On 29 January 2023, Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Values and Transparency, and Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice, attended the General Affairs Council in Brussels, Belgium.

The meeting, chaired by Hadja Lahbib, Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade, and the Federal Cultural Institutions, focused on the Belgian presidency priorities, which includes: protecting democracy, strengthening the rule of law and promoting free and fair elections in Europe. They also discussed the annual rule of law dialogue and the ‘Defence of democracy’ package.

This video shows the statement made by Věra Jourová prior the Council meeting.