About: European Council
EU leaders unlock historic €1.8 trillion budget deal
EU leaders accepted on Thursday (10 December) the compromise reached between Germany and Hungary and Poland to unblock the EU budget package totalling €1.8 trillion, after the European Commission clarified that the Rule of Law mechanism will be valid from 1 January.
EU leaders to decide on compromise to unblock EU budget package
EU leaders will discuss on Thursday (10 December) whether to approve the compromise negotiated by the German presidency to drop Hungary and Poland’s vetoes to the EU budget deal, postponing of the Rule of Law mechanism until EU judges validate it.
The EU’s imported deforestation problem – a closer look
Forestry policy was on the agenda for Europe's agriculture ministers on Monday, which made for a heated debate since Europeans are, through their lifestyles, contributing to massive deforestation worldwide. EURACTIV France reports.
Sassoli calls for ‘imagination’ to overcome budget negotiations deadlock
European Parliament President David Sassoli asked EU leaders on Thursday (15 October) to increase their financial contributions to the EU budget and called for “imagination” to make progress on the stalled negotiations.
EU leaders to call for an EU electronic ID by mid-2021
EU leaders will ask the European Commission later this month to develop an EU-wide public electronic identification (e-ID) to access cross-border digital services, according to the draft summit conclusions seen by EURACTIV.com.
EU to impose sanctions over election fraud in Belarus
The European Union does not recognise the results of Belarus elections and would shortly impose sanctions on those who were involved in electoral fraud and repression of protests, the European Council chief said on Wednesday.
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.