Polish presidency Council of the European Union two men speaking at the press conference European affairs ministers met in Warsaw to discuss security, competitiveness, and democratic resilience Article 18 February 2025

 Polish presidency

Council of the European Union

two men speaking at the press conference

European affairs ministers met in Warsaw to discuss security, competitiveness, and democratic resilience

Article  18 February 2025

Commissioner Piotr Serafin and Minister Adam Szłapka  © The Chancellery of the Prime Minister / PAP S.A

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European affairs ministers met in Warsaw to discuss security, competitiveness, and democratic resilience

Listen  3:59 minutes

On 18 February, the General Affairs Council (GAC) convened at the Warsaw Citadel to address EU security in the context of enlargement, the multiannual budget, and Member States’ democratic resilience resilience in the face of populism, disinformation, and political crises. The meeting was chaired by Minister for the European Union Adam Szłapka.

The informal meeting was attended by European affairs ministers from all 27 EU Member States and representatives of candidate countries. Also present were European Commissioners: Marta Kos (Enlargement) and Piotr Serafin (Budget).

The absolute priority of the Polish presidency - and of Europe as a whole - is security.

Adam Szłapka

Minister for European Union Affairs

'We are facing a difficult time, full of challenges and threats, but this must mobilise us, not paralyse us. We must remain capable of action and preserve our unity.' - said Minister Adam Szłapka

Hybrid threats in the context of EU enlargement

Accelerating the enlargement process is one of the priorities of the Polish presidency. The discussion included representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia, Türkiye, and Ukraine. Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos also took part. A vacant chair for Georgia symbolised the belief that it will soon be occupied again, reflecting the clear ambition and expectations of the Georgian people.

Family photo of the EU Ministers for European Affairs and countries aspiring to join the EU  © The Chancellery of the Prime Minister / PAP S.A

The debate focused on the growing scale of hybrid attacks and their negative consequences, particularly the threat they pose to democratic systems. Participants emphasised the importance of EU cooperation with candidate countries to counter and mitigate these threats.

Multiannual Financial Framework

The Polish presidency launched a debate on the future EU budget. Member States presented their priorities to the European Commission regarding the proposal set to be released in July.

Security for Europe!" – a slogan that takes on special significance today. In the face of modern challenges, the debate on various aspects of European security plays a key role in the EU decision-making process.

Piotr Serafin

Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration

The Commission’s proposal will be co-developed by EU Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin, who participated in the discussions in Warsaw.

EU readiness strategy

The General Affairs Council (GAC) also addressed the issue of external actors exploiting civil liberties and rights to incite social tensions and unrest. It initiated discussions on military and civil resilience, particularly in the context of civil society engagement.

Ministers stressed the need for close cooperation between Member States, civil society, and the media, highlighting that education and reliable information are key to protecting democratic processes in Europe.

The Polish presidency intends to use the outcomes of this debate to support the European Commission’s work on the European Democracy Shield.

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Minister for the EU Adam Szłapka  © EU

You can watch the full press conference here.

The General Affairs Council (GAC)

The General Affairs Council (GAC) ensures the coherence of work across all Council configurations. It prepares European Council summits and oversees the implementation of decisions taken there.

It is responsible for several cross-cutting policy areas, including EU enlargement and accession negotiations, the adoption of the Multiannual Financial Framework (the EU’s seven-year budget plan), cohesion policy, institutional matters, and any issues assigned by the European Council.

Learn more

Event page to this informal meeting - Informal meeting of the General Affairs Council 17-18/2

Upcoming formal GAC meetings:

General Affairs Council 25/2

General Affairs Council 18/3

General Affairs Council 24/6

General Affairs Council 27/5