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The July 2018 to November 2019

Print PDF ISBN 978-92-824-7057-2 ISBN 978-92-824-7040-4 A report by the President ISSN 1977-3110 ISSN 2363-2828 doi:10.2860/9675 doi:10.2860/72365 Volume 3. November 2019 QC-AO-19-001-EN-C QC-AO-19-001-EN-N

The European Council July 2018 to November 2019

A report by the President Volume 3. November 2019 This publication is produced by the General Secretariat of the Council. www. consilium.europa.eu Luxembourg: Publications Office of the , 2019 Print ISBN 978-92-824-7040-4 ISSN 1977-3110 doi:10.2860/9675 QC-AO-19-001-EN-C PDF ISBN 978-92-824-7057-2 ISSN 2363-2828 doi:10.2860/72365 QC-AO-19-001-EN-N © European Union, 2019 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

Europa building: © Philippe Samyn and Partners architects and – lead and design partner, Studio Valle Progettazioni architects, Buro Happold engineers; colour compositions: © Georges Meurant, 2016

Photo credits in the end of the publication.

For any use or reproduction of photos or other material that is not under EU copyright, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders. Contents

Remaining united despite The European Council, July 2018 to November 2019

Introduction 5

Avoiding the chaos of Brexit 6

Using social media to influence EU politics 11

Strengthening the EU globally 14

Facing tomorrow’s challenges 20

Conclusion 24

European Council meetings – September 2018 to October 2019 27

Conclusions of the European Council, statements by Heads of State or Government and selected interventions by President Tusk 29 1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

10 11 12

Leaders meet in the European Council to provide steering and strategic guidance for the work of the EU 1. Ireland’s Leo Varadkar, the ’ PM , Latvia’s PM Krišjānis Kariņš and Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda; 2. Denmark’s PM and Luxembourg’s PM ; 3. Portugal’s PM António Costa, European Council’s President-elect and ’s President-elect ; 4. ’s PM and ’s Federal Chancellor ; 5. Malta’s PM Joseph Muscat, United Kingdom’s PM and Slovakia’s PM Peter Pellegrini; 6. European Union’s Chief Negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier, Estonia’s PM Jüri Ratas and Romania’s President Klaus Werner Iohannis; 7. ’s President , France’s President and Cyprus’ President ; 8. ’s PM Antii Rinne and ’s PM Mateusz Morawiecki; 9. European Commission’s President Jean-Claude Juncker; 10. ’s PM Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, Sweden’s PM Stefan Löfven and Greece’s PM ; 11. European Council’s President and Slovenia’s PM Marjan Šarec; 12. Bulgaria’s PM Boyko Borissov and Hungary’s PM Viktor Orbán

4 Remaining united despite Brexit The European Council July 2018 to November 2019

Introduction

This report, the third in a series, sets out the work of The first volume concerned the struggle to prevent the European Council from July 2018 to the end of Greece’s exit from the euro area in July 2015, the November 2019. This final volume focuses on how, negotiations with Prime Minister Cameron to secure three years after the referendum result, the terms for Britain’s place in the EU as well as the Union’s response an orderly Brexit were settled with Prime Minister to the migration crisis — the irregular arrival of over Johnson, pointing the way forward for talks on the 1.6 million people to Italy and Greece in 2015 and future EU-UK partnership, and extending the date of 2016. The second volume explained how the Union Brexit to 31 January 2020. It highlights the European and its member states restored order in that crisis, Council’s work on internal and external security, stemming the migration flows through the protection migration, global cooperation, economy and trade. of external borders and enhancing co-operation with There are additional highlights from the work of third countries. It also detailed how the EU27 prepared President Donald Tusk, who has been representing the for and conducted UK withdrawal negotiations with Union externally during a time when the international ’s government. Last but not least, these rules-based order was under considerable pressure; reports describe the continuous efforts made to when faced serious internal and external strengthen the Economic and Monetary Union and threats; and when the true scale of challenges such as the euro. global warming and the pace of technological change became ever more obvious.

5 Avoiding the chaos of Brexit

In the summer of 2018, following 15 months of talks readiness to cooperate closely in the area of security with Theresa May’s government, we were still in the and foreign policy. middle of Brexit negotiations. While many issues had The momentum for the negotiations shifted further. become clearer, there was a great deal of work to be By the October European Council there was some done and the most difficult tasks were unresolved. If we progress, but we were not there yet. However, on 15 wanted to reach an agreement in October, we needed November the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier rapid progress. This was the last moment to lay the presented the 585-page draft text agreed with the cards on the table. The message was conveyed to Prime UK. This deal was proposed to leaders for approval Minister May that the sooner we received a precise for two reasons. First, it ensured the limitation of the UK proposal on the Irish border, the more likely it damage caused by Brexit. Second, it secured the vital was that the Brexit negotiations could be completed interests and principles of the 27 member states, and on time. The goal was to avoid a hard border on the of the European Union as a whole. Crucially, the text island of Ireland. We also needed realistic and workable included a ‘backstop’ to prevent a hard border on the proposals for our future relations. island of Ireland, which was designed to function as a When the EU27 leaders met for an informal meeting in kind of insurance policy. The ‘backstop’ arrangement Salzburg that September, everyone shared a pessimistic view. It was clear that the latest UK ideas on the Irish border and on future economic cooperation – the so-called Chequers proposal – risked Discussing with former PM May at the fringes of the ASEM Summit, October 2018 undermining the Single Market and needed to be reworked. They seemed to reflect the ‘having cake and eating it’ philosophy, which was championed by the then former foreign secretary Boris Johnson. The UK government appeared to have quite high expectations ahead of the summit, and so the EU’s negative assessment was received badly. Various scenarios were still possible, but Prime Minister May’s subsequent proposals indicated a positive evolution in the UK’s approach as well as a will to minimise the negative effects of Brexit. This included, amongst other things, the

6 Donald Tusk @eucopresident · 15 November 2018 Let me say to our British friends: as much as I am sad to see you leave, I will do everything to make this farewell the least painful possible, both for you and for us.

would apply unless and until it was superseded by later in the so-called ‘Strasbourg agreement’. The an alternative solution in the context of our future following day, the British parliament voted against the trading relations. The European Council endorsed deal for a second time. With 17 days left before Brexit, the agreement one week later. However, the difficult we needed ideas from London on how to proceed now. process of ratification and negotiations of future Before the March European Council, Prime Minister relations were still ahead of us. May sent a letter asking for an extension of the Brexit Given that the UK government expected problems deadline to 30 June 2019. On 21 March, EU leaders with ratification in the UK, in December 2018 and agreed to grant a delay: if the Withdrawal Agreement January 2019, the EU27 provided clarification on were passed by the House of Commons the following the backstop, explaining that it was intended strictly week, we would extend the deadline to 22 May 2019, as a last resort. Despite this, on 16 January 2019 the to allow for all procedures to be finalised. In the event UK’s House of Commons overwhelmingly rejected that the House of Commons voted it down, EU leaders the Withdrawal Agreement, with the backstop being agreed on a shorter extension to 12 April, expecting the main point of contention. More measures and the UK to indicate the way forward. This date was legal guarantees were agreed between the European important in terms of the UK holding European Commission and Prime Minister May two months Parliament elections, as it would still be an EU

The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier presents the draft text of the Withdrawal Agreement in November 2018

7 Donald Tusk @eucopresident · 25 November 2018 Ahead of us is the difficult process of ratification as well as further negotiations. But regardless of how it will end, one thing is certain: we will remain friends until the end of days, and one day longer.

member. If the UK decided not to call the elections, it ratify the Agreement or reconsider the whole Brexit would have only two options: to leave with this deal strategy. Until the end of this period, the UK would or with no deal at all. The option of a long extension also have the possibility to revoke Article 50 and cancel would automatically become impossible. The EU side Brexit altogether. The extension was a little shorter than prepared for the worst, but hoped for the best. The originally intended, but long enough to find a solution. cautious approach was fully justified. On 29 March, the It was now up to the British not to waste this time. UK Parliament voted against the deal for a third time. In June Prime Minister May resigned. A leadership In view of the vote in the UK Parliament, Prime contest within the Conservative Party was won by Minister May sent another letter requesting a further Boris Johnson, who assumed office on 24 July. I extension of the Article 50 period until 30 June 2019. immediately invited him to discuss – in detail – our However, there was little reason to believe that the future cooperation. We needed operational, realistic ratification process could be completed by that time. ideas acceptable to all States including Ireland. The In reality granting such an extension would lead to a EU27 has always stood behind Ireland and we would rolling series of emergency summits and new cliff- never agree a deal that was unfavourable to Dublin. edges. This, in turn, would overshadow the business I discussed Brexit with Prime Minister Johnson in of the EU27 in the months ahead. Most importantly, the margins of the Biarritz G7 summit in August, the ongoing uncertainty was bad for our people and advising him not to go down in history as ‘Mr No Deal’. businesses. Hence I proposed to the leaders a flexible Discussions continued at the end of September in New extension that would last as long as necessary and York, in the margins of the UN assembly. There was no no longer than one year. This extension would end time to lose. when both sides ratified the Withdrawal Agreement. By early October, the UK had still not come forward In practice the UK would be free to leave whenever with a workable realistic proposal. However, the it was ready to do so. And in the event of a continued Irish Taoiseach sent promising signals that a deal was stalemate, such a longer extension would allow the UK possible. Even the slightest opportunity needed to be to rethink its Brexit. used: a no-deal Brexit would never be the EU’s choice. Following a lengthy debate at the special summit on 10 On 17 October an agreement was reached between April, the EU27 leaders agreed on a longer extension the UK and the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier, than requested. This so-called ‘flextension’ would run and was promptly endorsed by the European Council. until 31 October with the proviso that the UK would Why was a deal impossible one day, but possible the participate in the European elections in May. If the next? Fundamentally because the UK changed its Withdrawal Agreement was ratified earlier, the UK red lines. Moreover, the new version of the deal was would leave on the first day of the following month. viewed positively by Ireland and by the European This gave the UK an additional half a year in which to Commission. That provided certainty that it was

8 Donald Tusk @eucopresident · 27 March 2019 Appeal to EP: You should be open to a long extension, if the UK wishes to rethink its strategy. 6 million people signed the petition, 1 million marched. They may not feel sufficiently represented by UK Parliament but they must feel represented by you. Because they are Europeans.

favourable and safe for the citizens of the European Prime Minister Johnson struggled to secure backing Union. The key changes concerned the Protocol on for his revised deal in the UK parliament. While still Ireland/Northern Ireland, formerly known as the claiming that he wanted the UK to leave at the end ‘backstop’. In contrast to the deal drawn up with Prime of October, the Prime Minister sent a request for Minister May’s government, the new government another Brexit extension until the end of January accepted to have customs checks at the points of entry 2020. This was an unprecedented situation. The into Northern Ireland. This compromise would mean Prime Minister subsequently decided to pause the that there would be no border checks between Ireland process of ratification on 22 October, having secured and Northern Ireland, while ensuring the integrity of initial backing for his deal in the House of Commons. the Single Market. In order to avoid a no-deal Brexit, I recommended

“PM Johnson will not like to go down in history as Mr No Deal”. Meeting PM Boris Johnson at G7 Summit in Biarritz

9 Donald Tusk @eucopresident · 29 October 2019 To my British friends, The EU27 has formally adopted the extension. It may be the last one. Please make the best use of this time. I also want to say goodbye to you as my mission here is coming to an end. I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

donaldtusk 13 March 2019 that the EU27 accept the formal UK request for an , extension and do so through a written procedure. After consultations, the leaders agreed to this recommendation and a further Brexit extension until 31 January 2020 was granted. In the meantime, the UK decided to hold a general election on 12 December to clarify its position on Brexit, amongst other things. Three years after the referendum, we have so far managed to avoid a chaotic no-deal Brexit. Personally, I will always be a Remainer. And I hope that if our British friends decide to return one day, our door will always be open. Regardless of how it will end, one thing is certain: we will remain friends until the end of days, and one day longer.

donaldtusk We will always be friends, Sophie ❤ 39.395 likes 1.130 comments

10 Using social media to influence EU politics

Throughout his term in office, President Tusk While Twitter served mostly for short political has established himself as an influential and statements, President Tusk’s Instagram added characteristic voice on several major social media the image to the text. Humoristic, personal and platforms. He put a particular focus on Twitter and in sometimes offbeat captions and visuals bring life April 2018 expanded his communication strategy to to the political agenda and show the personal side of another growing platform: Instagram. the EU politician. The account has accumulated over On Twitter, President Tusk’s poignant and often 150.000 enthusiastic followers from over 50 countries provocative statements sparked many reactions both since its launch and allowed Donald Tusk to interact online and offline. Never before had a leader of an EU with a younger audience. The engagement rate of institution seen comparable engagement rates, and the his posts and stories has been extremely high, even number of followers grew almost six times over the compared to better known Instagram influencers. The course of his term to reach a staggering 1.2 million in account has been praised for providing a different take 1 on European politics. Portland’s Digital November 2019. As a result, Twiplomacy ranked 2 @eucopresident among the 50 most influential world Hub writes that President Tusk “has shown a deft leaders on Twitter in 2018, alongside touch for humanising a key EU role” and admires the @EmmanuelMacron as the only other EU leader in the sense of humour. The @donaldtusk account is also list. among Twiplomacy’s list of 50 most effective world leaders on Instagram in 2018.

1 https://twiplomacy.com/info/europe/eu/eucopresident/#content-section 2 https://digitaldiplomacy.softpower30.com/deadpan-donald-how-instagram-is-humanising-the-european-un- ion/ 11 Donald Tusk 9 October 2019 donaldtusk 19 July 2019 @eucopresident Montreal, Quebec The greatest challenge of our times is how to make politics what it once was: acting and thinking for the common good. Not violence, lies, hate speech, myths and resentment that are the tools of modern politics.

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donaldtusk Canada+Europe = ❤❤

Just after the summit in Montreal. Donald Tusk 6 February 2019 @eucopresident 11.774 likes I’ve been wondering what that special 178 comments place in hell looks like, for those who promoted #Brexit, without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely.

Donald Tusk 10 June 2018 25.1K 90.3K 14.4K @eucopresident There is a special place in heaven for @JustinTrudeau. Canada, thank you for the perfect organisation of G7!

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donaldtusk 1 December 2018 Buenos Aires, Argentina

donaldtusk 17 February 2019

donaldtusk What to do in a short break between two working sessions? When in Argentina, do as the Argentinians do! #messi #maradona #g20 #buenosaires #argentina donaldtusk Grandpa᾽s happiness ☀ #G20Argentina

38.280 likes 24.107 likes 961 comments 425 comments Donald Tusk 27 May 2018 @eucopresident donaldtusk 19 February 2019 I survived! It was a hot, humid Maidan Nezalezhnosti and hard 20km race. Still, it was such a great moment to share with other runners from Brussels. And at the end, it felt much easier than running some of the #EUCO summits.

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Donald Tusk 26 June 2019 @eucopresident From Nagasaki words of warning and a simple appeal to all G20 donaldtusk I pay tribute to the ‘Heavenly Hundred᾽, participants: Wake up before it is who have entered the pantheon of not only Ukrainian, too late. Take responsibility not only but European heroes. The lesson in courage that they for your own interests but above gave the whole world that February five years ago has all for peace and a safe, fair world changed us all. order. # #Maidan #RevolutionOfDignity #HeavenlyHundred #EUCO #Europe #EuropeanUnion #DonaldTusk # 8.341 likes 204 comments

donaldtusk 18 September 2018 233 712 25 New York, New York

Donald Tusk 28 June 2019 @eucopresident I strongly disagree with President Putin that liberalism is obsolete. What I find really obsolete are authoritarianism, personality cults, the rule of oligarchs. #G20OsakaSummit

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Donald Tusk 14 January 2019 donaldtusk Morning run in New York with the Statue of @eucopresident Liberty behind me...a powerful reminder of what I deeply Paweł Adamowicz, Mayor of admire about this country. Gdańsk, a man of Solidarity and #newyork #statueofliberty #freedom #running freedom, a European, my good friend, has been murdered. May 18.885 likes he rest in peace. 494 comments 3.9K 16.2K 478 Strengthening the EU globally

In a rapidly changing geopolitical context, the EU has nuclear deal are caused by seasonal disturbances in the striven to safeguard its interests, to defend its values US and that we will remain the best of friends. and to shape the rules-based global order. We have I have not shied away from rebuffing and rebutting done this in cooperation with friends (e.g. in the the negative comments made by President Trump on G7) and partners whenever possible and by acting the European Union as fake news. When it comes to autonomously, whenever necessary. We have used security, the US will not have a better ally than the EU. every opportunity to ensure that the transatlantic bond The European Council has focused on internal security remains intact, since weakening this bond plays into all along. Strengthening the EU’s power of deterrence the hands of those who seek a new, post-West order, in and its resilience against hybrid, cyber, as well as which liberal democracy and fundamental freedoms chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats would cease to exist. I continue to believe that our has been essential in view of the challenging security disagreements on trade, climate change and the Iran situation and increased level of risk, as evidenced, for

G7 leaders meet in Biarritz, August 2019

Donald Tusk @eucopresident · 15 July 2018 America and the EU are best friends. Whoever says we are foes is spreading fake news. 14 Donald Tusk @eucopresident · 19 February 2019 There can be no just Europe without an independent Ukraine. There can be no safe Europe without a safe Ukraine. To put it simply: there can be no Europe without Ukraine!

instance, in the 2018 Salisbury attack and the cyber- Europe without a safe Ukraine. In this context, attack carried out against the Organisation for the economic sanctions against were rolled over Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. every six months for the past 5 years, given that there Sanctions regimes designed to address cyber and was no progress in the implementation of the Minsk agreements. We have stayed the course. chemical weapons threats have been put in place. The Despite continued Russian aggression, which in late Union has strengthened its response to disinformation. 2018 also escalated in the Sea of Azov, Ukraine has This was particularly important in the light of the shown impressive progress, both economically and European Parliamentary elections in May 2019, and politically. Competitive, free and fair presidential the active threat posed by the malicious, outside elections and a peaceful hand-over of power to interference in our democracies. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the spring of 2019 Europe has remained fully united in its support for demonstrated that the ideals of the 2014 Revolution Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial of Dignity are fully alive. However, our policy goes integrity throughout my time as president. The way beyond Ukraine. Ten years after the establishment reason is that there can be no just Europe without of the Eastern Partnership with Armenia, Azerbaijan, an independent Ukraine. And there can be no safe Belarus, Georgia, and Ukraine, I visited

President Tusk and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visit Eastern Ukraine, 7 July 2019

15 Donald Tusk @eucopresident · 25 January 2019 They had imagination, they took the risk, they were ready to sacrifice their own interests for the greater good. Zoran, Alexis – well done! Mission impossible accomplished. #PrespaAgreement

the region to pass the message that we are not only Macedonia and Albania, it has not yet been possible neighbours, but that we are above all members of the to secure unanimity. I believe that this failure to reach same European family. unanimity is a mistake that undermines the EU’s The Balkans have remained equally important for credibility and our interests, not only in the region but the EU and for me personally. Hope for a change way beyond. I can only hope that the EU leaders draw in this region came in June 2018 when Prime the right conclusions when they discuss the accession Ministers Alexis Tsipras and , of Greece process before the Zagreb summit in May 2020. and respectively, put an end to We have also continued close cooperation with their countries’ 20-year-old name dispute through other neighbouring regions. That is why I chaired the Prespa Agreement. They had imagination, they with president Al Sisi the first ever summit between took the risk and were prepared to sacrifice their own the EU and the League of Arab States, which was interests for the greater good. The agreement, coupled with dedicated reform efforts in Albania and North held in Sharm-El-Sheikh in February 2019. As close Macedonia, resulted in the clear recommendation by neighbours, confronted by similar challenges and a the European Commission in 2019 to open accession more dangerous, unstable geo-political context, we talks with both countries. Despite the fact that there have no alternative but to work together. The summit is an overwhelming majority of EU member states strengthened our cooperation, especially in the context in favour of opening accession talks with North of countering terrorism and illegal migration.

President Tusk meets Greece’s former PM Alexis Tsipras in Athens, President Tusk meets North Macedonia’s PM Zoran Zaev in Skopje, 9 October 2019 17 September 2019

16 Donald Tusk @eucopresident · 11 July 2019 The collapse of the Soviet Union was NOT the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century. Today in Georgia I want to say loud and clear: the USSR collapse was a blessing to Georgians, Poles, and the whole of Central and Eastern Europe. And also to .

In October 2019, the European Council unanimously stating that what is in fact obsolete are authoritarianism, condemned Turkey’s military action in North East personality cults and the rule of oligarchs, even if Syria, calling on Ankara to end it, withdraw its forces sometimes they may seem effective. This is how and respect international humanitarian law. In the Russia is governed, which demonstrates again that Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey’s illegal drilling geographical proximity is not always a guarantor of activities off the coast of Cyprus continued to shared values. challenge the sovereignty of Cyprus, an EU member On China, the EU’s focus has continued to be on state. The Union responded in full solidarity with maintaining balanced relations in the interests of fair Cyprus and called on Turkey to respect international competition and equal market access. These objectives law and the principle of good neighbourly relations. have not yet been achieved. That is why at the joint A framework regime of restrictive measures targeting summit in April 2019, China agreed for the first time individuals and entities responsible for or involved in to engage with Europe on addressing the problem of the illegal drilling activities has been put in place. industrial subsidies, as these undermine fair trade. This Neighbours are defined as much by values as by is also one of the key priorities for WTO reform that geography. Canada, New Zealand and Japan are we champion internationally. I may be old-fashioned, geographically a long way from Europe. However, but I believe that human rights are at least as important politically and economically we could hardly be closer, as trade. Accordingly, in my talks with the Chinese with our shared values of liberal democracy, human leaders throughout the past 5 years, I have constantly rights and the rule of law. The EU-Canada summit in emphasised the priority that we give to human rights. I July 2019 showed how steadfast the support for these have also been very specific, naming individual people shared values is in both Canada and the EU. In order facing oppression. Some progress has been achieved in to enhance our cooperation, we agreed on how we this respect, but our Chinese partners still need to do can best fight the climate crisis together, safeguard more. the oceans and counter ocean pollution, empower Last but not least is the climate crisis. I have no doubt women and manage local conflicts. In a similar vein, that we are facing an environmental emergency. People in July 2018 the EU and Japan signed the largest ever are suffering from severe climate conditions in all parts bilateral trade deal. In addition, after two decades of of Europe and the world. Up to two hundred species negotiations, in the margins of the G20 in Osaka, the become extinct each day. Microplastics are spreading EU and Mercosur agreed, in principle, an even larger in our oceans. I have personally witnessed the collapse free trade agreement. of ice walls in Greenland and the melting glaciers in It was in Osaka that President Putin argued that the Pamir in Tajikistan. That is why, in my discussions liberalism – meaning liberal democracy, the rule of with global leaders over the years, I have consistently law and human rights – was obsolete. I responded by raised the issue of the environment, knowing that

17 Donald Tusk @eucopresident · 23 September 2019 I’m convinced the EU will become the world’ first climate-neutral continent. Most EU members already endorsed climate neutrality by 2050. Personally, I’d say it’s just a matter of little time before all EU countries subscribe to it.

the European Union will continue to do everything conflicts and terrorism, nuclear proliferation or the possible to address the environmental crisis and the destruction of our environment, our lives can become danger that it poses. Europe is showing leadership in hell, no matter where we live. Without the readiness to implementing the Paris Agreement and we hope to establish rules on a global level, and later to consistently become the world’s first carbon-neutral continent. respect them, local communities, nations and states, In 2017 alone, the EU and its member states spent and even continents will remain helpless in the face of 20 billion euros helping developing countries tackle those threats. The patriotism of the 21st century must and adapt to climate change. also have a global dimension, if it is not to become, as The natural environment requires protection. This has often been the case in the past, a matter of national concerns not only the oceans, the air and the forests. egoism. In my political vocabulary, globalism and This is also about truth in public life, freedom, the rule solidarity mean the same thing. If the powerful of our of law, and international solidarity. If we do not find world do not understand this, they will go down in adequate solutions to global threats, such as armed history not as leaders, but as fake leaders.

“I have no doubt that we are in an environmental emergency.” President Tusk addresses the UN Climate Action summit in New York, September 2019

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International summits, meetings and visits 1. President Tusk and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visit the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Eastern Ukraine, on 7 July 2019; 2. President Tusk and China’s PM Li Keqiang at the EU-China Summit, on 16 July 2018 in Beijing; 3. President Tusk, NATO’s Secretary General and European Commission’s President Jean-Claude Juncker at the signing ceremony of the 2nd EU-NATO Joint Declaration, on 10 July 2018 in Brussels; 4. President Tusk visits Hiroshima, on 26 June 2019; 5. President Tusk visits Sarez Lake in Tajikistan, on 30 May 2019; 6. President Tusk meets Albania’s PM , on 17 September 2019 in Tirana; 7. Canada’s Minister of International Trade Diversification Jim Carr, President and CEO of Montreal Port Authority Sylvie Vachon, Canada’s PM , President Tusk and European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström visit the port of Montreal during the EU-Canada Summit, on 17 July 2019; 8. President Tusk meets New Zealand’s PM Jacinda Ardern, on 25 January 2019 in Brussels; 9. President Tusk represents the EU at the UN General Assembly, on 26 September 2018 in New York; 10. President Tusk and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi during the press conference of the EU-League of Arab States Summit, on 25 February 2019 in Sharm el-Sheik; 11. Family photo at the G20 Summit, on 28 June 2019 in Osaka; 12. President Tusk visits the Vatican and meets , on 5 October 2019

19 Facing tomorrow’s challenges

During the period covered by this report, the European agreed to create a common backstop for the Single economies have continued to grow and create a record Resolution Fund, one of the pillars of the EU’s number of jobs. These conditions allowed us to focus banking union. This will allow a doubling up of on the reform of the euro area, which I have stimulated financial fire-power whenever there is a need to wind since autumn 2017, with the aim of making the down a troubled bank. Second, we agreed to give the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) stronger Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and thereby tools to prevent and manage financial crises. These the euro more resilient. two decisions — which mean changing the ESM In December 2018, EU leaders delivered on their Treaty — significantly strengthen the monetary promise to continue strengthening EMU. First, they union. EU leaders also agreed on continuing work

“United, through thick and thin.” EU leaders meet in Sibiu on Europe Day to discuss the Union’s future and strategic priorities, 9 May 2019

20 Donald Tusk @eucopresident · 16 December 2018 The European Union is the best political invention in our history as long as we stand by its fundamental values. Today we need leaders who can use the potential of emotions to defend these values.

on the banking union and on the international role of discussions were inclusive and not limited to the euro the euro. In addition, it was agreed that a budget for area states only. This reflects the crucial political and convergence and competitiveness among the euro area economic relevance that the monetary union has for all states (and those ERM II states that wish to join) will the member states of our European Union. be adopted in the context of the long-term EU budget. These measures result from the work carried out in a We have continued to strengthen the monetary union number of Euro Summits since December 2017, as in 2019. Several elements are now ready to move on to well as by the Eurogroup. They are not enough but the legislative and implementation phase, starting with undoubtedly help create a more robust EMU. It has the signature of the amended ESM Treaty in the very been extremely important for me to ensure that these near term. This work must continue.

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21 Donald Tusk @eucopresident · 26 September 2019 The idea of a conflict between patriotism and globalism is false and dangerous. 21st century patriotism must have a global dimension, if it is not to become national egoism. The love of one’s homeland cannot become hatred towards one’s neighbours.

At the Spring European Council in March 2019, economy is not just a necessity: it is an opportunity to leaders discussed how to best prepare for increasing improve our environment and to create jobs. global economic competition. This means strengthening the European single market and its industrial base, which are key to the Union’s economic sovereignty on the global stage, and for job creation. The European Council agreed that the Single Market should be further developed and strengthened, with a particular emphasis placed on the digital and service economy. Given the importance of industrial policy for millions of jobs in Europe, the European Council also invited the Commission to present a vision for the EU’s industrial future, including concrete policy measures. In addition, leaders agreed on the need to further develop the EU digital economy, and ensure that a special focus is placed on data, artificial intelligence, taxation and on a concerted approach on the security of 5G networks. The European Council has also pursued an ambitious and balanced free trade agenda that ensures a level playing field, including in the area of public procurement. We have agreed, signed or ratified trade agreements with Japan, Singapore, Mexico, Vietnam and Mercosur, and began talks with Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The EU budget is crucial to most of the issues that concern us – ranging from the environment, migration, the digital economy to the need to scale up the Union’s presence as a global actor. There have been a number of discussions among the leaders on the next Multiannual Financial Framework, which needs to be adjusted on the basis of European preferences and ambitions. Amongst other things, leaders reiterated determination that the EU continues to lead the way in fighting the “There’s a special place in heaven for Justin Trudeau.” In discussion climate crisis. A socially just transition to a green with President Tusk at the G20 in Osaka, 28 June 2019

22 European Council preparations and behind the scenes in the Council buildings

23 Conclusion

My term as President of the European Council has been about unity – a leitmotif, a task, almost my obsession, from the very beginning. First, it was unity in the face of the Kremlin’s aggressive policy. I was (and still am) convinced that, in this game, what is at stake is not only the future of independent Ukraine and the security of Central Europe, including that of my country, but the sovereignty of Europe as a political entity. And I had no doubt that Putin’s strategic goal was not only to regain control of the former Soviet Union territories, but also to systematically weaken the EU by provoking internal divisions. I persistently reminded others that Russia is not our ‘strategic partner’, but our‘strategic problem’. This paid off eventually. The EU has maintained its unity, also in about asylum policy, especially mandatory relocation, terms of sanctions, throughout my entire term. triggered emotions and resentments on a great scale. The second test was protecting the unity of the This is why the number one priority for me was to Eurozone. I saw the Greek crisis in political and geo- reject the alternative of Open Europe versus Fortress strategic rather than only financial terms. This is why I Europe. The way to ease the tensions was, first and did everything to avert the risk of Grexit. I feared the foremost, to make all the countries realise that there Eurozone would collapse as a result of the sides in this was no inherent contradiction between liberal conflict going one step too far. And this in fact almost democracy and effective controls of our external happened, on that fateful night of 12 July 2015, when borders. That we must help refugees, but not abandon Chancellor Merkel and Prime Minister Tsipras were our primary duty to protect our territory. Of course, on the verge of walking out on each other. I closed the problem of migration has not disappeared and the door at 4 o’clock in the morning and told them will keep us busy in the years to come. But we have I wouldn’t let them out until we have an agreement. succeeded in persuading most actors to calm their Four hours later I announced our ‘agreekment’. The emotions and focus on more pragmatic initiatives Eurozone was saved from another crisis and today that protect our borders, on the fight against people Greece is one of the more promising EU economies. smugglers, as well as cooperation with Libya and other The third challenge was building a consensus around African countries, and the deal with Turkey. a common migration policy. I saw from the start that As I say these words, the UK is still a member of the divisions here could be very dangerous. Disputes European Union, and will remain so, until the end of

24 Donald Tusk @eucopresident · 10 January 2019 To those in the European Union who might think that playing outside the agreed rules and cutting corners means strength, I say: you are wrong. It means weakness.To those working hard to defend European values, our freedoms and rights, I say: keep fighting.

my term. But I will not pretend that this is some kind return of a multi-speed Europe. I spent half of my life of success, because Brexit may happen at the beginning behind the Iron Curtain, in the Soviet sphere, under of next year. I did everything in my power to avoid the the communist regime, so I know very well what a confrontational no-deal scenario and extend the time two-speed Europe really means. The unity of the EU for reflection and a possible British change of heart. I requires mutual patience, not coercion. In our thinking have been called a romantic and an anglophile, both about the future of Europe, we should be guided by terms, in my opinion, quite suitable and merited. Most our common sense and a sense of timing. We cannot importantly, however, Brexit hasn’t divided us. The condemn ourselves to the false alternative of quick EU27 have maintained extraordinary self-discipline integration or collapse of the Union. Unity will not and loyalty among themselves. be built by extreme Eurosceptics or radical federalists. Another everyday exercise in unity was the protection It is worth re-discovering, again and again, the path – of the smallest member states, the ones in greatest sometimes winding, sometimes quite narrow – that need, the most vulnerable. Germany and France leads between utopia and dystopia. I have tried to stick are bigger than Malta or Lithuania, but that doesn’t to this winding and narrow path all along. mean that they are more right. At least not always. Donald Tusk, As I said in Rome, during the ceremony marking the President of the European Council 60th anniversary of the Treaties, I cannot accept the

25

European Council meetings September 2018 to October 2019

Informal meeting of Heads of State or Government, Salzburg — 19–20 September 2018

Special meeting of the European Council (Art. 50) — 17 October 2018

European Council — 18 October 2018

Euro Summit — 18 October 2018

Special meeting of the European Council (Art. 50) — 25 November 2018

Special meeting of the European Council (Art. 50) — 13 December 2018

European Council — 13–14 December 2018

Euro Summit — 14 December 2018

Special meeting of the European Council (Art. 50) — 21 March 2019

European Council — 21–22 March 2019

Special meeting of the European Council (Art. 50) — 10 April 2019

Informal meeting of the 27 Heads of State of Government, Sibiu — 9 May 2019

Informal dinner of EU Heads of State or Government — 28 May 2019

European Council — 20 June 2019

Euro Summit — 21 June 2019

Special meeting of the European Council — 30 June–2 July 2019

Special meeting of the European Council (Art. 50) — 17 October 2019

European Council — 17–18 October 2019

2727

Conclusions of the European Council, statements by Heads of State or Government and selected interventions by President Tusk

Joint declaration on EU-NATO cooperation by President of the European Council Donald Tusk, President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, and Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg — 10 July 2018 31

Conclusions of the European Council — 18 October 2018 32

Letter by President Donald Tusk to the members of the European Council (Art. 50) ahead of their special meeting — 24 November 2018 34

Conclusions of the Special meeting of the European Council (Art. 50) — 25 November 2018 35

Remarks by President Donald Tusk before the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina — 30 November 2018 36

Conclusions of the Special meeting of the European Council (Art. 50) — 13 December 2018 37

Conclusions of the European Council — 13–14 December 2018 38

Statement of the Euro Summit — 14 December 2018 40

Ceremonial lecture by President Donald Tusk following the award of the Honorary Doctorate from the Technical University of Dortmund — 16 December 2018 41

Joint letter of President Tusk and President Juncker to Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom — 14 January 2019 43

Speech by President Donald Tusk at the signing ceremony of the Franco-German Treaty of Aachen — 22 January 2019 45

Opening remarks by President Donald Tusk at the EU-LAS summit in Egypt — 24 February 2019 46

Conclusions of the Special meeting of the European Council (Art. 50) — 21 March 2019 47

