EU General Affairs Council meeting
23 November 2021 News
A regular meeting of the General Affairs Council took place today in Brussels. The Bulgarian delegation was led by the Permanent Representative of our country to the EU, Ambassador Rumen Alexandrov. At the beginning of the meeting, the Permanent Representative of Bulgaria to the EU began his speech by expressing sincere condolences to the relatives of the citizens of the Republic of Northern Macedonia killed in a serious traffic accident early this morning on the Struma highway. "At this difficult time, I would like to express our condolences to the relatives of the people who died tragically in this catastrophe. The Bulgarian authorities are making every effort to clarify the causes of the tragic incident in close cooperation with our colleagues from the Republic of Northern Macedonia", Ambassador Rumen Alexandrov said.
Ministers discussed the current situation with the development of the COVID-19 pandemic, relations with the UK, preparations for the December European Council, the annual dialogue on the rule of law, the EC work program and enlargement policy and the Stabilization and Association Process.
The EC and the representatives of the Member States emphasized that the ongoing challenges in the fight against COVID-19 call for further coordination efforts at European level, including with regard to the validity of COVID-19 certificates and the reflection of booster doses. Other items on the December council's agenda are security and defence, energy prices, the border crisis with Belarus and co-operation with NATO.
Bulgaria expects the European Council to hold an in-depth discussion on rising energy prices based on reports from the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) on the situation of the gas, electricity and European Emissions Trading Schemes, insofar as the topic is closely linked to the "Fit for 55" forthcoming new EU legislation in the field of climate and energy. An analysis of all the reasons that led to this situation is needed", Ambassador Rumen Alexandrov said. He also expressed Bulgaria's support for the introduction of the strategic compass and deepening the EU's cooperation with NATO.
The Council also discussed relations with the United Kingdom, as well as the implementation of the Protocol on Northern Ireland. EC Vice-President Maroš Ševčovič briefed ministers on the progress of negotiations with London on fisheries, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar. "We fully support the European Commission's approach to the negotiations with the British side. The EU must remain united and send a clear message to our partners that the agreements must be respected, including with regard to the rights of EU citizens", Ambassador Alexandrov said.
European ministers also discussed the process of enlargement, association and stabilization. "The political situation in the Western Balkans remains extremely complex and requires increased attention. The EU's relations with the countries of the region are not limited to the policy of enlargement", the head of the Bulgarian delegation said - He focused on the European perspective of Albania and the Republic of Northern Macedonia." Albania must be judged on its own merits and is ready to make progress on the path to the EU. "Unfortunately, the Republic of Northern Macedonia still does not meet the criteria for holding the first intergovernmental conference", Ambassador Alexandrov said. "In the last few months, the Bulgarian side has offered a number of options for overcoming open issues with the Republic of Northern Macedonia, in order to guarantee the rights of citizens with Bulgarian identity and the implementation of the Treaty of Friendship, Good-neighbourliness and Cooperation. Our PCM partners should make specific binding commitments, some of which shall be fulfilled in the short term, and the rest shall be among the requirements of the future negotiating framework. Until that happens, no progress can be expected in the enlargement process with the Republic of Northern Macedonia", Ambassador Rumen Alexandrov said.