External Relations Section (REX) - Related Events

Representatives of the European and Georgian Domestic Advisory Groups (DAGs), set up under the Trade and Sustainable Development Chapter of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Georgia, held their second joint meeting in Brussels on 30 November 2016. The participants expressed their commitment to fulfil the mandate foreseen in the Trade and Sustainable Development Chapter of the Association Agreement, namely to monitor the implementation of the Chapter and to provide advice to the Parties to the Agreement.

The constitutive meeting of the EU Civil Society Domestic Advisory Group under the EU-Ukraine DCFTA took place on 22 November at the EESC premises. The meeting was chaired by Mr Alfredas Jonuška until the election of the new chair of the group.

The 3^rd meeting of the EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform will take place on 8-9 November 2016 in Kyiv. During the meeting, a debate will be held assessing the state of play in the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, and two reports, prepared by both sides, will be discussed and adopted – on labour market regulation with a focus on the adaptation of Ukrainian labour legislation to the EU legislation, and on anti-discrimination legislation and practice with regard to the rights of vulnerable groups in the context of the Association Agreement. A Joint Declaration will beadopted at the end of the meeting to be forwarded to the EU-Ukraine Association Council, the Association Committee, the Parliamentary Association Committee and other relevant bodies both in Ukraine as well as in the EU.

During the meeting, the representatives of the European External Action Service (EEAS) will present information about the EU relations and cooperation with Colombia and Peru. The EU DAG Chair will inform the Group about the outcomes of the civil society meeting organized in Bogota on 6 October 2016 with a view of establishing the Colombian DAG. Moreover, the Commission representative will provide information about the Ecuador's accession to the Agreement, as well as about preparations for the next meeting with Colombia and Peru under the Trade and Sustainable Development Title planned for 7-8 December in Brussels. The Group will hold then an internal debate to choose topics for the meeting with Colombia and Peru and to organize cooperation with civil society in both countries