Conclusions of the European Council — 21–22 March 2019 48

2929 Letter by President Donald Tusk to the members of the European Council (Art. 50) ahead of their special meeting — 9 April 2019 50

Conclusions of the Special meeting of the European Council (Art. 50) — 10 April 2019 51

Declaration of the Informal meeting of the 27 Heads of State of Government, Sibiu — 9 May 2019 52

Conclusions of the European Council — 20 June 2019 53

A new strategic agenda 2019–2024 55

Statement of the Euro Summit — 21 June 2019 58

Remarks by President Donald Tusk before the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan — 28 June 2019 59

Conclusions of the Special meeting of the European Council — 30 June–2 July 2019 60

Remarks by President Donald Tusk before the G7 summit in Biarritz, France — 24 August 2019 61

Speech by President Donald Tusk at the Athens Democracy Forum 2019 — 9 October 2019 62

Conclusions of the Special meeting of the European Council (Art. 50) — 17 October 2019 64

Conclusions of the European Council — 17–18 October 2019 65

Declaration of the European Council (Art. 50) — 29 October 2019 66

Keynote speech by President Donald Tusk at the opening ceremony of the 2019/2020 academic year at the — 13 November 2019 67

30 JOINT DECLARATION ON EU-NATO COOPERATION BY PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL DONALD TUSK, PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER, AND SECRETARY GENERAL OF NATO JENS STOLTENBERG — 10 JULY 2018

1. Two years ago in , we came together to strengthen 6. The multiple and evolving security challenges that our EU-NATO cooperation aiming to promote peace and Member States and Allies face from the East and the South stability in the Euro-Atlantic area. Our respective efforts make our continued cooperation essential, including in are mutually reinforcing, have improved the security of our responding to hybrid and cyber threats, in operations, and citizens and strengthened our trans-Atlantic bond. Our by helping our common partners. We are committed to longstanding cooperation has developed substantially, deepen it further within the existingcommon proposals. and is now unprecedented in its quality, scope and vigour. It is now important to focus on implementation. In this We share the same values and resolve to address, hand-in- context, we will aim for swift and demonstrable progress hand, the common challenges we face. As our security is in particular in: interconnected, we meet today in Brussels to reaffirm the • military mobility; importance of and the need for cooperation, and underline • counter-terrorism; that our security and defence initiatives benefit each other. • strengthening resilience to chemical, biological, 2. In consultation with the EU Member States and the radiological and nuclear- related risks; NATO Allies, working with and for the benefit of all, our partnership will continue to take place in the spirit of full • promoting the women peace and security agenda. mutual openness and in compliance with the decision- 7. We welcome EU efforts to bolster European security and making autonomy and procedures of our respective defence to better protect the Union and its citizens and to organisations and without prejudice to the specific contribute to peace and stability in the neighborhood and character of the security and defence policy of any of our beyond. The Permanent Structured Cooperation and the members. European Defence Fund contribute to these objectives. 3. In this context, we view transparency as crucial. We 8. We welcome efforts undertaken by NATO in collective encourage the fullest possible involvement of the NATO defence, crisis management and cooperative security, Allies that are not members of the EU in its initiatives. to ensure the defence and security of the Euro-Atlantic We encourage the fullest possible involvement of the area, notably through deterrence and defence, projecting EU Member States that are not part of the Alliance in its stability and the fight against terrorism. NATO will initiatives. continue to play its unique and essential role as the cornerstone of collective defence for all Allies. 4. Our two organisations have developed a broad range of tools to provide greater security to citizens in Europe 9. EU efforts will also strengthen NATO, and thus will and beyond, building on the substantial cooperation improve our common security. For NATO Allies, such established more than 15 years ago between NATO and efforts foster an equitable sharing of the burden, benefits the EU, two unique and essential partners. and responsibilities, in full accordance with their commitment undertaken in the Defence Investment 5. We are implementing the objectives we set two years ago, Pledge. For EU Member States, we welcome political including the following actions: agreement to give higher priority to security and defence • Our maritime cooperation in the Mediterranean in the forthcoming discussions on the next long-term EU contributes to fighting migrant smuggling and budget. trafficking, and thus alleviates human suffering; 10. The capabilities developed through the defence • We have increased our ability to respond to hybrid initiatives of the EU and NATO should remain coherent, threats: we reinforce our preparedness for crises, we complementary and interoperable. They should be exchange timely information including on cyber- available to both organisations, subject to the sovereign attacks, we confront disinformation, we build the decisions of the countries that own them. resilience of our members and partners and we test our 11. We are proud of what has been achieved together so far. respective procedures through parallel and coordinated But we can do more. We will continue to review progress exercises; on a yearly basis. • We support the defence and security capacity of our neighbours to the East and to the South.

31 CONCLUSIONS OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL 18 OCTOBER 2018

I. MIGRATION II. INTERNAL SECURITY 1. The European Council assessed the state of 7. In recent years, real progress has been made to strengthen implementation of its June conclusions and called our internal security through better cooperation, concrete for work to be continued on all elements as part of its measures on the ground, and the adoption of a range comprehensive approach to migration. While the number of legal texts, such as on Passenger Name Records, of detected illegal border crossings into the EU has been combating terrorism and ensuring a high common level brought down by 95% from its peak in October 2015, of network and information security. These need to be some internal and recent external flows warrant sustained fully implemented. attention. 8. The EU will further strengthen its deterrence and 2. Following the informal Leaders’ discussion in Salzburg, resilience against hybrid, cyber, as well as chemical, the European Council highlights the importance of biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats. further preventing illegal migration and of strengthening Recalling its previous conclusions concerning the cooperation with countries of origin and transit, Salisbury attack, the European Council condemns the particularly in North Africa, as part of a broader hostile cyber-attack carried out against the Organisation partnership. for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Such 3. The fight against people-smuggling networks needs to be threats and attacks strengthen our common resolve to stepped up: work with third countries on investigating, further enhance the EU’s internal security and our ability apprehending and prosecuting smugglers and traffickers and capabilities to detect, prevent, disrupt and respond should be intensified, with a view to preventing people to hostile activities of foreign intelligence networks and from embarking on perilous journeys. A joint task other malicious actors on our territories as well as online. force should be established at Europol’s European The European Council welcomes the adoption of the new Migrant Smuggling Centre. Smuggling networks’ regime of restrictive measures to address the threat from online communications should be better monitored chemical weapons and looks forward to early progress on and disrupted. The Council, with the support of the the listing of relevant individuals and entities. Commission, is invited to develop a comprehensive and 9. The European Council also calls for measures to: operational set of measures to this end by December. • combat cyber and cyber-enabled illegal and malicious 4. The European Council invites the European Parliament activities and build strong cybersecurity. Work on the and the Council to examine, as a matter of priority, the capacity to respond to and deter cyber-attacks through recent Commission proposals on the Return Directive, EU restrictive measures should be taken forward, the Asylum Agency and the European Border and Coast further to the 19 June 2017 Council conclusions. In Guard, ensuring the most efficient use of resources and order to strengthen EU resilience against cyber-attacks, developing common minimum standards of external negotiations on all cybersecurity proposals should be border surveillance, with due respect for the responsibility concluded before the end of the legislature; of the Member States. • protect the Union’s democratic systems and combat 5. More should be done to facilitate effective returns. Existing disinformation, including in the context of the readmission agreements should be better implemented, upcoming European elections, in full respect of in a non discriminatory way towards all Member States, fundamental rights. In this respect, the measures and new agreements and arrangements concluded, while proposed by the Commission on election cooperation creating and applying the necessary leverage by using all networks, online transparency, protection against relevant EU policies, instruments and tools, including cybersecurity incidents, unlawful data manipulation development, trade and visa. Additional efforts are needed and fighting disinformation campaigns and tightening to fully implement the EU-Turkey Statement. the rules on European political party funding deserve 6. The Austrian Chancellor reported on the reform of the rapid examination and operational follow-up by Common European Asylum System and on the prospects the competent authorities. The Commission will for progress on its various elements. The European assess the implementation of the Code of Practice on Council encouraged the Council Presidency to continue disinformation by the end of the year. The European its work with a view to concluding it as soon as possible. Council looks forward to the Action Plan for a

32 coordinated EU response, to be presented by December III. EXTERNAL RELATIONS 2018, as set out in its June conclusions; 10. The European Council considers that EU-Africa relations • strengthen the capacity to prevent and respond are of paramount importance in a rapidly changing global effectively to radicalisation and terrorism, in full respect landscape. Our cooperation should be taken to a new of fundamental rights. The Commission proposal on level, underpinned by the necessary resources, including preventing the dissemination of terrorist content online through the European External Investment Plan and the should be examined as a matter of priority. Solutions EU Trust Fund for Africa. It welcomes the presentation should be found to ensure swift and efficient cross- of the Commission’s initiative for a new Africa-Europe border access to e-evidence in order to effectively Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs and calls for fight terrorism and other serious and organised crime, actions to be taken forward, including through concrete both within the EU and at international level; the proposals for Member States’ involvement. Commission proposals on e-evidence and access 11. Following the informal Leaders’ discussion in Salzburg, to financial information, as well as to better combat the European Council welcomes the holding of the money laundering, should be agreed on by the end of forthcoming first summit between the 28 EU Member the legislature. The Commission should also urgently States and the League of Arab States, hosted by Egypt on submit negotiating mandates for the international 24-25 February 2019. negotiations on e-evidence. The Commission initiative to extend the competences of the European Public 12. The EU and its Member States are fully committed to Prosecutor’s Office to cross-border terrorist crimes the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its should be examined; implementation. The European Council welcomes the intention of the Commission to publish its Reflection • provide Member States’ law enforcement authorities, Paper in 2018, which should pave the way for a Europol and Eurojust with adequate resources to face comprehensive implementation strategy in 2019. new challenges posed by technological developments and the evolving security threat landscape, including 13. The European Council has taken note of the latest through pooling of equipment, enhanced partnerships Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) with the private sector, interagency cooperation and special report, which unequivocally confirms the negative improved access to data; impacts of climate change, including its conclusions indicating that global emission reductions in all sectors • improve the interoperability of information systems are crucial and that further action is needed in mitigation and databases. Much progress has already been made and adaptation, notably to reach the temperature goal as in developing information systems and information set out in the Paris Agreement. exchange, but further efforts are needed to make them work together, in particular through a common 14. With a view to COP24 that will be held in Poland from identity repository. Negotiations on pending proposals, 2 December 2018, the European Council endorses the including on a strengthened European Criminal Council conclusions on preparations for the UNFCCC Records System, should be concluded by the end of the meetings in Katowice and gives Poland its full support year and all measures needed for their implementation in organising COP24. This COP24 must result in the should be taken with the highest priority; adoption of ambitious and comprehensive implementing rules of the Paris Agreement and the outcome of the • strengthen our crisis management capacity and the Talanoa Dialogue should be a commitment for all coherence and effectiveness of the EU and national Parties to reflect on their levels of ambition and inform crisis response mechanisms. Negotiations on the the preparation of all Parties’ nationally determined EU civil protection mechanism proposal should be contributions (NDCs) pursuant to Article 4 of the Paris concluded by the end of the year. Agreement.

