State Secretary for European Affairs Andreja Metelko-Zgombić 16 October 2018 in Luxembourg attended a meeting of the General Affairs Council (Art. 50).
The ministers discussed draft conclusions of the upcoming European Council meeting, the main topics of which will include migration, internal security and external relations. Metelko-Zgombić underlined the importance of a comprehensive approach to migration and maintaining attention to all the routes, notably those through Southeast Europe. She supported the efforts to protect democratic systems and fighting false information, including the context of the upcoming European Parliament elections. Metelko-Zgombić announced that Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković will open the topic of the post-election situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the European Council meeting.
The ministers exchanged views on the draft Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027. Metelko-Zgombić said Croatia would continue to advocate the keeping of an appropriate level of financing the cohesion and common agricultural policies, as well as the conditions and ways of financing projects that would not burden fund absorption and financing new challenges.
The European Commission submitted a report on the state of the rule of law in Poland, following the proceedings launched under Article 7 of the Lisbon Treaty. The Austrian chairmanship reviewed the proceedings under Article 7 launched by the European Parliament against Hungary.
The Council also discussed the current state of Brexit, as well as preparations for the European Council meeting in the same format.