European Affairs Ministers meet in Coimbra for an informal General Affairs Council focused on the future.

The programme for this informal meeting begins with a presentation and discussions on the ultraperipheral regions of the EU as laboratories for the future. The Ministers will learn not only about the challenges and potential of these regions for Europe as a whole, but also about the lessons that can be learnt so that we can prepare the future of the EU in areas such as sustainability, the digital transition and youth.

This occasion will also see the ministerial launch of the European Commission’s Strategic Foresight Network, followed by the first meeting of “Ministers for the Future”, where opinions will be exchanged on resilience and strategic autonomy in the EU.