33 LETTER BY PRESIDENT DONALD TUSK TO THE MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL (ART. 50) AHEAD OF THEIR SPECIAL MEETING — 24 NOVEMBER 2018

We are meeting in the European Council (Art. 50) tomorrow to finalise and formalise the outcome of the Brexit negotiations. At the very beginning of these talks, almost two years ago, we agreed the EU27 negotiating guidelines. They set the following objectives: − to minimise the uncertainty and disruption caused by Brexit for our citizens, businesses and Member States; − to settle the status of EU citizens who live, work and study in the UK with reciprocal guarantees; − to make sure that the UK honours all financial commitments and liabilities; − to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland; − to prevent a legal vacuum for our companies. The EU negotiator has achieved these objectives. The Withdrawal Agreement ensures that the rights of our citizens are fully protected, the peace process in Northern Ireland should not be affected, the UK will continue its payments to the EU budget during the transition period and legal certainty will be secured. Our negotiator has thereby managed to reduce the risks and losses resulting from the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union. The Political Declaration sets the direction as regards the future relations. We intend to work resolutely towards building the best possible relationship with the UK after Brexit, as friends and partners. And we will have around two years to work out and agree a precise framework for such cooperation. And if, in spite of our best efforts, additional time is needed to negotiate the future relationship, an extension of the transition period by up to two years will be possible. During these negotiations, no-one wanted to defeat anyone. We were all looking for a good and fair agreement. And I believe that we have finally found the best possible compromise. Given all of the above, I will recommend that on Sunday we approve the outcome of the Brexit negotiations. And although no-one will have reasons to be happy on that day, there is one thing I would like to stress: at this critical time, the EU27 has passed the test of unity and solidarity. The meeting of the 27 Leaders will start at 9.30 with an exchange of views with European Parliament President Tajani. We will then hold an EU27 working session to endorse the Withdrawal Agreement and approve the Political Declaration for the future relationship. Finally, we will meet with Prime Minister May to jointly consider the next steps.

34 CONCLUSIONS OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL(1) (ART. 50) — 25 NOVEMBER 2018

1. The European Council endorses the Agreement on the close as possible a partnership with the United Kingdom withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and in the future in line with the Political Declaration. The Northern Ireland from the European Union and the Union’s approach will continue to be defined by the overall European Atomic Energy Community. On this basis, the positions and principles set out in the previously agreed European Council invites the Commission, the European European Council’s guidelines. The European Council Parliament and the Council to take the necessary steps will remain permanently seized of the matter. to ensure that the agreement can enter into force on 30 3. The European Council thanks Michel Barnier for his March 2019, so as to provide for an orderly withdrawal. tireless efforts as the Union’s chief negotiator and for 2. The European Council approves the Political Declaration his contribution to maintaining the unity among EU27 setting out the framework for the future relationship Member States throughout the negotiations on the between the European Union and the United Kingdom withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The European Union. Council restates the Union’s determination to have as

1 Following a notification under Article 50 TEU, the member of the European Council representing the withdrawing Member State shall not participate in the discussions of the European Council or in decisions concerning it.

35 REMARKS BY PRESIDENT DONALD TUSK BEFORE THE G20 SUMMIT IN BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA — 30 NOVEMBER 2018

Let me just add a few words to what President Juncker has said. As this is a difficult moment for international cooperation, I would like to appeal to the leaders to use this summit, including their bilateral and informal exchanges, to seriously discuss real issues such as trade wars, the tragic situation in Syria and Yemen and the Russian aggression in Ukraine. I see no reason why the G20 leaders shouldn’t have a meaningful discussion about solving these problems. Especially because all the instruments lie in their hands. The only condition is good will. We also cannot underestimate other issues which remain difficult for some leaders, such as human rights, freedom of press and basic safety of journalists. It is our obligation, as the EU, to take this opportunity and press our partners to respect these basic principles. Many leaders will certainly have questions about Brexit. Therefore, let me say this. The European Union has just agreed an orderly divorce with the United Kingdom. A few days before the vote in the House of Commons, it is becoming more and more clear that this deal is the best possible, in fact, the only possible one. If this deal is rejected in the Commons, we are left with, as was already stressed a few weeks ago by Prime Minister May an alternative: “no deal; or no Brexit at all.” I want to reassure you that the EU is prepared for every scenario. Question: The European Union announced that it will react appropriately to the use of force by Russia in the sea of Azov. What does it mean an appropriate reaction? Is it possible to have an appropriate reaction without EU sanctions if there is no de-escalation in the next weeks? Answer: The escalation in the Sea of Azov is a cause of grave concern to us and of course Russia’s use of force against Ukrainian ships is totally unacceptable. I would like to underline that Europe is united in its support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is why I am sure that the EU will roll over the sanctions against Russia in December.

36 CONCLUSIONS OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL(1) (ART. 50) — 13 DECEMBER 2018

1. The European Council reconfirms its conclusions of 25 31 December 2020 alternative arrangements, so that the November 2018, in which it endorsed the Withdrawal backstop will not need to be triggered. Agreement and approved the Political Declaration. The 4. The European Council also underlines that, if the Union stands by this agreement and intends to proceed backstop were nevertheless to be triggered, it would with its ratification. It is not open for renegotiation. apply temporarily, unless and until it is superseded by a 2. The European Council reiterates that it wishes to establish subsequent agreement that ensures that a hard border as close as possible a partnership with the United Kingdom is avoided. In such a case, the Union would use its best in the future. It stands ready to embark on preparations endeavours to negotiate and conclude expeditiously a immediately after signature of the Withdrawal Agreement subsequent agreement that would replace the backstop, to ensure that negotiations can start as soon as possible and would expect the same of the United Kingdom, so after the UK’s withdrawal. that the backstop would only be in place for as long as 3. The European Council underlines that the backstop is strictly necessary. intended as an insurance policy to prevent a hard border 5. The European Council calls for work on preparedness at on the island of Ireland and ensure the integrity of the all levels for the consequences of the United Kingdom’s Single Market. It is the Union’s firm determination to work withdrawal to be intensified, taking into account all speedily on a subsequent agreement that establishes by possible outcomes.

1 Following a notification under Article 50 TEU, the member of the European Council representing the withdrawing Member State shall not participate in the discussions of the European Council or in decisions concerning it.

37 CONCLUSIONS OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL 13−14 DECEMBER 2018

I. MULTIANNUAL FINANCIAL 3. The European Council will hold an in-depth discussion FRAMEWORK next spring on the future development of the Single Market and European digital policy in preparation for 1. The European Council welcomes the intensive the next Strategic Agenda. preparatory work carried out during this semester on the future Multiannual Financial Framework and takes III. MIGRATION note of the Presidency’s progress report. It calls on the incoming Presidency to continue that work and develop 4. The European Council addressed the implementation of an orientation for the next stage of the negotiations, with a its comprehensive approach to migration, which combines view to achieving an agreement in the European Council more effective control of the EU’s external borders, in autumn 2019. increased external action and the internal aspects, in accordance with its conclusions of June and October 2018. II. SINGLE MARKET 5. The European Council notes that the number of detected illegal border crossings has been brought down to pre- 2. The Single Market is one of the great achievements of the crisis levels, and that the overall downward trend is Union which has delivered major benefits to Europeans. continuing. This is the result of the external migration It is our main asset for ensuring citizens’ welfare, inclusive policy of the Union and its Member States, based, in growth and job creation, and the essential driver for particular, on control of the external borders, the fight investment and global competitiveness. Twenty-five against smugglers and cooperation with countries of years on, we need to press ahead with the Single Market origin and transit, which has been intensified in recent agenda in all its dimensions and develop a forward-looking months. This policy should therefore be continued, further approach. The European Council: developed and fully implemented. Vigilance on all existing – invites the European Parliament and the Council to and emerging routes should be maintained, in particular agree, before the end of the current legislature, on as in view of recent increases on the Western and Eastern many of the pending proposals relevant for the Single Mediterranean Routes. Market as possible. It is also important to remove 6. As regards the internal policies, the European Council remaining unjustified barriers, in particular in the invites the co-legislators to rapidly conclude negotiations field of services, as well as to prevent any new barriers on the European Border and Coast Guard (EBCG). and any risk of fragmentation. The European Council It welcomes the agreement reached at the level of the calls on the Commission to continue its analysis and Council on 6 December 2018 with regard to enhancing its work in this respect; the EBCG’s mandate in the area of return and cooperation – calls for implementing and enforcing, at all levels of with third countries. It also calls for further efforts to government, decisions taken and rules adopted, as conclude negotiations on the Return Directive, on well as upholding standards and ensuring the smart the Asylum Agency and on all parts of the Common application of better regulation principles, including European Asylum System, respecting previous European subsidiarity and proportionality; Council conclusions and taking into account the varying degree of progress on each of these files. – stresses that more needs to be done to ensure that the Single Market provides a solid underpinning for an outward-looking, confident and more IV. OTHER ITEMS autonomous European Union in a challenging global environment; External relations – underlines the need for the Single Market to evolve 7. The European Council discussed preparations for the so that it fully embraces the digital transformation, upcoming summit with the League of Arab States on 24 including Artificial Intelligence, the rise of the data and 25 February 2019. and service economy, connectivity, and the transition 8. The European Council expresses its utmost concern to a greener economy; regarding the escalation at the Kerch Straits and the – calls for strengthening the coherence with all related Azov Sea and Russia’s violations of international law. policies. It reconfirms its commitment to international law, the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of

38 Ukraine and the EU’s policy of non-recognition of the It requires an urgent response that needs to be sustained over illegal annexation of Crimea. There is no justification for time, in full respect of fundamental rights. The European the use of military force by Russia. The European Council Council: requests the immediate release of all detained Ukrainian – stresses the need for a determined response, that seamen as well as the return of the seized vessels and free addresses the internal and external dimensions passage of all ships through the Kerch Straits. The EU and that is comprehensive, coordinated and well- stands ready to adopt measures to strengthen further its resourced on the basis of an assessment of threats; support, in particular in favour of the affected areas of – calls for the prompt and coordinated implementation Ukraine. of the Joint Action Plan on disinformation presented 9. The European Council warmly welcomes the positive vote by the Commission and the High Representative so in the European Parliament on the EU-Japan Economic as to bolster EU capabilities, strengthen coordinated Partnership Agreement and looks forward to its imminent and joint responses between the Union and Member entry into force. States, mobilise the private sector and increase societal resilience to disinformation; Climate change – calls for swift and decisive action at both European 10. Further to the presentation of the Commission and national level on securing free and fair European Communication “A Clean Planet for all” and taking and national elections. into account the outcome of COP24 in Katowice, the 13. The Council is invited to continue work on this issue and European Council invites the Council to work on the to report back to the European Council in March 2019. elements outlined in the Communication. The European Council will provide guidance on the overall direction and Fight against and xenophobia political priorities in the first semester of 2019, to enable 14. The European Council condemns all forms of the European Union to submit a long term strategy by , racism and xenophobia, and underlines 2020 in line with the Paris Agreement. the importance of combating intolerance. It welcomes the adoption on 6 December 2018 of the Council Declaration Security and Defence on the fight against antisemitism. 11. The European Council welcomes the significant progress made in the area of security and defence, including in Citizens’ Dialogues and Citizens’ Consultations and implementing Permanent Structured Cooperation, Preparations for the Strategic Agenda in improving military mobility, in implementing the 15. The European Council welcomes the holding of Citizens’ European Defence Industrial Development Programme Dialogues and Citizens’ Consultations, which was an and in the negotiations on the proposed European Defence unprecedented opportunity to engage with European Fund. It endorses the Civilian CSDP Compact. These citizens and which could serve as an inspiration for initiatives contribute to enhancing the EU’s strategic further consultations and dialogues. The joint report autonomy and its capacity to act as a security provider, prepared by the current and the incoming Presidency, while complementing and reinforcing the activities of together with the different national reports and input NATO and strengthening EU-NATO cooperation, in from the other European institutions, identify a number of full respect of the principles of inclusiveness, reciprocity concerns and expectations on the part of the participating and decision-making autonomy of the EU. citizens in terms of concrete results from the EU. At their informal meeting in Sibiu on 9 May 2019, Heads of Disinformation State or Government will discuss priorities for the next 12. The spread of deliberate, large-scale, and systematic institutional cycle, with a view to agreeing on the next disinformation, including as part of hybrid warfare, is an Strategic Agenda in June 2019. acute and strategic challenge for our democratic systems.

