#Romania2019.eu/Minister-delegate Ciamba to chair two GAC meetings dedicated to Brexit, MFF

Minister-delegate for European Affairs George Ciamba will chair on Tuesday in Brussels two meetings of the General Affairs Council (GAC), on whose agenda there are included talks on Brexit, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the spring European Council meeting (21-22 March 2019), a release of the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) informs. "The first meeting of the General Affairs Council will feature the Multiannual Financial Framework on the agenda, one of the priorities of the Romanian Presidency at the EU Council. Moreover, this file will be included on the agenda of each GAC meeting of Romania's Presidency, in view of obtaining a concrete, balanced negotiation document, that will be put at the disposal of the European Council in June 2019 and facilitate a political agreement on this topic, in the autumn of 2019. In this context, the negotiations on the sectorial proposals corresponding to the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework will be intensified, with an emphasis on the support for the candidate states, through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III)," the quoted source mentioned. Another topic on the agenda will be represented by the latest preparations for the European Council meeting of 21-22 March. According to the MAE, the discussions will be focused on aspects related to: employment, growth and competitiveness, climate change, the future Strategic Agenda, as well as the preparation of the EU-China Summit of 9 April 2019, combating disinformation, protecting the integrity of European and national elections. Moreover, also discussed will be the implementation of the conclusions of the previous European Council meetings, the report on the Council's contribution to the European Semester, as well as an updated Roadmap regarding the European Semester. The General Affairs Council (article 50) meeting will be dedicated to the withdrawal process of the UK from the EU, "a constant concern for the Romanian Presidency being the implementation of the necessary measures at the member states level in view of a possible rough Brexit," the quoted source mentions. "Also discussed will be the new preparation measures which will produce effects in all member states (EU27), besides the ones that have already been adopted, in order to mitigate the possible negative consequences in areas such as: coordination of social security systems; financial services; aviation safety; air transport and road transport; rail transport; customs aspects; sanitary and phytosanitary requirements; transfer of personal data; the EU policy on climate change. Following the latest developments in the UK, the risk of a disorderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU is increasing. The main priority of Romania's Government for the entire duration of the Brexit process was and will remain the protection of the Romanian citizens' rights in the United Kingdom, but also the protection of the British citizens' rights in Romania," the MAE release mentions. AGERPRES (RO - author: Irinela Visan, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Rodica State, editor: Adina Panaitescu)