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I. THE NEXT INSTITUTIONAL CYCLE
1. The European Council adopted a new Strategic Agenda 2019-2024 for the Union. It will discuss the follow-up to the Strategic Agenda in October 2019.
II. MULTIANNUAL FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK
2. The European Council welcomed the work done under the Romanian Presidency and took note of the various elements of the MFF package. It called on Finland's Presidency to pursue the work and to develop the Negotiating Box. On that basis the European Council will hold an exchange of views in October 2019, aiming for an agreement before the end of the year. [...]
A NEW STRATEGIC AGENDA 2019 - 2024
In recent years, the world has become increasingly unsettled, complex and subject to rapid change. That creates both opportunities and challenges. Over the next five years, the EU can and will strengthen its role in this changing environment. Together, we will be determined and focused, building on our values and the strengths of our model. This is the only effective way to shape the future world, promote the interests of our citizens, businesses and societies, and safeguard our way of life.
This Strategic Agenda provides an overall framework and direction for that response. It is intended to guide the work of the Institutions in the next five years. It focuses on four main priorities:
• protecting citizens and freedoms
• developing a strong and vibrant economic base
• building a climate-neutral, green, fair and social Europe
• promoting European interests and values on the global stage. Lastly, it sets out how to deliver on those priorities [...]
Developing our economic base: the European model for the future
A strong economic base is of key importance for Europe’s competitiveness, prosperity and role on the global stage and for the creation of jobs. As technological, security and sustainability challenges reshape the global landscape, we need to renew the basis for long-term sustainable and inclusive growth and strengthen cohesion in the EU. This requires achieving the upward convergence of our economies and addressing the demographic challenges.
We must ensure that the euro works for our citizens and remains resilient, deepening the Economic and Monetary Union in all its dimensions, completing the Banking and Capital Markets Union and strengthening the international role of the euro.
To maximise our impact, we need a more integrated approach connecting all relevant policies and dimensions: deepening and strengthening the Single Market and its four freedoms, designing an industrial policy fit for the future, addressing the digital revolution and ensuring fair and effective taxation.
The Single Market in all its dimensions is a key asset in that regard. The EU cannot afford to underutilise the potential of a market of half a billion people, particularly in the area of services. Shortterm difficulties cannot be invoked as an argument against a long-term strategy that is bold, allencompassing, and forward-looking. This must go hand in hand with a more assertive, comprehensive and coordinated industrial policy. The EU needs both, and needs them urgently.
Over the next few years, the digital transformation will further accelerate and have far-reaching effects. We need to ensure that Europe is digitally sovereign and obtains its fair share of the benefits of this development. Our policy must be shaped in a way that embodies our societal values, promotes inclusiveness, and remains compatible with our way of life. To this end, the EU must work on all aspects of the digital revolution and artificial intelligence: infrastructure, connectivity, services, data, regulation and investment. This has to be accompanied by the development of the service economy and the mainstreaming of digital services.
At the same time, we must step up investment in people's skills and education, do more to foster entrepreneurship and innovation and increase research efforts, in particular by addressing the fragmentation of European research, development and innovation. Investing in our future also means encouraging and supporting public and private investment, including in infrastructure, to finance the growth of our economy and our businesses, including SMEs.
In a world where common rules and standards are increasingly questioned, it will be vital to promote a level playing field, including in the area of trade. This means ensuring fair competition within the EU and on the global stage, promoting market access, fighting unfair practices, extraterritorial measures and security risks from third countries, and securing our strategic supply chains. We will continue to update our European competition framework to new technological and global market developments. [...]
A new strategic agenda 2019-2024
Related analysis by Fondation Robert Schuman: From crisis exit to world challenges: The EU’s Strategic Agenda 2019
Remarks by President Donald Tusk after the European Council meeting on 20 June 2019
The European Council had a full discussion of nominations taking into account my consultations and statements made within the European Parliament. There was no majority on any candidate.
The European Council agreed that there needs to be a package reflecting the diversity of the EU. We will meet again on 30th June. In the meantime I will continue consultations including with the European Parliament.
Beyond nominations the European Council covered a number of issues, including the long-term EU budget, adopting the Strategic Agenda and confirming the roll-over of economic sanctions against Russia for another six months, due to the non-implementation of the Minsk Agreements. [...]
Statement of the Euro Summit, 21 June 2019
1. We welcome the progress made in the Eurogroup on the strengthening of the Economic and Monetary Union as set out in the letter of the President of the Eurogroup of 15 June 2019 and invite the Eurogroup in an inclusive format to continue working on all the elements of this comprehensive package. We take note of the broad agreement reached by the Eurogroup on:
2. We look forward to the continuation of the technical work on the further strengthening of the Banking Union.
Remarks by President Donald Tusk after the Euro summit meeting on 21 June 2019
[...]The leaders discussed the further strengthening of the Economic and Monetary Union. We took note of the broad agreement on a euro area budgetary instrument. The Eurogroup in an inclusive format will continue its work on this instrument, which will eventually be integrated into the long-term EU budget. The leaders also expect work on the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) Treaty to be finalised by the end of 2019.
At the end of our meeting, the EU27 briefly came back to the issue of Brexit. We have agreed on the following, united approach of the EU27:
- we look forward to working together with the next UK Prime Minister;
- we want to avoid a disorderly Brexit and establish a future relationship that is as close as possible with the UK;
- we are open for talks when it comes to the Declaration on the future UK-EU relations if the position of the United Kingdom were to evolve, but the Withdrawal Agreement is not open for renegotiation; and
- we have been informed on the state of play of planning for a no-deal scenario. [...]
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