EU – Baltic States, Financial Services, Funds, Latvia

Edgars Rinkevics. BC.

Over working dinner on October 15, the Foreign Minister together with his counterparts from other EU Member States had discussed the framework for the Cohesion Policy in the EU’s next multiannual budget. Heads of state and government of the Friends of Cohesion Group intend to sign a joint declaration in Bratislava on November 29.

Speaking about the Cohesion Policy, Rinkevics underlined the need for maintaining a common position and solidarity, given the varied interests of EU Member States related to the Cohesion Policy. Heads of EU Member States in Rome and Bratislava have agreed to push for an internally strong and united European Union, which would be an influential player on the global stage, Foreign Minister noted. To achieve this goal as a political priority, disparities in living standards between Member States should be further reduced. That can be accomplished through following a sustainable and sufficiently financed Cohesion Policy and Common Agricultural Policy and investing in our infrastructure connectivity projects, said Rinkevics.

A due focus on convergence is one of the conditions for achieving agreement on the multiannual budget for the next period. Latvia finds unacceptable the current proposal of the European Commission on the cohesion policy, since it does not sufficiently reflect the need for reducing regional disparities across the European Union, the Foreign Minister underlined.

The ministers also examined draft conclusions of the European Council meeting on 18 October covering the issues of migration, security and external relations.

Minister Rinkevics voiced Latvia’s position that supports the Council conclusions on migration, including cooperation with countries of origin and transit, and the fight against people smuggling networks.

In a discussion on the EU’s efforts of countering disinformation, unlawful data manipulation and cooperation with social platforms, Rinkevics drew the ministers’ attention to the recent parliamentary election in Latvia, which confirmed the need for concrete EU-level actions regarding transparency and responsibility of social media and online platforms.

The Minister noted that the Code of Practice on Disinformation, which was drawn up by online platforms and the advertising industry following a request from the European Commission, should be further developed at the European Union level. That would provide good grounds for the practical application of the self-regulatory mechanism, and the required action and accountability, if unlawful data manipulation were detected, Rinkevics said.

The General Affairs Council meets once a month, and in the second half of 2018 it is chaired by the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU.