Food Contact Materials - 'Ensuring materials in contact with food are safe, to protect consumer health'
As part of Luxembourg's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, on 30 September 2015, the Ministry of Health organised a conference on 'Food contact materials: working together for safety and innovation in Europe'.
EU National Drug Coordinators Meeting - "Drug prevention: a global concept with converging objectives"
Under the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the National Drug Coordinators from the 28 Member States met in Luxembourg on 28 and 29 September 2015. Under the heading "Drug prevention: a global concept with converging objectives", the forum is calling for the diversification of efforts to combat drug use which continually poses new challenges. The forum was opened on Monday 28 September by Minister for Health, Lydia Mutsch, and chaired by Luxembourg's National Drug Coordinator, Dr Alain Origer.
EUNAVFOR Med - EU agrees to start the active phase of the operation against human smugglers and to rename it "Operation Sophia"
EU Ambassadors within the Political and Security Committee agreed to start the first step of the second phase of the operation as of 7 October 2015 and approved the corresponding rules of engagement. The EU naval operation against human smugglers in the Mediterranean will be able to board, search, seize and divert vessels suspected of being used for human smuggling or trafficking on the high seas, in line with international law. The Political and Security Committee also agreed that EU NAVFOR Med should be renamed "Sophia" after the name given to the baby born on the ship of the operation which rescued her mother on 22 August 2015 off the coast of Libya.
Eastern Mediterranean – Western Balkans route conference, on 8 October 2015 in Luxembourg
On 8 October 2015 in Luxembourg will take place the High level Conference on the Eastern Mediterranean – Western Balkans Route. Jean Asselborn, minister for Foreign and European Affairs, minister for Immigration and Asylum, and Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the Commission, convened this meeting, in order to discuss with all relevant partners the importance of this route in the increased migratory flows coming from the Middle East.
Informal meeting of Ministers of Health devoted to dementia, the refugee crisis and the cross-border healthcare directive
In the frame of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union, an informal meeting of Ministers of Health will be held on 24 and 25 September 2015 in Luxembourg. The discussions will focus on secondary prevention and post-diagnostic support in connection with dementia, the impact of migration on the healthcare systems of Member States and the cross-border healthcare directive.
Medical devices: Council mandates presidency to start talks with European Parliament
On 23 September 2015, the Permanent Representatives Committee finalised the Council's position on two draft regulations aimed at modernising EU rules on medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices. This allows the Luxembourg presidency to start talks with the European Parliament with a view to reach an agreement as early as possible. "Previous contacts with the European Parliament have made it clear that the Council and Parliament pursue the same objectives: to work towards creating a solid legal framework which will allow patients to access safe and high quality medical devices while creating the necessary conditions for a competitive and innovative EU market", said Lydia Mutsch, minister for health of Luxembourg and President of the Council.
Debate on road safety for cyclists and pedestrians, organised by the Ministry for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure and the European Transport Safety Council
On 21 September 2015, the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg's Ministry for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure held a debate on road safety as part of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Informal meeting of Ministers for Energy – A meeting devoted to new energy technologies as a driving force for economic growth and job creation
Entitled "New energy technologies as business and investment opportunities for Europe", the Informal meeting of Ministers for Energy to be held on Wednesday 23 September 2015 at the European Convention Centre Luxembourg will be devoted, in particular, to new energy technologies as a driving force for economic growth and job creation.
Jean Asselborn qualifies the demonstration of the far right French party Front national against free movement in Schengen in Luxembourg as a “provocative and cynical action”
Saturday, September 19th of 2015, the vice president of the Front national (FN), MEP member of the Europe of Nations and Freedom Group, Florian Philippot, traveled to Schengen (Luxembourg) to lay a wreath, he claimed, to the memory of free movement and to celebrate the return of national borders within the European Union. The Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn, condemned this provocative and cynical action.