About: European Council
Parliament insists on revisiting budget cuts despite Michel, von der Leyen charm offensive
European Council and Commission presidents tried to gain the European Parliament support on Thursday (23 July) for the recovery plan backed earlier this week by the EU27 but lawmakers insist on negotiating budget cuts.
EU recovery deal: the summit that will cement Merkel’s legacy
At the EU summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a U-turn as German advocated for the assumption of joint debts and dissociated itself from the donor countries for the first time and not just for economic reasons. This time, Merkel is fighting for her legacy as a shaper of the EU. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Leaders edge closer to deal as EU recovery fund talks enter fourth day
EU leaders have edged closer to a compromise on a new long-term budget and a multi-billion euro coronavirus recovery fund and will reconvene on Monday (20 July) afternoon for a fourth day of negotiations.
Leaders hit summit stalemate on EU recovery fund
EU leaders hit a dead end during the first round of the European Council meeting on Friday night (17 July) after The Netherlands clashed with Italy and Spain over the governance of the planned €750 billion EU recovery fund.
EU leaders pressed to overcome differences and agree on historic stimulus
Pressure is mounting on EU leaders to get over their differences as they meet on Friday (17 July) in person for the first time since the start of the coronavirus outbreak to close a deal on an unprecedented stimulus package to tackle the socio-economic fallout of the crisis.
Michel gives control to member states to facilitate recovery fund deal
European Council President, Charles Michel, proposed on Friday (10 July) to give more control to member states over the recovery funds to overcome Northern member states’s opposition to the ambitious stimulus.
EU leaders to hold summit on 17-18 July on virus recovery package
The leaders of the 27 EU member states will meet in Brussels on July 17, their first physical summit since the coronavirus lockdown began, to discuss an economic recovery package and the EU's next seven-year budget.
Merkel on EU Recovery Fund: ‘The bridges we have to build are large’
The European Council summit ended on Friday (19 June) without agreement on the EU recovery fund. However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel made it clear that she wants to act quickly, and the next round of negotiations is scheduled for mid-July. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Leaders pledge to agree on recovery package next month
EU leaders held “constructive” discussions on Friday on the EU’s €750 billion recovery fund to overcome the coronavirus crisis, and pledged to reach an agreement next month, despite the enormous differences among the member states.
Fiscal adjustment needed to unlock recovery funds, EU official warns
EU leaders will discuss for the first time on Friday (19 June) the €750 billion recovery fund proposed by the Commission to overcome the coronavirus crisis. But in order to access EU aid, member states will have to bring down their ballooning public debt, an EU official explained.
Montchalin: €500 billion in budgetary allocations to ‘be maintained at all costs’
Ahead of tomorrow's EU summit (19 June), France's European Affairs Minister Amélie de Montchalin told EURACTIV's partner Ouest-France in an interview that the EU27, including the "frugal four", are moving towards accepting an EU recovery programme, but that it would not work without reforms and long-term investment.
EU agreement on recovery plan by July ‘very difficult’, officials warn
It will be “very difficult” to reach an agreement on the recovery fund and the EU's overall seven-year budget by July, as intended, given the disagreements over the size, the distribution of the stimulus and the attached conditions, EU officials and national diplomats acknowledged on Wednesday (10 June).
EU leaders agree plans for ‘unprecedented’ stimulus against pandemic
EU leaders have tasked the European Commission with designing the recovery plan for the deep economic crisis that the coronavirus COVID-19 will cause in Europe.
Council seeks to narrow differences over COVID-19 recovery fund
EU leaders meet on Thursday (23 April) for the fourth time in seven weeks to narrow their differences on how to set up a recovery fund to counter the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis.
Experts warn against using EU budget for COVID-19 recovery plan
EU leaders are meeting on Thursday (23 April) to discuss how to boost the bloc’s economy following the COVID-19 crisis. But whatever the recovery plan looks like, experts consulted by EURACTIV warned against linking it to the EU budget.
Centeno: ‘The old books by which we governed are of no use in this period’
In an interview with the Portuguese newspaper Público, the President of the Eurogroup, Mário Centeno, shared some leads about the EU’s recovery plan. He believes that the new recovery plan should have its “own, appropriate and innovative funding mechanism”.
EU and COVID-19: Time to think outside the box
The Eurogroup’s decisions taken on 9 April were a necessary and overdue collective EU response, as well as a welcome but flawed and incomplete compromise. If European leaders are to save the EU economy when they meet on 23 April, they need to think outside the box, write Carlos Closa, George Papaconstantino, and Miguel Poiares Maduro.
Michel: EU’s way of working is ‘too slow’
European Council President Charles Michel has voiced regret that Europe’s way of working, also evident during the coronavirus crisis, is ‘too slow’ and called for more solidarity with countries that have been hard-hit by the pandemic, like Italy and Spain.
EU under pressure to broker online terrorist content agreement
The European Council and Commission are under pressure to make headway on rules to stamp out online terrorist content, the substance of which could provide a precedent for the upcoming Digital Services Act, an MEP involved with the matter told EURACTIV.
EU Parliament votes financial assistance for countries affected by COVID-19
Following an urgent procedure, the European Parliament on Thursday (26 March) almost unanimously backed two packages of financial support for countries affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
Leaders clash over stimulus against pandemic, pass hot potato to Eurogroup
EU leaders on Thursday (26 March) continued to disagree over the economic response to the coronavirus as Northern countries rejected the idea of issuing joint debt, known as "corona bonds", proposed by nine member states to finance the recovery.
France wants EU to win virus ‘communications battle’
European solidarity is being put to the test as some EU member states are not supporting the idea of 'corona bonds' and the EU's approach to communicating with the public about the crisis remains too discreet, according to Paris. EURACTIV France reports.
EU leaders agree to shut external borders, grapple with coronavirus response
EU leaders confirmed the proposed closure of the EU's external and Schengen borders for at least 30 days on Tuesday (17 March) as the bloc continued struggling to come up with a unified response to the coronavirus outbreak.