
Update: 15/07/2022 13:15
Issued by: 15/07/2022, 08:53
Prague – According to the Czech Minister for EU Affairs Mikuláš Bek (STAN), today’s meeting of the ministers for European affairs of the EU member states in Prague will be the first opportunity to debate the proposal for adjustments to the elections to the European Parliament. European Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová said when she arrived at the meeting that she presented several of her initiatives at the informal meeting of the General Affairs Council (GAC). In the second political half of the year during the Czech presidency, she would like to support, for example, a norm on advertising.
The main topics of today’s meeting will be Ukraine, the resilience of democratic institutions and the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe. Bek told journalists that during the Czech presidency, there will also be discussions about the European Parliament’s proposals for changes to elections to this body. “The proposal brings a whole range of possible changes, which we will have the first opportunity to debate today,” he said.
The conclusion of the meeting today will focus on the results of the EU public debate known as the Conference on the Future of Europe. The final report of the conference contains 49 proposals and over 300 measures by which they should be implemented. “There are a number of proposals, some present contract changes, most do not. We will have the opportunity to debate the substance of some of these proposals,” he said. According to him, after today’s debate, the EU countries will receive a questionnaire, according to which they will find out what they agree on.
Vice-chairwoman of the Commission for Values and Transparency Jourová wants to present several initiatives at the council. “I would like it if the Czech presidency would bring the regulation on political advertising and measures to strengthen the resilience of elections to some state,” she said. He also wants to talk about the media regulations he is preparing for September. “I will talk about its basic parameters and appeal to member states to take greater measures to protect journalists and the media from physical and online attacks,” she added.
The Slovak State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs, Martin Klus, considers the issue of the resilience of democratic institutions to be essential. “In Slovakia, we remain in many critical situations regarding the support of a part of society for the totalitarian regime. They are very much influenced by propaganda, especially Russian,” he noted.
We consider it important for Klus to find ways to make institutions across Europe stronger and more resilient. According to him, the topic is closely related to the freedom of the media. He also considers the protection of journalists to be very important for Slovakia.
Jourová appreciated that the Czech’s priorities include the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine and assistance to this country, which is facing Russian aggression. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanišynova is also participating in the meeting today. Jourová mentioned that she continues to work with her. Ukraine applied to join the EU in March shortly after it was attacked by Russian troops on February 24. “She assured me that even in extreme war experts of the Ukrainian government work in individual chapters,” said Jourová.
In Ukraine, Jourová is ready to help with the necessary reforms in the field of justice, anti-corruption fight or conflict of interests. According to Jourová, Ukraine stands to show progress in the next December assessment of the European Commission. “It is Ukraine’s duty to help with reforms that would lead to our earlier entry into the union, but it is a preparation for the reconstruction of Ukraine,” she added.
Bek expects some council members to mention the seventh package of anti-Russian sanctions today. “But it is not directly within the competence of the council,” he said.