eu summit october 2020
Leaders welcomed the progress achieved so far on overall coordination at EU level against COVID-19, including the recommendation on a coordinated approach to the restriction of free movement. After the premature ending of lockdown policies this spring, the COVID-19 pandemic is again infecting hundreds of thousands weekly in Europe. Geert Laporte, ECDPM commentary, 14 September 2020. The European Council assessed the current epidemiological situation, which is unprecedented and gives rise to very serious concern. The pandemic has also intensified the preparations of the imperialist powers for war. 2020 SUMMIT CO-CHAIRS Wendy Beeby TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICALS Director, Clinical Document Management and Trial Support. "After more than six years since this tragic event, the 298 victims and their next of kin deserve justice," the leaders said. Main results. On the topic of vaccines, they also encouraged cooperation at global level. On 15 and 16 October, EU leaders met in Brussels to discuss the epidemiological situation, relations with the United Kingdom, climate change and foreign affairs, in particular relations with Africa. This reactionary “agenda” of offering Turkish firms more access to EU markets while ordering Ankara to block Middle Eastern refugees from traveling to Europe, however, depends on Turkish compliance with EU policy on the eastern Mediterranean and the Caucasus. The Council of the EU and the European Council work on a wide range of issues affecting the interests of the EU and its citizens. We recommend you update your browser to receive the best possible browsing experience. The European Council discussed its intention to work with its African partners and boost investment. EU summit backs herd immunity policy and sanctions against Belarus. Final press conference by President Charles Michel following the European Council meeting on 16 October 2020. A communiqué on the first day’s talks published at midnight Friday focused on foreign policy and “a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship with Turkey.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan both supported the Azeri offensive to take the Nagorno-Karabakh area from Armenia and aggressively pressed his claims on oil and gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean against Greece. The European Council of European Union (EU) heads of state met in Brussels for two days, Thursday and Friday, to discuss the bloc’s foreign and economic policy. Committees and working parties handle the preparatory work on files before they are discussed at Council meetings. On 15 and 16 October, EU leaders met in Brussels to discuss the epidemiological situation, relations with the United Kingdom, climate change and foreign affairs, in particular relations with Africa. International Committee of the Fourth International, One year of the COVID-19 pandemic: A disaster caused by capitalism, Armenian-Azeri conflict erupts in Caucasus, threatening wider war, A murderous pact: The European Union to deport refugees. While pursuing sanctions against Lukashenko for allegedly stealing the Belarusian elections, the EU said nothing about Trump’s threats to steal the US elections. After a long palaver, a decision was finally taken: the summit will be postponed to 2021, although a date still needs to be fixed. First published on Fri 2 Oct 2020 11.02 EDT. The British prime minister will decide after a two-day EU summit concludes on Friday whether to walk away from the talks based on whether he thinks the bloc is serious about reaching a … You can get in contact to arrange a visit, ask questions about the work of both institutions, and request a document, among other services. Leaders called upon all other parties to also submit an updated NDC and underlined the importance of strong coordinated action through active European climate diplomacy. 14-09-2020. 1st Africa-Europe Summit, Cairo, Egypt, 2000. With Washington mounting a military build-up in the Pacific and imposing trade tariffs to halt China’s economic rise, the EU also demanded investment deals to ensure EU access to profits in China and criticized China’s “human rights situation.” However, the difference in tone from that of US policy towards China was unmistakable. The meeting came amid an unprecedented international political crisis. In May 2020, the EU-AU Ministerial Level meeting was scheduled in Kigali. Blaženka Divjak, minister for Science and Education of Croatia 'We are all aware of the anxieties of students, teachers and parents, and we are therefore doing our best to help them navigate through the many challenges facing the education sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, inclu… As regards the Internal Market Bill tabled by the UK government, the European Council recalled that the withdrawal agreement and its protocols must be fully and timely implemented. The European Council is the EU institution that defines the general political direction and priorities of the European Union. Other cookies are used to boost performance and guarantee security of the website. “First of all, we are carrying out a comprehensive review on how to adapt EU competition rules. If these differences are not resolved by an EU summit on 15-16 October, the window for an agreement will rapidly close. We will use this data to improve your experience on our website. Cyprus demands Turkey sanctions at EU summit, stalls on Belarus. Press officers speak 'off the record' about the Council's activities. The WSWS has characterized the pandemic as a “trigger event,” which accelerated the already far advanced social, economic, and geopolitical crises of world capitalism. The European powers led by Germany and France are also exploiting the crisis to press ahead with their great power plans—against Russia and China, but also against the United States. EU leaders urged respect for UN Security Council Resolutions 550 and 789, underlined the importance of the status of Varosha and reiterated their full solidarity with Greece and Cyprus. Yesterday France reported 12,148 infections and 136 deaths. But then COVID-19 happened. On the contrary: In her press statement at the end of the summit President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen made clear that the deadly back-to-work campaign is a key component of the EU’s strategy to position itself as an industrial and foreign policy power pursuing its imperialist interests against its international rivals. Simplifying The Developer Experience. “With regards to industry”, she explained, “the priority is to join forces in key strategic areas and ensure our industry can compete on a global scale. In particular, as in the United States, the European ruling class consciously pursues a