Earlier today, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched a ballistic missile in flagrant violation of multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions. The DPRK’s own claims that it, in fact, launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, are as yet unverified. We expect the DPRK to halt all launches using ballistic missile technology and to abandon once and for all its ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, as required by the United Nations Security Council.

The High Representative/Vice-President, Federica Mogherini will speak in the coming days to the Foreign Ministers of international partners to discuss the international response, including the possibility of further U.N. Security Council measures, as called for by the President of the Republic of Korea, Moon Jae-in. The European Union, for its part, will consider an appropriate response, in close consultation with key partners and in line with U.N. Security Council deliberations, including possible additional restrictive measures.

The European Union expects the DPRK to refrain from any action that could further increase regional tensions and engage, in good faith, in a credible dialogue with the international community aimed at pursuing the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and full implementation of all relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. The European Union is ready to support such a process for dialogue.

The High Court judgement offered a damning indictment of what so many of us have been arguing for years – that the draconian benefit cap is ideologically driven and serves no purpose other than to harm.

Today the Commission held a discussion on the final award made on 29 June by the Arbitration Tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration as regards maritime and land borders between Croatia and Slovenia.

This is an issue that has been going on for more than 20 years.

The Commission has always been supportive of the peaceful settlement of border disputes between Member States. In this particular process we have also acted as facilitator, leading to the establishment of the arbitration process in 2009.

In this particular case, now that there is a decision, the Commission takes good note of the final award and expects both parties to implement it.

In the same vein the Commission welcomes that both Prime Ministers of Slovenia and Croatia will meet on 12 July and have agreed that no unilateral steps would be taken before then. The Commission hopes that both Prime Ministers can come to an agreement on how best to implement the award.

The Commission of course stands ready to contribute to or facilitate this process. Once we are on our way in this process the College will come back to the issue to discuss the progress and see how the Commission can help bring about a full implementation and just implementation of the award.