ALDE Party in collaboration with our group in the European Parliament held two ministerial meetings during the Slovenian Presidency of the European Council (Autumn 2021). During the meetings, Ministers discuss and share views on the items on the Council agenda.

5th TELECOM Ministerial meeting

On 3 December, Ministers responsible for telecommunications met to discuss and share views on the items on the Council agenda, with a specific focus on the proposed measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the EU (NIS2 directive) as well as the progress on the Artificial Intelligence Act and the Path to the Digital Decade.

The meeting was chaired by Cédric O, Minister of State for the Digital Transition and Electronic Communication (LREM, France), who also shared an overview of the digital priorities of the incoming European Council French Presidency, which will start in January 2022.

Digital policy will be a key theme for the French Presidency as it hopes to transform Europe into a digital power by boosting its role in the global digital economy. The main priorities include promoting innovation as guiding principle and setting a strong governance framework for the digital decade. This can be translated into concrete actions such concluding the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) as well as a new NIS framework for cybersecurity. Find more about the French presidency priorities here.

List of participants:

• Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister and Minister of Communications and the Media (DP, Luxembourg)
• Cédric O, Minister of State for the Digital Transition and Electronic Communication (LREM, France)
• Andres Sutt, Minister for Entrepreneurship and IT (Reform Party, Estonia)
• Artūrs Toms Plešs, Minister for Environmental Protection and Regional Development (Attistibai, Latvia)
• Dita Charanznová MEP, European Parliament Vice-President, ALDE Party Vice-President

Excused Ministers were:

• Petr Očko, Deputy Minister for new technologies at Ministry of Industry and Trade (ANO, Czech Republic)
• Robert Troy, Minister of State for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, with responsibility for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation (Fianna Fail, Ireland)
• Aušrinė Armonaitė, Minister for Economy and Innovation (Freedom Party, Lithuania)
• Stef Blok, Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (VVD, Netherlands)

3rd ECOFIN Ministerial meeting

On 7 December, Ministers responsible for economics and financial affairs met to discuss and share views on the items on the Council agenda, with a specific focus on the measures to strengthen the banking union as well as the package to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism, which was presented by the European Commission in July 2021.

The meeting was chaired by ALDE Party Vice-President Luis Garicano MEP and was also attended by Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank.

List of participants:

• Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank (FDP, Germany)
• Maria Kaisa Aula, State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance (Centre Party, Finland)
• Luis Garicano MEP, Renew Europe Vice-President, ALDE Party Vice-President (Ciudadanos, Spain)
• Stéphanie Yon-Courtin MEP (LREM, France)

Excused Ministers:

• Alena Schillerová, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance (ANO, Czech Republic)
• Pierre Gramegna, Minister of Finance (Democratic Party, Luxembourg)
• Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, Minister of Finance (Reform Party, Estonia)

In 2021, the ALDE Party organised a total of 9 Ministerial meetings ahead of the following Council formations: AGRIFISH, COMPET, ECOFIN, ENVI, Defence (FAC), JHA (Justice), GAC and TELECOM.

4th ECOFIN Ministerial meeting

On the 18 January, Ministers responsible for economics and financial affairs again met to discuss and share views on the items on the Council agenda with a specific focus on EU’s economic governance framework and the proposed Council directive on ensuring a minimum level of taxation for multinational groups. Minister Bruno Le Maire shared an overview of the economic and financial priorities of the ongoing French Presidency of the European Council, which started in January 2022.

 The meeting was chaired by ALDE Party Vice-President, Luis Garicano MEP, and counted with the presence of Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank, and Senator Timmy Dooley, ALDE Party acting co-President.

Moreover, the ministers welcomed Christian Lindner, Minister of Finance (FDP, Germany), Yuriko Backes, Minister of Finance (Democratic Party, Luxembourg) and Sigrid Kaag, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance (D66, The Netherlands) as new Ministers of Finance of our political family.

List of participants:

• Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, Minister of Finance (Reform Party, Estonia)
• Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy, Finance and Recovery (LREM, France)
• Christian Lindner, Minister of Finance (FDP, Germany)
• Yuriko Backes, Minister of Finance (Democratic Party, Luxembourg)
• Maria Kaisa Aula, State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance (Keskusta, Finland)
• Senator Timmy Dooley, ALDE Party acting co-President (Fianna Fail, Ireland)
• Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank (FDP, Germany)
• Luis Garicano MEP, Renew Europe and ALDE Party Vice-President (Ciudadanos, Spain)
• Gilles Boyer MEP, Renew Europe MEP (LREM, France)

Excused Ministers:

Sigrid Kaag, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance (D66, The Netherlands)