ZAGREB, December 13, 2019 – The heads of state or government of the EU member-states, who convened in Brussels on Thursday for a summit meeting, asked the Croatian presidency of the EU to start defining the European Council’s position on a Conference on the Future of Europe and called on the Council President to take over negotiations on the Union’s budget.
“The European Council considered the idea of a Conference on the Future of Europe starting in 2020 and ending in 2022. It asks the Croatian Council Presidency to work towards defining a Council position on the content, scope, composition and functioning of such a conference and to engage, on this basis, with the European Parliament and the Commission,” reads one of the conclusions adopted by the Council on the first day of the two-day summit meeting.
“The European Council recalls that priority should be given to implementing the Strategic Agenda agreed in June, and to delivering concrete results for the benefit of our citizens. The Conference should contribute to the development of our policies in the medium and long term so that we can better tackle current and future challenges,” the Council concludes.
The European Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission are supposed to be engaged on an equal footing in the conference. The Commission is also supposed to continue maintaining the dialogue with citizens. Also, all member-states are invited for equal participation.
The document with the conclusions makes no mention of some ideas which earlier appeared sch as a reform of the European Union’s institutions or the introduction of transnational slates for the European Parliament’s elections.
The European Council also discussed the main features of the new Multiannual Financial Framework and “calls on its President (Charles Michel) to take the negotiations forward with the aim of reaching a final agreement.”
The conclusion was made after the presentation “of the Negotiating Box with figures by Finland’s Presidency.”
The Finnish six-month presidency of the Council ends on 31 December, and Croatia assumes the rotating chairmanship on 1 January.
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