State Secretary for European Affairs Andreja Metelko-Zgombić 20 March 2018 attended a meeting of the General Affairs Council (GAC) and GAC (Article 50).
The General Affairs Council finalised preparations for the March European Council by discussing draft conclusions. The European Council will focus on jobs, growth and competitiveness (including trade); social affairs, European Semester, Sofia EU-WB summit, and Salisbury attack. Under any other business, the Commission updated the Council on its dialogue with the Polish authorities on the rule of law in Poland.
Metelko-Zgombić underlined the importance of implementing the existent measures to strengthen growth, create jobs, promote investment and innovation, as well as drawing up new measures that would enable continued growth of a just, future-oriented single market. She expressed support for open, rule-based free trade and ambitious trade agenda. The state secretary supported the European prospect for all six of the Southeast European countries, stressing the importance of speeding up the transformative processes in them. Croatia pushes for a greater validity and transparency of the EU’s engagement towards the SEE through convening informal EU28-SEE summits. The Council supported 19 March FAC statement harshly condemning the chemical weapons attack in Salisbury.
The General Affairs Council (Art. 50) discussed the draft guidelines on the framework for a future relationship with the UK, which is to be submitted to the European Council ahead of the meeting on 23 March 2018. Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier informed the Council on the latest developments in the Brexit negotiations and presented an agreement reached by negotiators on parts of the legal text of the Withdrawal Agreement covering citizens' rights, the financial settlement and transition.
Metelko-Zgombić underscored the need to maintain the EU27 unity throughout the negotiations, expressing support for the negotiating team and Irish colleagues in speedily seeking concrete and sustainable solutions for Ireland and Northern Ireland.