Ryan O'Meara
Ceist:30. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for an update on the recent meeting of the EU General Affairs Council. [37991/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 21 May 2026
Ceisteanna (30)
Freagraí scríofa
Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne T.D. attended the informal meeting of the General Affairs Council (GAC) in Cyprus on 10-11 May. Ministers held discussions on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034 and enlargement, followed by a working lunch on foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) with UK Minister for the Constitution and EU Relations Nick Thomas-Symonds.
Minister Byrne also held bilateral meetings on the margins of the meeting with Minister Thomas-Symonds, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kachka, and Bosnian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Josip Brkic.
The last formal meeting of the GAC took place on 17 March. The meeting included discussions with the Ukrainian Deputy PM Kachka and the Moldovan Deputy PM, as well as a working lunch on the MFF with the European Parliament. Ministers also prepared for the March meeting of the European Council and held a policy debate on the MFF and the 2026 European Semester roadmap and synthesis report.
The Council also agreed the amendment to the EU Electoral Act that will allow for proxy voting in the case of MEPs on maternity leave. There were two AOB items – the first from France on new own resources in the context of the next MFF and the other from Spain presenting a non-paper on the EU pilot project for a digital age verification system. An Intergovernmental Council (IGC) with Montenegro was held on the margins of the Council meeting.