EU Leaders to Discuss Ukraine and Migration at Pre-Summer Summit
Ukraine and Russia
EU leaders will meet at the end of the month for their regular pre-summer summit, where they are expected to discuss Ukraine and Russia’s aggression against the country. Leaders hope to welcome the adoption of the 11th package of sanctions against Russia, but Hungary is currently blocking the agreement.
Migration
Defense, the economy, and migration will also be on the agenda for the two-day Brussels summit. Poland and Hungary have been arguing against an EU plan to relocate migrants and asylum seekers within the bloc. Countries that do not want to take in their share would instead have to pay a financial contribution. The topic is expected to reignite political tensions within the bloc.
China
Based on the draft conclusions, EU leaders are also expected to discuss China, another issue on which fault lines run deep with the EU.
Budget and Energy Reforms on the Horizon
Budget Debate
EU budget commissioner Johannes Hahn is expected to launch the planned revision of the EU’s long-term budget, with the aim of implementing possible changes by 2024. Hahn is also expected to lay out proposals on new own resources, a traditionally controversial issue among member states, which will be essential to repay the debt the EU has taken on to finance the Covid-19 recovery fund.
Future-Proof Energy
EU energy ministers will meet to seek an agreement on the EU’s electricity market design reform before negotiations with the European Parliament begin. The reform aims to revise the EU’s electricity market design and improve protection against market manipulation in the EU wholesale energy market.
Environmental Restoration Proposal
EU environment ministers will meet to agree on their position on the nature restoration proposal, which aims to restore ecosystems, habitats, and species across the EU’s land and sea areas. The proposal wants EU countries to set restoration measures that cover at least 20 percent of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030, and ultimately all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. Once ministers agree, negotiations can start with MEPs over the final legislation.
