News

At the General Affairs Council on 21 October in Luxembourg, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Rolandas Kriščiūnas discussed the new climate and energy policy framework and European energy security strategy.

The Council prepared for the European Council meeting to be held on 23-24 October, which will set the targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, renewables, and energy efficieny for 2020-2030.

“Goals for climate and energy should be based on fair burden-sharing between the EU member states. Their implementation itself must be flexible, so that each member state could apply the most efficient measures and make use of appropriate financial instruments of the European Union to achieve their goals,” the Vice-Minister said.

In ensuring European energy security, the Vice-Minister stressed that first priority should be given to ending the isolation of the energy “islands” and to completing the internal energy market. The Vice-Minister stressed the particular importance of synchronizing of the Baltic energy systems with the European continental networks.

The Council also took stock of the EU’s strategic agenda, focusing on the chapter on freedom, security and justice.

The Council decided to initiate contacts with the Commission and the European Parliament with a view to establishing a consultation process for a new and efficient multiannual interinstitutional programming.

The Ministers also sought a compromise regarding the decrease of the number of the members of Committee of the Regions after the accession of Croatia to the EU.

The Council was also briefed about the UK’s notification of its intention from 1 December to opt out of some pre-Lisbon police and criminal justice measures, but to continue to be bound by approximately 35 instruments that are important to Lithuania, including the European Arrest Warrant, Europol and Eurojust.