39 STATEMENT − EURO SUMMIT MEETING 14 DECEMBER 2018

Following the mandate given in June 2018 to the Eurogroup, Union and for ambitious progress by Spring 2019 on the the Euro Summit endorses all the elements of the Eurogroup Capital Markets Union, as outlined in the Eurogroup report to Leaders on EMU deepening, which was prepared in an report to Leaders. inclusive format. This comprehensive package paves the way for 4. In the context of the Multiannual Financial Framework a significant strengthening of the EMU. In particular, the Euro (MFF), we mandate the Eurogroup to work on the design, Summit agreed today on the following. modalities of implementation and timing of a budgetary 1. We endorse the terms of reference of the common instrument for convergence and competitiveness for the backstop to the Single Resolution Fund (SRF), which euro area, and ERM II Member States on a voluntary set out how the backstop will be operationalised, and basis. It will be part of the EU budget, coherent with anticipated provided sufficient progress has been made other EU policies, and subject to criteria and strategic in risk reduction, to be assessed in 2020. guidance from the euro area Member States. We will 2. We also endorse the term sheet on the European Stability determine its size in the context of the MFF. The features Mechanism (ESM) reform. On that basis, we ask the of the budgetary instrument will be agreed in June 2019. Eurogroup to prepare the necessary amendments to the The instrument will be adopted in accordance with the ESM Treaty (including the common backstop to the SRF) legislative procedure, as foreseen by the Treaties, on the by June 2019. basis of the relevant Commission proposal to be amended if necessary. 3. We look forward to the final adoption of the Banking Package and the non-performing loans (NPL) Prudential 5. The Euro Summit takes note of the communication of the Backstop preserving the balance of the Council Commission on a stronger international role of the euro compromises. We call to advance work on the Banking and encourages work to be taken forward to this end.

40 CEREMONIAL LECTURE BY PRESIDENT DONALD TUSK FOLLOWING THE AWARD OF THE HONORARY DOCTORATE FROM THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF DORTMUND — 16 DECEMBER 2018

It is a great privilege to be able to say a few words in such an important moment for your community and in front of such a wonderful audience. I said, “your community”, although of course, for a couple of hours now, I have the right and the honour to call it, “our community”, as a freshly nominated doctor honoris causa of your – oh, excuse me – of our university. During that ceremony, I referred to the maxim of the first honorary doctor of the Technical University of Dortmund, president Johannes Rau: “To reconcile, not divide” and I said: “The European Union – the way I understand it – is founded on positive thinking and positive values. There would not be our Europe – and there will not be our Europe – without reconciliation, without solidarity and without mutual respect.” And I added that “you don’t need to graduate in engineering or from the Technical University of Dortmund to understand that in politics, bridges are more important than walls, though we know how much easier and faster it is to raise a wall, than to build a bridge. I am convinced that this is the reason why you have taken the trouble of studying: to avoid the temptation of simplifying and cutting corners. That in the spiritual, but also the political dimension, you will always be builders of bridges, and not walls.” These words were inspired by the whole of my life’s experience, in which – whether I wanted it, or not – politics was still present, together with its most dramatic symptoms and expressions. And everything began exactly on 16 December, 48 years ago, in my hometown of Gdańsk. It was 1970, I was 13, when tragic events played out in front of my eyes. The police and the army opened fire on protesting workers. Many of them died, hundreds were wounded, many vehicles and buildings were burned, including tanks and the communist party headquarters. The streets of Gdańsk became a school of life, and a first lesson in politics, which I will never forget. I was very young, but I understood instinctively what was going on, and who was right; where good was, and where evil was; who was telling the truth, and who was telling lies. It was an unusually exciting lesson, filled with emotions, rage and hope, all at the same time. It was then that I found out for the first time that those who are right don’t always win. That lies and evil can triumph over truth and good. I fully identified with those beaten and humiliated. At the same time, I lived through these events as if they were some kind of holiday, the first big, adulthood adventure, which briefly interrupted the terrifying monotony of the status quo. Many years later, when – as a student – I organised the structures of illegal opposition to the communist rule, I noticed that the memory of those past events took on the characteristics of a myth, which heavily influenced the imaginations of the participants in our meetings. As a young historian, I was dealing at the time with the role of myths and legends in the Polish politics of the 1930s, and already back then I had no doubt that emotions, symbols and simplifications motivate people much more than rational arguments and programmes. That they can be very useful, but also very dangerous, especially if mythologies begin to dominate in the public sphere. Ernst Cassirer wrote about this. According to him, the politicians of the Weimar Republic made a crucial mistake in being occupied only with improving the economic situation of the masses, tackling unemployment and inflation. At the same time, being sober thinking, rational individuals, they remained completely blind to the explosive force of political myths. This great mistake caused a catastrophe. When the political and intellectual elites of the German democracy began to notice what was at stake, when they began to understand the nature of the new political myths, it was already too late. They lost the battle before they realised that it had just started. Let us return to my story. The legend of the December protest turned out to be a very effective founding myth of Solidarność. Before the movement was established, in the second half of the 1970s, we organised illegal demonstrations every 16 December, outside the Gdańsk shipyard. That is when I met Lech Wałęsa – no one knew back then that he himself would soon become a legend. Solidarność mobilised millions of people against the regime, who – despite realities such as the presence of the Soviet army – decided to act. They were guided by the eternal motto of Gdańsk: nec temere, nec timide, neither rashly, nor timidly. It was that synthesis of emotions and reason, synthesis of myth and plan, synthesis of symbols and pragmatism, that brought victory. Of course, not straight away. In the meantime, there was and, again, the 16 December, 37 years ago, the communists again shot at workers and demonstrators. 9 coalminers on strike were killed by the police in Katowice. In Gdańsk, despite tanks in the streets and tear gas, despite the knowledge that authorities were shooting at people again, one hundred thousand demonstrators surrounded the shipyard and the monument for the victims of December 1970, in order to remember them, pray for them and lay flowers. Such was the force of the legend of December. People will not fight with full determination for procedures or abstract ideas. They will be ready to get involved in public affairs and sacrifice a lot only if emotions are sparked in them. They can be good or bad emotions. They can erupt in poor as well as rich countries. Money is important to people, but it is not everything. Today in Europe, we are witnessing a wave of populist rhetoric with a xenophobic and authoritarian twist, both in old as well as new democracies. This trend is visible, regardless of the degree of wealth in societies, their culture and history. The crisis – in so many areas

41 of western civilisation, including outside our continent – of classic liberal democracy, attacked and increasingly effectively weakened by various, leftist and – what is more common today – right-wing demagogues, stems not only from non-economic, but also non- rational sources. It reflects the force of myths and symbols which these demagogues uphold, using them to tempt masses of followers and disorientated citizens. It comes the easier to them, the harder it is to distinguish between lies and the truth, between fake-news and news. It is here that the present-day Zeitgeist is expressed. The facts are losing against imagined concepts, experts and academics are losing against extremely astute demagogues, particularly in cyber-space. Unfortunately, today it is they who have the power over emotions, even if the facts and arguments are against them. Liberal democracy and the European Union – grand projects in the moral and practical dimension – are not able today to rouse such emotions or release feelings, as national myths do, myths brought up again at every opportunity. Cool persuasion, common sense, and even economic interests stand no chance in confrontation with passion. Those are right, who stress that the need for myths is timeless. We cannot replace it with cold calculation. But, as not only my experience shows, myths and symbols don’t have to serve a bad cause only. European democrats cannot surrender to fatalism, they cannot let emotions be weapons only in the hands of political charlatans. They have to stand up to them, also in the mythical symbolical sphere. If the only thing on our side is knowledge, and on their side – faith, we will lose. This is the first lesson I take from my Decembers. The second is that the new generations will not accept the status quo forever, even if it is clearly better than the past, and even if they don’t have ideas for a better future. One of the main reasons why I became a rebel in my youth was – as I mentioned already – an unbearable sense of boredom. From time to time, people crave change more than comfort. For too long we have lived in times of grand ennui, die grosse Langweile as someone said, commenting on the protests of the French gilets jaunes, the yellow vests. We will not stop this desire by repeating our slogans about stabilisation. Taking risks, even without rational reasons, is the eternal right of the young. Whether it will be destructive or creative, depends to a large degree on the quality of the political leadership. And this is the third lesson from my Decembers. Jacek Kuroń, one of the legendary leaders of the Polish democratic opposition, once said: “Don’t burn down party committees, set up your own”. The committee was the common name for the headquarters of the communist party. In 1970, such committees burned in Gdańsk, among other places, which gave the authorities a pretext for brutal repressions. As he led Solidarność, Lech Wałęsa always remembered this commandment. Politicians who take action unaware of what results it will bring, are always a big threat. On the centenary of the end of the First World War, it is worth reminding ourselves of the story of its beginning, with all those sleepwalkers in power, who – having the best intentions and a hopelessly weak imagination – led Europe to catastrophe. Max Weber wrote about the ethics of responsibility. Today, I would like to dedicate his words to some of the contemporary leaders on both sides of the Atlantic, and in particular to the authors of Brexit. Today we need leaders who understand that their role is not only having technocratic skill and the ability to stay in power. We need leaders who can use the potential of emotions to defend our fundamental values. Leaders, who not only understand the scale of the threats, but who can also prevent them. Herfried Münkler once wrote a fantastic essay, “Odysseus and Cassandra”. Cassandra, who knew very well what would happen, who warned everyone against the impending catastrophe, but no one listened to her. Today, we have many politicians and intellectuals who feel comfortable in the role of fore-warners, as prophetic as Cassandra, and equally helpless. And there are so few Odysseuses, smart (that’s how Homer described Odysseus), efficient, and when it is necessary – ruthless, and capable of sacrifices. Odysseus, practical to the extreme, understands the meaning of symbols and irrational elements in politics. A few weeks before the construction of the great horse – writes Münkler – Odysseus gets into Troy through the cloaca. Disguised as a beggar, stinking of excrement, together with Diomedes, he steals the statue of Pallas Athena, in order to deprive Troy of the last remains of divine protection. As the seer Helenus foretold Odysseus earlier, the city can be conquered only when the statue disappears. Let us listen, therefore, to Cassandras, but choose Odysseuses as leaders. The fourth lesson from my Decembers – the most important to me personally – is the experience of violence, lies and lawlessness. An experience known by all those who have lived in places where undemocratic powers are beyond any control. Where you can beat and kill a man without any reason, where lies become omnipresent, where rights apply only to those in power, while citizens have only obligations. That is why, when today I hear European politicians, who wipe out all the tradition of liberal democracy, for whom human rights, minority rights, government within the law, the precedence of the constitution over the will of rulers, and free media are empty slogans, I loudly say: no. Because I know what these principles mean, remembering still what life is like for a man deprived of rights, who is at the mercy – or lack of mercy – of those in power. Europe is the best place on Earth, and the European Union is the best political invention in our history – as long as we stand by these principles. That’s what my heart and mind tell me, my knowledge and my faith. And being with you here today, I know that I am not alone.

42 JOINT LETTER OF PRESIDENT TUSK AND PRESIDENT JUNCKER TO THERESA MAY, PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM 14 JANUARY 2019

Thank you for your letter of 14 January 2019. As you are well aware, we regret but respect the decision of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. We also consider that Brexit is a source of uncertainty and disruption. In these challenging times, we therefore share with you the determination to create as much certainty and clarity as possible for citizens and companies in a situation where a Member State leaves the European Union after more than four decades of closest economic and political integration. That is why the Withdrawal Agreement that you and the Leaders of the 27 EU Member States agreed after long negotiations is so important. It represents a fair compromise and aims to ensure an orderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, thereby limiting the negative consequences of Brexit. That is also why we wish to establish as close as possible a relationship with the United Kingdom in the future, building on the Political Declaration, which the Leaders of the 27 EU Member States agreed with you. It is also why we want negotiations to this effect to start as soon as possible after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. As you know, we are not in a position to agree to anything that changes or is inconsistent with the Withdrawal Agreement, but against this background, and in order to facilitate the next steps of the process, we are happy to confirm, on behalf of the two EU Institutions we represent, our understanding of the following points within our respective fields of responsibility.

