Today the EU Ministers of Home Affairs took steps to create a common EU defense against cybercrime and strengthen the efforts to combat itinerant criminal groups. The Ministers inter alia decided to establish a new European Cybercrime Center in order to combat cybercrime and to enter into a global alliance against online sexual abuse of children. The Ministers also decided to strengthen Schengen cooperation.
The Danish Minister for Justice and Chair of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, Morten Bødskov, aims to strengthen EU’s efforts to combat cybercrime. Therefore, the Danish minister has placed this issue at the very top of the agenda when the European Ministers for Home Affairs meet at the Council meeting in Luxembourg. The Minister for Justice also aims to ensure new and simplified rules in commercial matters and in the area of successions.
To day the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission agreed on a Directive that makes it possible for cultural institutions to give access to Europe’s cultural heritage across borders in the EU.
On 7-8 June 2012 Danish Minister for Business and Growth, Ole Sohn, will focus on growth when EU ministers responsible for maritime affairs and IT and Telecommunication (ICT) will discuss initiatives to strengthen growth and employment in Europe at the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council.
On Thursday 7 June 2012, the EU Ministers for Transport will meet in Luxembourg to discuss the framework for granting of EU-funds to European infrastructure, noise in airports, and the EU satellite navigation system Galileo.
Informal Council in Horsens: The discussion at the agricultural Minister’s green think tank showed consensus that there really is no choice between productivity and sustainability.
As part of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, The Danish Minister for Culture, Uffe Elbæk, has together with the Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou taken the initiative to start a dialogue on the role of culture in a time of crisis.
Under the headline ‘EU Snapshots of Your Life’, the Danish EU Presidency has organized a photo competition primarily aimed at young people taking photos of how the EU and Europe affects their daily lives. The 40 best photos will be on display at the Royal Library in Copenhagen from 7 June.
The Danish Presidency is now entering a decisive phase. The Presidency has already reached agreement on several important files to the benefit of both European citizens and businesses, but despite that the summer weather has gradually settled in, the meeting rooms will be buzzing with activity throughout the last month of the Danish EU Presidency.
The Danish agricultural minister, Mette Gjerskov, challenges her colleagues to develop new ideas for a greener agricultural policy when they meet in Kolding and Horsens 3–5 June. The Ministers will also visit the Wadden Sea and Gram Castle, with Denmark’s largest organically cultivated farmland.
The Danish EU Presidency has reached an agreement on European standardisation. Thereby the Council and the European Parliament has agreed on the first of the twelve initiatives in the Single Market Act intended to modernise European trade and contribute to growth in Europe. The agreement will improve conditions for participation of businesses and stakeholders in the development of standards, ensure that standards reach the market faster, which will shorten the time span from idea to production, and boost the development of European standards for services.
The Foreign Affairs Council chaired by Minister for Trade and Investment, Pia Olsen Dyhr, today took steps to strengthen the EU's growth agenda with a focus on free trade agreements with the most important emerging economies.
The European ministers for research- and innovation have after long and hard negotiations reached an agreement on the overall structure for the EUs coming Framework programme for research and innovation – Horizon 2020 – which has a proposed budget of EUR 80 billion.
The administrative burdens on listed companies are being reduced in order to make it easier for businesses to raise capital and contribute to growth and employment in the EU. This is at the heart of changes to the so called Transparency Directive. The Danish Presidency is leading negotiations of the Directive, and has just received a mandate in the Council of Ministers to begin negotiations with the European Parliament.
New EU rules require that providers of mortgage credit in the EU should ensure better information for consumers and more solid credit assessments for the receipt of mortgage credit. At the same time it will be easier for consumers to see where the best options are for them in taking out a mortgage. This is the heart of the new so-called Mortgage Credit Directive. The Danish Presidency is leading negotiations on the Directive, and has just received a mandate in the Council of Ministers to begin negotiations with the European Parliament.
On 30 May, together with other European ministers, the Danish Minister for Business and Growth set a footprint on the growth agenda in Europe. The Competitiveness Council discussed a number of the initiatives to cre-ate growth in the Single Market Act.
160 parliamentarians from African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and Europe had a number of questions for the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation Christian Friis Bach during the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Horsens, ending today.