General Affairs Council, 16/02/2016, 16 February 2016

Main results

The Council finalized preparations for the next European Council to take place in Brussels on 18 and 19 February. Ministers took note of the ongoing talks on addressing UK concerns in view of reaching an agreement at the European Council in advance of the in/out referendum in the UK. They expressed the need to reach a deal that is beneficial to Europe as a whole. Ministers also prepared the ground for heads of state and government to assess the implementation of their earlier decisions in the field of migration and to address immediate migration challenges.

• Negotiations ahead of the UK's EU referendum - timeline
• Finding solutions to migratory pressures (background information)
• European Council, 18-19 February 2016

"The negotiations with the UK and the handling of the migration crisis will have a significant impact on the EU. It is therefore of the utmost importance that we get them right. Today's meeting has shown that we have covered a lot of ground, even if difficult discussions remain on both issues." 

Bert Koenders, the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands and President of the Council

The Council also started preparations for the March European Council on the basis of an annotated draft agenda. At their meeting on 17-18 March 2016 European leaders will revert to migration and discuss further steps. They will also speak about how to promote growth, create jobs and improve competitiveness.

• European Council, 17-18 March 2016