Ebola 

The Council voiced deep concern about the ongoing spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa and the increasing number of people being infected and dying from it. Joining in the international effort, the EU and its member states have already committed over half a billion euros to provide urgent medical care and to support the affected governments in mitigating the side effects of the outbreak. 

To encourage additional health personnel to work on the ground, the EU is providing a guarantee that international health workers who volunteer will be provided with appropriate care, locally or through medical evacuation, within available resources, should they become infected. 

The Council will start with a discussion of joined-up strategies to counter the spread of Ebola. 

Ministers will be joined for lunch by Bernadino León, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, to debate his mediation efforts and possible EU assistance. 

The lunch discussion will also cover the situation with respect to ISIL in Iraq and Syria and means of tackling the terrorist threat.