A. As regards the President of the European Council: On the 13 December, the European Council (Article 50) decided on a number of additional assurances, in particular as regards its firm commitment to work speedily on a subsequent agreement that establishes by 31 December 2020 alternative arrangements, so that the backstop will not need to be triggered. The European Council also said that, if the backstop were nevertheless to be triggered, it would only apply temporarily, unless and until it is superseded by a subsequent agreement that ensures that a hard border is avoided, and that the European Union, in such a case, would use its best endeavours to negotiate and conclude expeditiously a subsequent agreement that would replace the backstop, and would expect the same of the United Kingdom, so that the backstop would only be in place for as long as strictly necessary. In this context, it can be stated that European Council conclusions have a legal value in the Union commensurate to the authority of the European Council under the Treaties to define directions and priorities for the European Union at the highest level and, in the specific context of withdrawal, to establish, in the form of guidelines, its framework. They may commit the European Union in the most solemn manner. European Council conclusions therefore constitute part of the context in which an international agreement, such as the Withdrawal Agreement, will be interpreted. As for the link between the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration, to which you make reference in your letter, it can be made clear that these two documents, while being of a different nature, are part of the same negotiated package. In order to underline the close relationship between the two texts, they can be published side by side in the Official Journal in a manner reflecting the link between the two as provided for in Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU).

B. As regards the President of the European Commission: The Political Declaration agreed at the November Special European Council (Article 50) describes a future relationship of unprecedented depth and breadth, reflecting the continuing strength of our shared values and interests. The Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration represent a fair balance of European Union and United Kingdom interests. They will ensure a smooth withdrawal and a strong future relationship in the interests of all our citizens. As the European Council has already stated, it will embark on preparations for a future partnership with the United Kingdom immediately after signature of the Withdrawal Agreement. As regards the European Commission, we will set up the negotiating structure for these negotiations directly after signature to ensure that formal negotiations can start as soon as possible after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom, having in mind the shared ambition of the European Union and the United Kingdom to have the future relationship in place by the end of the transition. Should national ratifications be pending at that moment, the Commission is ready to propose provisional application of relevant parts of the future relationship, in line with the legal frameworks that apply and existing practice. The Commission is also ready to engage with you on a work programme as soon as the United Kingdom Parliament has signalled its agreement in principle to the Withdrawal Agreement and the European Parliament has approved it. There is an important link between the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration, reflecting Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. As stated in Article 184 of the Withdrawal Agreement and reflected also in Paragraph 138 of the Political Declaration,

43 the European Union and the United Kingdom have committed to use best endeavours, in good faith and in full respect of their respective legal orders, to take necessary steps to negotiate expeditiously the agreements governing their future relationship referred to in the Political Declaration. In light of your letter, the European Commission would like to make the following clarifications with regard to the backstop: The Withdrawal Agreement including the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland embodies the shared commitment by the European Union and the United Kingdom to address the unique circumstances on the island of Ireland as part of ensuring the orderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. The Commission can confirm that, just like the United Kingdom, the European Union does not wish to see the backstop enter into force. Were it to do so, it would represent a suboptimal trading arrangement for both sides. The Commission can also confirm the European Union’s determination to replace the backstop solution on Northern Ireland by a subsequent agreement that would ensure the absence of a hard border on the island of Ireland on a permanent footing. The European Commission can also confirm our shared understanding that the Withdrawal Agreement and the Protocol on Ireland/ Northern Ireland: • Do not affect or supersede the provisions of the Good Friday or Belfast Agreement of 10 April 1998 in any way whatsoever; they do not alter in any way the arrangements under Strand II of the 1998 Agreement in particular, whereby areas of North-South cooperation in areas within their respective competences are matters for the Northern Ireland Executive and Government of Ireland to determine; • Do not extend regulatory alignment with in Northern Ireland beyond what is strictly necessary to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland and protect the 1998 Agreement; the Withdrawal Agreement is also clear that any new act that the European Union proposes should be added to the Protocol will require the agreement of the United Kingdom in the Joint Committee; • Do not prevent the United Kingdom from facilitating, as part of its delegation, the participation of Northern Ireland Executive representatives in the Joint Committee, the Committee on issues related to the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/ Northern Ireland, or the joint consultative working group, in matters pertaining directly to Northern Ireland. The European Commission also shares your intentions for the future relationship to be in place as quickly as possible. Given our joint commitment to using best endeavours to conclude before the end of 2020 a subsequent agreement, which supersedes the Protocol in whole or in part, the Commission is determined to give priority in our work programme to the discussion of proposals that might replace the backstop with alternative arrangements. In this context, facilitative arrangements and will be considered. Any arrangements which supersede the Protocol are not required to replicate its provisions in any respect, provided that the underlying objectives continue to be met. Should the parties need more time to negotiate the subsequent agreement, they could decide to extend the transition period, as foreseen in the Withdrawal Agreement. In that case, the Commission is committed to redouble its efforts and expects the same redoubled efforts from your negotiators, with the aim of concluding a subsequent agreement very rapidly. Were the backstop to enter into force in whole or in part, it is intended to apply only temporarily, unless and until it is superseded by a subsequent agreement. The Commission is committed to providing the necessary political impetus and resources to help achieving the objective of making this period as short as possible. To this end, following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom, and until a subsequent agreement is concluded, the Commission will support making best use of the high level conference foreseen in the Political Declaration to meet at least every six months to take stock of progress and agree the appropriate actions to move forward. Finally, in response to your concern about the timetable, we would like to make it clear that both of us will be prepared to sign the Withdrawal Agreement as soon as the meaningful vote has passed in the United Kingdom Parliament. This will allow preparations for the future partnership with the United Kingdom immediately thereafter to ensure that negotiations can start as soon as possible after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

44 SPEECH BY PRESIDENT DONALD TUSK AT THE SIGNING CEREMONY OF THE FRANCO−GERMAN TREATY OF AACHEN 22 JANUARY 2019

I have come to Aachen today with the firm belief that your decision, the decision to strengthen cooperation between Germany and France can, and should, serve the whole of Europe well. Dear Angela, dear Emmanuel, as friends we are too close for me to have reasons to doubt your intentions and plans. Today Europe needs a revival of faith in the meaning of solidarity and unity, and I want to believe that enhanced Franco-German cooperation will serve this objective. At the same time I would like to caution you, and all convinced Europeans, against losing faith in the purpose of Europe’s integration as a whole. Today there are too many self-confessed opponents of the European Union, both inside Europe and outside, and there is no shortage of them in our countries either, to allow ourselves the illusory and dangerous comfort of discouragement. I will put it bluntly – today Europe needs a clear signal from Paris and from , that strengthened cooperation in small formats is not an alternative to the cooperation of all of Europe. That it is for integration, and not instead of integration. To the east of Germany there are hundreds of places where the European spirit of a place – genius loci – is felt as strongly as in Aachen, Paris or Berlin, and where millions of people live whose hearts beat for Europe, a Europe of mutually supportive and equal nations. One such place is my Gdańsk. I am returning from there, from the funeral ceremonies for the murdered mayor of my city, Paweł Adamowicz. He loved Gdańsk, he was a Polish patriot and a heart and soul European at the same time. He bravely stood up for the rule of law, he helped refugees out of genuine kindness, not because someone imposed some quotas on him. And for 20 years, he built his city. One of his many accomplishments is the fantastic, living museum of Solidarność. And it was he, in fact, who insisted it be called the ‘European Solidarity Centre’. A few days ago, in that same place, the people of Gdańsk honoured their mayor. Over 50,000 people stood for many hours on a freezing cold night in order to make a bow, if only for a second, before his coffin. It is for such people, and thanks to such people, that Europe exists. Keep working to strengthen it, do not let the idea die. France and Germany need it to the exact same degree as Poland, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Ireland. Remember this today and tomorrow. I, in any case, will continue reminding you about it.

45 OPENING REMARKS BY PRESIDENT DONALD TUSK AT THE EU-LAS SUMMIT IN EGYPT — 24 FEBRUARY 2019

Thank you for being here today. And a special thank you to President Al Sisi for the warm hospitality in hosting us. It is clear to us how much you have done to ensure the perfect organisation of this Summit. It is a true pleasure to be in Sharm El-Sheikh. Our meeting is special as it marks the first time that we, Arab and European leaders, come together in this format. To acknowledge that our cooperation is more important than ever, and that we need an even stronger partnership in today’s world. Our proximity and interdependence require us to face our common challenges together and seize the real opportunities that geography, common history and similar interests have created. These are objective reasons why we have to be closer. Our neighbourhood is something real, which means that being closer is in fact not a choice but a must, although we are aware that there are differences between us. With neighbours there are two ways of existence: cooperation or conflict. We choose cooperation. In a time of growing tension and unpredictability, we need to work together, taking into account our shared interests and common challenges to create the right conditions for long-term stability, which is the only way to guarantee our citizens the peace and prosperity they deserve. We must show them that our cooperation is comprehensive, strong and has a concrete impact on their everyday lives. There are many areas where we can do this: from funding education to reducing unemployment; encouraging investments, and helping to boost trade. Climate change is a direct and existential threat for all of us. Unless we act urgently and collectively, things will only get worse. We need to raise our ambitions and work closely to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. We still have the chance to act, but we need the spur of real political will to act together. Young people have to be at the centre of our policies and efforts. Only they can fully realise the 2030 Agenda, prevent conflicts, sustain peace and build a truly inclusive prosperity. Let us empower our young women and men to be positive agents of change. Fostering intercultural dialogue, empowering a vibrant civil society and prioritising education and opportunity can help create peaceful and stable societies, less susceptible to the messages of violent extremism, and to counter-balance the negative impact that populist narratives can have on the resilience of our societies. Finally, on migration. I want to acknowledge and salute all those here who have shouldered the burden of population displacement, helped refugees and acted early to tackle people smuggling. We must work together – countries of origin, transit and destination. In order to break the business model of smugglers and traffickers who lure people into dangerous journeys and feed modern-day slavery. To address the root causes of migration and displacement. To stop irregular migration, and facilitate returns, readmission and reintegration. And also to ensure the protection of refugees and their rights, in line with international law. I am aware that there are differences between us. We are not here to pretend that we agree on everything. But we face common challenges and have shared interests. Today we are here to strengthen our cooperation for the benefit of our peoples. We need to do this together and not leave it to global powers far from our region. I look forward to our open and honest discussions over the next two days.

46 CONCLUSIONS OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL(1) (ART. 50) — 21 MARCH 2019

. an extension until 12 April 2019 and expects the United 1. The European Council takes note of the letter of Prime Kingdom to indicate a way forward before this date for Minister Theresa May of 20 March 2019. consideration by the European Council. 2. In response, the European Council approves the 4. The European Council reiterates that there can be Instrument relating to the Withdrawal Agreement and the no opening of the Withdrawal Agreement that was Joint Statement supplementing the Political Declaration agreed between the Union and the United Kingdom in agreed between the European Commission and the November 2018. Any unilateral commitment, statement government of the United Kingdom in Strasbourg on or other act should be compatible with the letter and the 11 March 2019. spirit of the Withdrawal Agreement. 3. The European Council agrees to an extension until 5. The European Council calls for work to be continued 22 May 2019, provided the Withdrawal Agreement is on preparedness and contingency at all levels for the approved by the House of Commons next week. If the consequences of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal, taking Withdrawal Agreement is not approved by the House of into account all possible outcomes. Commons next week, the European Council agrees to 6. The European Council will remain seized of the matter.

