Brussels: Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna will participate in the deliberations of the General Affairs Council of the European Union that will take place on May 27th. Raouna will also have a series of meetings in the context of preparations for the assumption of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2026.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Council will start preparations for the European Council meeting of 26-27 June 2025 by discussing an annotated draft agenda. The European Council is expected to discuss important issues such as Ukraine, the Middle East, EU-Syria relations, European defense and security, immigration, and competitiveness.
Ministers will hold the eighth hearing of Hungary as part of the Article 7 procedure triggered by the European Parliament’s reasoned proposal. Ministers responsible for European affairs will be invited to adopt a general approach on simplifying and strengthening the regulation on the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), as part of the Commission’s so-called ‘Omnibus I’ simplification package.
Meanwhile, in the context of the preparations for the assumption of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2026, Raouna will have a meeting with her Austrian counterpart, Claudia Plakolm, as well as a series of contacts with European Commissioners. Specifically, she will meet with the Vice-President of the Commission responsible for Cohesion and Reforms, Raffaele Fitto, the Commissioner for the Environment, Water Resilience and Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, and the Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath. She will also have meetings with representatives of the EU institutions.