Deputy FM Kourkoulas representing the Council of the European Union, addressed the European Parliament Plenary session in Strasbourg (11.03) on the following issues: 

 

The “Personal Data Protection” legislation package and the debate on the report on “US NSA surveillance programme, surveillance bodies in various Member States and impact on EU citizens' fundamental rights”. Concerning this issue, Kourkoulas stressed among others that:

 

• “Over the two past years, no other legislative initiative has been the subject of such important and multiple debates in the Council. The Hellenic Presidency has already dedicated 10 meetings to this issue during the first 10 weeks of our Presidency.”

 

The “2013 progress report on Turkey”. Concerning this issue, Deputy FM Kourkoulas stressed among others that:

 

• “The Council continues to encourage Turkey to work on reforms which should provide for adequate checks and balances fully guaranteeing freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.”

 

• “The EU welcomes the signing last year of the readmission agreement and looks forward to its swift ratification and full and effective implementation vis-à-vis all Member States. Progress in the dialogue on visa liberalisation will be founded on a performance-based approach and conditioned on effective and consistent implementation by Turkey of the requirements in the visa roadmap, as agreed on by the Council, vis-à-vis the EU and its Member States.”

 

The “Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund – Internal Security Fund”. Deputy FM Kourkoulas, concerning this issue, stressed among others that:

 

“Tomorrow’s vote on the new generation of financial tools for EU Home Affairs, which are provided for by the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework, enables us to complete the reform of the funding of the policies in question on a European level.”

 

“The number of existing programmes will be reduced and their new structure will consist of two Funds. The first will concern Asylum, Migration and Integration, and the second will concern Internal Security and will have two components: borders and visas, on the one hand, and police cooperation, on the other.” “In total, the two Funds will provide €6.9 billion for the period 2014-2020”. 

 

Finally, on Ukraine Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Kourkoulas stated the following:

“The situation in Ukraine is one of the most serious crises Europe has seen in recent years. It is obvious that the events happening in our neighbourhood are major, with specific repercussions for all the European states.”

Read below all relevant statements by Deputy FM Kourkoulas.