policy of herd immunity on COVID-19. Share This: Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest Linkedin. EU leaders met in Brussels on Thursday at the start of a two-day summit to seek a way out of the Brexit impasse as the bloc remained divided over ambitious targets to slash greenhouse gas emissions. … Read more about the role of the European Council, European Council conclusions, 15-16 October 2020, Remarks by President Charles Michel following the first working session of the European Council, Remarks by President Charles Michel after the European Council meeting on 15 and 16 October 2020, COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and the EU's response (background information), EU-UK negotiations on the future partnership (background information and timeline), Climate change: what the EU is doing (background information), 5 facts about the EU’s goal of climate neutrality (digital story), EU-Africa relations (background information), EU relations with Belarus (background information), Special European Council, 1-2 October 2020, Remarks by President Charles Michel before the European Council meeting on 16 Octobre 2020, European Council conclusions on COVID-19 and climate change, 15 October 2020, European Council conclusions on EU-UK relations, 15 October 2020, Remarks by President Charles Michel before the European Council meeting on 15 Octobre 2020, Invitation letter by President Charles Michel to the members of the European Council ahead of their meeting on 15-16 October 2020, send your request to the public information service, Foreign affairs & international relations, temporary restriction on non-essential travel into the EU. … The European Union, often predicted to be divided and impotent, has thanks to this crisis made a historic step towards unity, sovereignty and solidarity.”. Meanwhile, the August elections in Belarus remain disputed, and war broke out this week between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Caucasus, threatening military escalation in this explosive region. Angela Merkel. Jamie Marie Toth DAIICHI SANKYO, INC The EU wants to extend its partnership with Africa on its economic transformation, in parallel with the green and digital transformation. It consists of the heads of state or government of the member states, together with its President and the President of the Commission. The European Council urged Turkey to reverse these actions and work for the easing of tensions in a consistent and sustained manner. October 15, 2020, 10:15 PM PDT. Central European Summer Time (CEST), UTC +2 . What this means is clear: the trillions of euros handed over to the banks and big corporations must be squeezed out of the working class again. The week after the U.K. negotiators could come to Brussels. The headquarters of the Council of the EU and the European Council are located in Brussels (Belgium). Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has been briefing EU leaders ahead of a summit in Brussels from Thursday (October 15). But a draft summit decision seen by Reuters says progress is ‘still not sufficient’. The European Council called upon the Russian Federation to continue the trilateral negotiations between Australia, the Netherlands and the Russian Federation with regard to the downing of flight MH17. brussels bureau. The Travel Summit Europe // 22-23 October, 2020 // London, UK. EU leaders agreed to continue the coordination effort, regarding: EU leaders also discussed the next steps to ensure the development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. EU leaders reaffirmed the EU’s determination to have as close as possible a partnership with the United Kingdom on the basis of the negotiating directives of 25 February 2020, while respecting the previously agreed European Council guidelines, statements and declarations. Remarks by President Charles Michel following the first working session of the European Council. European Council, 21-22 October 2021; 16 December 2021. Council and European Council documents are made available through the public register, in accordance with EU rules on transparency. They also invited the Commission to give timely consideration to unilateral and time-limited contingency measures that are in the EUʼs interest. The event will bring heads of state, leading business figures, and senior officials from Europe and the United States to Estonia. October 19–20, 2020 Tallinn, Estonia The fifth Three Seas Summit and its third business forum will be held at the Tallinn Creative Hub on 19 & 20 October 2020. The European Council brings together EU leaders at least four times a year. European Council conclusions, 15-16 October 2020. However, the Summit was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also the numbers in Eastern Europe are exploding with daily record infections and deaths in Poland (2,292/27), Czech Republic (1,762/21)), Romania (2,343/53), Ukraine (4,633/68) and Russia (9,412/186). Your web browser is out of date! The Council of the EU meets in different configurations depending on the topic discussed. ... Mon 12 Oct 2020 00:13:02 GMT. In exchange for threatening Turkey with sanctions, the EU obtained an agreement by Cyprus to drop its objections to imposing sanctions on Belarus. Building on this, we can do more to harness the enormous potential of our relationship.". The following sectors are key for further cooperation and investment: Universal values, non-discrimination, equal rights and equal opportunities for all, women’s empowerment, youth inclusion, education and skills, social, environmental and economic sustainability, as well as good governance and the rule of law are key cross-cutting themes for EU engagement. We use cookies in order to ensure that you can get the best browsing experience possible on the Council website. Following the premature lifting of lockdowns imposed earlier this year, the drive by EU governments to reopen schools and workplaces has already paved the way for a resurgence of the virus threatening the lives of millions. “We are working at full speed on legislative proposals on foreign subsidies from third countries. They welcomed the work done so far at EU level and stressed further the need for a robust authorisation and monitoring process, the building of vaccination capacity in the EU, and fair and affordable access to vaccines. Ahead of the Summit, an Africa-EU Leaders’ meeting will take place on 9th December 2020, to maintain the momentum of our outreach at its highest level. With a trillion euros of trade at stake, they’re likely to press him to intensify talks. The European Council recalled that the transition period will end on 31 December 2020 and noted with concern that progress on the key issues of interest to the Union was still not sufficient.