Meeting: Foreign Affairs Council, 22 June 2015

A meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council took place on 22 June 2015, in Luxembourg. The following topics were discussed:

+ Migration

The Council launched the EU naval operation to disrupt the business model of human smugglers in the Mediterranean. EUNAVFOR Med is one element of the comprehensive EU response to the migration challenge. The decision enables the start of the operation's first phase, which focuses on surveillance and assessment of human smuggling and trafficking networks.

The High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, said: 'The targets of this operation are not the migrants, the targets are human smugglers and traffickers, those who are making money on their lives and too often on their deaths. EUNAVFOR Med is part of our efforts to save lives.'

+ Russia

The Council extended EU economic restrictions over Russia's role in destabilising Eastern Ukraine until 31 January 2016. This follows an agreement among EU leaders to link the duration of these sanctions to the complete implementation of the Minsk agreements, which is foreseen by 31 December 2015.

Check the Related URLs below for more detailed conclusions of this meeting.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Council conclusions on the EU Strategy for Central Asia http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-council-conclusions-on-the-eu-strategy-for-central-asia/

ESO: Background information: Council conclusions on forthcoming elections in Myanmar/Burma http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-council-conclusions-on-forthcoming-elections-in-myanmar-burma/

ESO: Background information: Council conclusions on EU-ASEAN relations http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-council-conclusions-on-eu-asean-relations/

ESO: Background information: EU Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World in 2014 http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-eu-annual-report-on-human-rights-and-democracy-in-the-world-in-2014/

ESO: Background information: Council conclusions on Lebanon http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-council-conclusions-on-lebanon-2/

ESO: Background information: Council conclusions on Burundi http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-council-conclusions-on-burundi-2/

ESO: Background information: Council launches EU naval operation to disrupt human smugglers and traffickers in the Mediterranean http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-council-launches-eu-naval-operation-to-disrupt-human-smugglers-and-traffickers-in-the-mediterranean/

ESO: Background information: EU leaders seek renewal of Russian sanctions http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-leaders-seek-renewal-of-russian-sanctions/

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