Indicative programme 

from 08.00
Arrivals (live streaming)

+/- 08.45
Doorstep by High Representative Josep Borrell (live streaming)

+/- 09.00
Beginning of the Foreign Affairs Council (roundtable)
Adoption of the agenda
Adoption of legislative A items (public session)
Adoption of non-legislative A items

+/- 09.10
Current affairs and review of the latest international developments

+/- 10.30
Informal video conference with the Toshimitsu Motegi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan

+/- 12.00
Climate and Energy Diplomacy
Informal lunch on EU-UK Cooperation
Other business

At the end of the meeting (+/- 15.30) press conference in live streaming.

Arrangements for the press conference

Please note that there will be no physical press conference. EU accredited journalists will be able to ask questions remotely using this link.

Journalists who already registered for previous Foreign Affairs Council press conferences do not need to register again.

• Deadline: Monday, 25 January 2021, 13.30

Further instructions will be sent to all registered participants approximately half an hour after the deadline.

Videos and photos from the event

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On 10 December 2020, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2020/2033[1].

The Council renewed the existing restrictive measures for a further twelve months, until 12 December 2021, and amended the list of persons and entities subject to restrictive measures as set out in the Annex II to Decision 2010/788/CFSP.

The Candidate Countries the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania[2], the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, and Armenia align themselves with this Council Decision.

They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision.

The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it.

[1] Published on 11.12.2020 in the Official Journal of the European Union no. L 419/30

[2] The Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

January 22, 2021 EU Intellectual Property Network

European Cooperation: OSIM enhances its front and back-office systems

The Romanian State Office for Inventions and Trademarks (OSIM) has enhanced its front-office and back-office applications with added capabilities. The front-office has been expanded with five new online services for trade marks: limitation, withdrawal, licensing rights, oppositions and observations. From now on, users will be able to file trade mark applications using these services, improving usability and providing a better user experience as a whole as a result.

Enhancements to the user interface and new back-office software functionality will allow OSIM users to make more efficient use of the tool while simultaneously benefiting from performance improvements during their day-to-day activities.

OSIM and the EUIPO will continue working together to further enhance the front- and back-office applications during 2021.

EUIPO and its stakeholders are working together on eight major European Cooperation Projects, with the main aim of benefiting users across the EU by providing state-of-the-art tools and services for EU IP offices.

This will enable tailor-made support to strengthen public health systems’ preparedness and response capacities of the European Union candidate and potential candidate and the European Neighbourhood Policy partner countries, and improve health security in the European neighbourhood. ECDC has developed a comprehensive programme for 2021 to enhance regional cooperation in the fields of epidemic intelligence, rapid risk assessment, preparedness and response. The goal is to empower partner countries’ professionals to better face the threats public health systems have to fight against. Several thematic events based on specific interests will be organised.

Planned activities will include:  Training on Epidemic Intelligence and Rapid Risk Assessment; Advanced Training on Epidemic Intelligence; Workshop on Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans; Workshop on After Action Review; Workshop on setting-up Emergency Operation Centres and developing protocols for Public Health Emergencies; Cross border simulation exercise to test emergency preparedness and response plans.

Participation in 2021 activities  is reserved primarily to professionals employed by the Ministries of Health and National Public Health Agencies (or similar). Nominated ECDC National Correspondent in each partner country will coordinate the participation of experts in the activities of the EU Initiative on Health Security.

Workshops, trainings, simulation exercises and other activities will have a duration between a minum of one and a maximum of 10 days, depending on the topic,  and a limited number of attendees*.

Any further question regarding the EU Initiative on Health Security Work Programme 2021 should be addressed to: eu-initiative-on-health-security@ecdc.europa.eu

*Due to current COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and pressure on public health systems, certain activities in the work programme might be organised remotely, cancelled or postponed. ECDC will be in touch with each partner country and update on any changes foreseen in the implementation of work programme.

More information:

Work Programme 2021 of the EU Initiative on Health Security

Current EU candidate countries are Albania, Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.

Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo* are potential candidates.

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/99 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is mainly a bilateral policy between the EU and each partner country and governs the EU’s relations with its eastern and southern neighbours: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, Palestine**, Tunisia, Ukraine.

** This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue.