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The last EU summit of the year started today, and the last in the German Presidency of the Council. Heads of state and government have big problems to deal with. An overview.
After a violent dispute with Hungary and Poland, the I–summit on Thursday it finally paved the way for the European financial framework and aid from the Crown. The basis is a compromise negotiated by Germany with both countries on the new rule of law clause, which the other EU states are now examining.
Furthermore, heads of state and government want to set a new EU climate target for 2030 and advise on possible sanctions on Turkey. Fighting the corona pandemic is also a problem. The meeting is overshadowed by the Brexit dispute.
This means that heads of state and government are faced with key decisions for the next few years. For German Chancellor Angela Merkel, it is an opportunity to complete important projects in three weeks before the end of the German presidency of the Council of the EU. “This summit will determine the balance of this presidency and the political legacy of Chancellor Merkel,” said European-green politician Franziska Brantner of the German press agency. Merkel should not allow lazy compromises.
Budget
Hungary and Poland blocked the € 1.8 trillion budget package, including aid in the form of a € 750 billion crown, because they rejected a new rule of law mechanism. Germany was seeking a compromise in the EU presidency. Accordingly, an additional statement should record the possibilities that Hungary and Poland have to defend themselves from the use of the procedure to punish violations of the rule of law. The proposal was received positively by the other 24 countries, said an EU representative. However, the decision rests with the heads of state and government.
European FDP politician Nicola Beer has warned the EU states with a view to the budget dispute to reconsider the principle of unanimity. This systemic error is forcing the EU to get on its knees and repeatedly inducing political negotiation at summits, said the vice president of the European Parliament.
The weather
According to the specifications of the Paris Agreement, the EU wants to set a new, more ambitious climate target: instead of the previously planned 40 percent, greenhouse gases will be reduced by at least 55 percent below the 1990 level to 2030. However, before the summit, not all 27 EU countries supported the goal. Coal countries like Poland insist on financial aid. That is why the decision on the climate target is closely related to a solution to the budget dispute, diplomats said.
Turkey
How is the EU reacting to the continued provocations of the Ankara government? The heads of state and government want to give an answer to this question on Thursday night. Countries like France, Greece and Cyprus are pushing the hardest way possible with painful EU sanctions including suspension of the customs union. Germany, among others, is convinced that Turkey, for example, is necessary as a partner in the fight against illegal immigration and must not be alienated.
In the end, there could be a commitment to putting more people and companies on the sanctions list due to ongoing Turkish gas explorations in the eastern Mediterranean, combined with the signal that further provocations could lead to further punitive measures. CSU European politician Manfred Weber called for a sharper pace in the newspaper “Bild” (Thursday). “The German and French governments should no longer rule out the possibility of suspending already agreed arms deliveries.”
The coronavirus
EU states continue to strive to unite in the fight against the pandemic. In the declaration of the summit, they want to commit to coordinating the relaxation of restrictions on the way of traveling normally. The EU Commission is expected to provide recommendations on the use and mutual recognition of rapid antigen tests. A vaccination certificate will also be jointly developed.
The fight against terror
After the terrorist attacks in Vienna, Nice or Dresden, according to the draft, the EU states rely on the controversial data retention instrument, that is, the storage of telephone and Internet connection data. We must make progress in the fight against serious crimes, respecting fundamental rights and the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Communities. At the same time, the latest attacks are condemned, as well as attacks on freedom of expression and religion, anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia.
(WHAT / dpa)
