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Agenda of the Special European Council, 17-18 April 2024 (updated 16 April)

17 April - 18 April

Invitation letter by President Charles Michel to the members of the European Council

“Dear colleagues,

I would like to invite you to our Special European Council on 17 and 18 April.

Our upcoming meeting will centre on bolstering our competitiveness. A new competitiveness deal and a fresh perspective are long overdue. This strong and urgent response is paramount to securing our prosperity and global leadership. In essence, we must collectively bridge the growth and innovation divide vis-à-vis our global counterparts and safeguard our economic, industrial and technological base.

Concretely, our competitiveness deal should cut across all policy areas. I propose that we set out operational taskings across key sectors. The most important among these is the single market, where we must fully capitalise on all its potential, remove any fragmentation and follow up on the recommendations Enrico Letta will present to us. Additionally, companies are struggling under the weight of regulation and administrative red tape. We must work towards dismantling these barriers and ensuring a coherent and smart regulatory framework to ensure that our businesses can grow and thrive. Investments in strategic sectors play a vital role in enhancing our competitiveness – in this context, a combination of private and public financing, alongside a reassessment of our approach to state aid, is imperative. EU businesses are hitting a notable financing barrier in the EU, encountering substantial hurdles in accessing readily available capital to scale up and innovate. Hence, the Capital Markets Union warrants our special attention and firm guidance. It is imperative that we make significant strides in this area, where progress has lagged for too long.

Topics of foreign policy will also feature high on our agenda.

Regarding Ukraine, following our extensive March conclusions, we will address Russia’s persistent attacks on Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure, including in the energy sector. These underscore the urgency of intensifying our delivery of military assistance, notably air defence capabilities.

Our commitment to work with partners to end the tragic crisis in Gaza with an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages, as well as an urgent increase of unimpeded humanitarian aid at scale into Gaza, remains crucial. Developments over the weekend have exacerbated an already highly volatile situation in the region. We must condemn the recent attack by Iran against the people of Israel and unite in urging all parties to exercise the utmost restraint, respect international law, and avoid action that may increase tensions. We must also address the situation in Lebanon, acknowledging the challenging circumstances it is facing, and reiterate our strong support at this critical time.

Our strategic debate on Türkiye will be framed by our strategic interest in developing a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship. Enhancing this relationship should also contribute to promoting a stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean. Consistent with our approach, our work in this regard should be taken forward in a phased, proportionate and reversible manner.

I look forward to our constructive discussions.

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    Details

    Start:
    17 April
    End:
    18 April
    Event Categories:
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    Venue

    European Council

    Organizer

    European Council