The Council adopted on Thursday an amending recommendation on the temporary restriction on non-essential travel into the EU. This responds to the ongoing vaccination campaigns by introducing certain waivers for vaccinated persons and easing the criteria to lift restrictions for third countries.

The Council backed on Thursday a decision to support the launch of negotiations for an international treaty on the fight against pandemics. The main governing body of the WHO, its Assembly, is expected to support the establishment of a process for a Framework Convention on Pandemic Preparedness and Response during its virtual meeting which starts on 24 May.

The Council set out on Tuesday steps to help audiovisual industry and the news media sector, hardly hit by the pandemic crisis, to recover fast and emerge stronger. The adopted conclusions foresee MEDIA INVEST initiative to provide €400m to support investment in the audiovisual industry. 

The European Union will redouble its efforts to end the upsurge in violence between the Israeli military and Palestinian militants, and seek progress during a special meeting of its foreign ministers Tuesday, the bloc said.

At their first physical General Affairs Council under the Portuguese Presidency, held in Brussels on Tuesday, the EU affairs ministers discussed the state of play on the Covid-19 coordination with a focus on the vaccination campaign, the ongoing work on digital green certificates, and the epidemiological situation and travel restrictions.

During the EU-India Leaders’ Meeting, held on Saturday afternoon at the Palácio de Cristal in Porto, the two parties agreed to build a sustainable and comprehensive Connectivity Partnership. It will bring closer the two regions in fields like energy, transport, digital shift, research, innovation and education.

On Friday afternoon, EU leaders are gathering in Porto for taking part at the Social Summit, a flagship event of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council. Their informal meeting will also address the Covid-19 situation and other issues of international concern. On the agenda on Saturday there is an EU-India leaders' meeting with the participation via videoconference of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Strategic Compass, and in particular its crisis management component, was the central topic of the in-person meeting in Brussels of EU defence ministers on Thursday, the first since last August. 

Following the requests of Canada, Norway and the US to participate in the PESCO project Military Mobility, the Council adopted on Thursday positive decisions authorising the coordinator of this project – the Netherlands – to invite the three countries. They will be the first third states to be invited to take part in a PESCO project. 

European Council President Charles Michel will call a physical European summit in Brussels on 25 May. The main topics on the agenda will be Covid-19, climate and Russia. It was announced Friday on twitter by Barend Leyts, Spokesperson for the EUCO President.