Economic and Financial Affairs Council

2009/11/10
European Finance Ministers meet once a month at the Occasion of Ecofin Meetings. Ecofin Meetings are Meetings of the Council of the EU, and are therefore by chaired by the presidency of the EU.

The Council adopted the Solvency II directive, setting new solvency rules for insurance companies so as to increase integration and enhance the competitiveness of the EU insurance industry, and to strengthen the protection of policy holders and beneficiaries. Adoption of the text follows an agreement with the European Parliament in first reading.

The Council agreed a general approach on strengthened capital requirements and remuneration policies in the banking sector.

It approved new rules for excise duties on cigarettes and other tobacco products, raising minimum duties on cigarettes whilst bringing the minimum rates for fine-cut tobacco gradually into line with those for cigarettes.

The Council also adopted conclusions on the sustainability of public finances, in the context of the current reflection on exit strategies, on statistics and on the reduction of administrative burdens on
companies.

You can download the  conclusions adopted by the Council hereunder.

AttachmentSize
Background_Note_-_Ecofin.pdf167.87 KB
conclusions_on_adminsitrative_burden.pdf125.7 KB
conclusions_on_capital_requirements.pdf111.7 KB
conclusions_on_eu_statistics.pdf141.34 KB
conclusions_on_public_finance.pdf121.98 KB
conclusions_on_solvency_II.pdf114.18 KB
Council_Conclusions.pdf137.46 KB
Press_release_-_Ecofin.pdf260.26 KB
public_deliberations_of_the_ecofin.pdf103.27 KB