1 Following a notification under Article 50 TEU, the member of the European Council representing the withdrawing Member State shall not participate in the discussions of the European Council or in decisions concerning it.

47 CONCLUSIONS OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL 21−22 MARCH 2019

I. JOBS, GROWTH AND COMPETITIVENESS the challenges European industry faces, touching upon all relevant policy areas; 1. The European Council held an exchange of views on the current economic situation. It endorses the policy priority – the EU needs to go further in developing a areas of the Annual Growth Survey and invites Member competitive, secure, inclusive and ethical digital States to reflect them in their forthcoming National economy with world-class connectivity. Special Reform Programmes and Stability or Convergence emphasis should be placed on access to, sharing Programmes, with the aim of fostering growth and jobs of and use of data, on data security and on through investment and reforms. It also endorses the draft Artificial Intelligence, in an environment of trust. Council recommendation on the economic policy of the The European Council looks forward to the euro area. Commission’s recommendation on a concerted approach to the security of 5G networks; 2. A strong economic base is of key importance for Europe’s prosperity and competitiveness, and for – in order to remain globally competitive in key its role on the global stage. This should be achieved technologies and strategic value chains, the through an integrated approach addressing the current EU needs to encourage more risk-taking, and and emerging global, technological, security and step up investment in research and innovation. sustainability challenges, and connecting all relevant Measures should be taken to further support the policies and dimensions: the Economic and Monetary European Innovation Council and to facilitate the Union which should be deepened, the Single Market in implementation of Important Projects of Common all its dimensions, as a cornerstone of the Union’s growth; European Interest, while ensuring a level playing an assertive industrial policy allowing the EU to remain field, as well as a regulatory environment and state- an industrial power; a forward-looking digital policy, fit aid framework that are conducive to innovation; for an age of digital transformation and the rise of the – fair competition should be ensured within the Single data economy; and an ambitious and robust trade policy Market and globally, both to protect consumers and ensuring fair competition, reciprocity and mutual benefits. to foster economic growth and competitiveness, Due regard should be paid to an improved business in line with the long-term strategic interests of the environment for SMEs, skills development and the social Union. We will continue to update our European dimension. competition framework to new technological and 3. To that end, the European Council calls for action by the global market developments. The Commission EU and its Member States along the following lines: intends to identify before the end of the year how to fill gaps in EU law in order to address fully the – the Single Market should be further deepened distortive effects of foreign state ownership and state- and strengthened, with particular emphasis aid financing in the Single Market; on the development of a service economy and on mainstreaming digital services; remaining – the EU should continue to push for an ambitious and unjustified barriers must be removed, building on balanced free trade agenda through the conclusion of the Commission Communication of November new Free Trade Agreements, promoting EU values 2018, and no new ones created. Further steps should and standards, and ensuring a level playing field. be taken to deepen the Capital Markets Union and The European Council reaffirms its commitment the Energy Union, and to ensure fair and effective to an open rules-based multilateral trading system taxation. The Commission is invited to develop with a modernised WTO at its core, and to resisting by March 2020, in close coordination with the all forms of protectionism and distortions. The Member States, a long-term action plan for better European Council calls for the necessary steps to be implementation and enforcement of Single Market taken towards rapid implementation of all elements rules; of the U.S.-EU Joint Statement of 25 July 2018; – in view of the importance of a globally integrated, – the EU must also safeguard its interests in the light sustainable and competitive industrial base, the of unfair practices of third countries, making full Commission is invited to present, by the end of 2019, use of trade defence instruments and our public a long-term vision for the EU’s industrial future, with procurement rules, as well as ensuring effective concrete measures to implement it. It should address reciprocity for public procurement with third

48 countries. The European Council calls for resuming 7. Five years after the illegal annexation of Crimea and discussions on the EU’s international procurement by Russia the EU remains resolute in its instrument; commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial – the new European foreign investment screening integrity. The EU reiterates that it does not recognise and framework will enable Member States to address continues to condemn this violation of international law investments that threaten security or public order. which remains a direct challenge to international security. The EU remains committed to implementing its non- 4. In March 2020 the European Council will hold an overall recognition policy. discussion on strengthening the economic base of the EU, on the basis of a comprehensive contribution by the 8. The European Council deeply regrets the loss of lives and Commission. the destruction in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, caused by tropical cyclone Idai. The European Council welcomed the emergency response already provided II. CLIMATE CHANGE by the European Union and its Member States, and 5. The European Council: expressed its readiness to continue supporting the – reiterates its commitment to the Paris Agreement and concerned countries in providing urgent humanitarian recognises the need to step up the global efforts to relief assistance to the affected populations. tackle climate change in light of the latest available science, especially the IPCC Special Report on IV. SECURING FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre- AND FIGHTING DISINFORMATION industrial levels; 9. Welcoming the important work accomplished in this – emphasises the importance of the EU submitting respect in the past months, the European Council calls an ambitious long-term strategy by 2020 striving for for further enhanced coordinated efforts to address climate neutrality in line with the Paris Agreement, the internal and external aspects of disinformation and while taking into account Member States’ specificities protect the European and national elections across the EU. and the competitiveness of European industry; Information-sharing is key in that context and the recent – calls for the timely finalisation of the national long- establishment of the Rapid Alert System is an important term strategies; step forward. The European Council urges private – recognises that the implementation of the Paris operators such as online platforms and social networks Agreement objective offers significant opportunities to fully implement the Code of Practice and ensure higher standards of responsibility and transparency. It calls for and potential for economic growth, new jobs and continued and coordinated efforts to safeguard the technological development and for strengthening Union’s democratic systems and to combat the immediate European competitiveness, which must be reaped and long-term threats posed by disinformation, as an while ensuring a just and socially balanced transition integral part of strengthening the EU’s resilience against for all; hybrid threats. The European Council will come back to – calls on the Council to intensify its work on a long- this issue at its June meeting on the basis of a report on the term climate strategy ahead of a further discussion lessons learnt prepared by the Presidency in cooperation in the European Council in June 2019. with the Commission and the High Representative, in order to inform our long-term response. III. EXTERNAL RELATIONS 6. The European Council prepared the EU-China summit to be held on 9 April 2019. It exchanged views on overall relations with China in the global context.

49 LETTER BY PRESIDENT DONALD TUSK TO THE MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL (ART. 50) AHEAD OF THEIR SPECIAL MEETING 9 APRIL 2019

Last week I received a letter from Prime Minister May requesting a further extension of the Article 50 period, until 30 June 2019. In her letter the Prime Minister states that the UK government’s policy remains to leave the EU in an orderly way, and that it is therefore now seeking a consensus across the House of Commons on the right way forward. She also adds that, if the UK were an EU member on 23 May 2019, it would be under a legal obligation to hold elections to the European Parliament. Given the risks posed by a no-deal Brexit for people and businesses on both sides of the English Channel, I trust that we will continue to do our utmost to avoid this scenario. Therefore I propose that we consider Prime Minister May’s request for an extension at our meeting tomorrow. However, our experience so far, as well as the deep divisions within the House of Commons, give us little reason to believe that the ratification process can be completed by the end of June. In reality, granting such an extension would increase the risk of a rolling series of short extensions and emergency summits, creating new cliff-edge dates. This, in turn, would almost certainly overshadow the business of the EU27 in the months ahead. The continued uncertainty would also be bad for our businesses and citizens. Finally, if we failed to agree on any next extension, there would be a risk of an accidental no-deal Brexit. This is why I believe we should also discuss an alternative, longer extension. One possibility would be a flexible extension, which would last only as long as necessary and no longer than one year, as beyond that date we will need to decide unanimously on some key European projects. The flexibility would allow to terminate the extension automatically, as soon as both sides have ratified the Withdrawal Agreement. The UK would be free to leave whenever it is ready. And the EU27 would avoid repeated Brexit summits. Importantly, a long extension would provide more certainty and predictability by removing the threat of constantly shifting cliff-edge dates. Furthermore, in the event of a continued stalemate, such a longer extension would allow the UK to rethink its Brexit strategy. Some of you have raised concerns that the UK’s continued presence as a departing EU country would pose risks for the functioning of the EU27 at a time of key decisions on its future. To address them we would need to agree on a number of conditions: no re-opening of the Withdrawal Agreement; no start of the negotiations on the future, except for the Political Declaration; the UK would have to maintain its sincere cooperation also during this crucial period, in a manner that reflects its situation as a departing member state. We should remember, however, that the United Kingdom will remain a member state with full rights and obligations. And, in any event, the UK can revoke Article 50 at any time, as stated by the European Court of Justice. Whatever course of action is taken, it must not be influenced by negative emotions. We should treat the UK with the highest respect, as we want to remain friends and close partners, and as we will still need to agree on our future relations. Neither side should be allowed to feel humiliated at any stage in this difficult process. As you know, with Brexit there are no easy solutions. Both aforementioned options have their advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, let us discuss them in an open, creative, and constructive way. We will meet at 18.00 for an exchange with European Parliament President Tajani. We will then hear Prime Minister May, before meeting for dinner at 27 in order to agree a response to the United Kingdom’s request.

50 CONCLUSIONS OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL(1) (ART. 50) — 10 APRIL 2019

1. The European Council takes note of the letter of Prime future relationship in accordance with the positions and Minister Theresa May of 5 April 2019 asking for a further principles stated in its guidelines and statements, including extension of the period referred to in Article 50(3) TEU. as regards the territorial scope of the future relationship. 2. In response, the European Council agrees to an extension 6. The European Council notes that, during the extension, to allow for the ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement. the United Kingdom will remain a Member State with Such an extension should last only as long as necessary full rights and obligations in accordance with Article 50 and, in any event, no longer than 31 October 2019. If the TEU, and that the United Kingdom has a right to revoke Withdrawal Agreement is ratified by both parties before its notification at any time. this date, the withdrawal will take place on the first day of 7. The European Council takes note of the commitment the following month. by the United Kingdom to act in a constructive and 3. The European Council underlines that the extension responsible manner throughout the extension in cannot be allowed to undermine the regular functioning accordance with the duty of sincere cooperation and of the Union and its institutions. If the UK is still a expects the United Kingdom to fulfil this commitment Member of the EU on 23-26 May 2019 and if it has not and Treaty obligation in a manner that reflects its situation ratified the Withdrawal Agreement by 22 May 2019, it as a withdrawing Member State. To this effect, the United must hold the elections to the European Parliament in Kingdom shall facilitate the achievement of the Union's accordance with Union law. If the United Kingdom fails tasks and refrain from any measure which could jeopardise to live up to this obligation, the withdrawal will take place the attainment of the Union's objectives, in particular on 1 June 2019. when participating in the decision-making processes of 4. The European Council reiterates that there can be no the Union. opening of the Withdrawal Agreement, and that any 8. In addition to meetings under Article 50 TEU, the 27 unilateral commitment, statement or other act should be Member States and the Commission, where appropriate compatible with the letter and the spirit of the Withdrawal together with other institutions, bodies, offices and Agreement and must not hamper its implementation. agencies of the Union, will continue to meet separately 5. The European Council stresses that such an extension at all levels to discuss matters related to the situation after cannot be used to start negotiations on the future the withdrawal of the United Kingdom. relationship. However, if the position of the United 9. The European Council will remain seized of the matter Kingdom were to evolve, the European Council is and will review progress at its meeting in June 2019. prepared to reconsider the Political Declaration on the .

1 Following a notification under Article 50 TEU, the member of the European Council representing the withdrawing Member State shall not participate in the discussions of the European Council or in decisions concerning it.

51 DECLARATION OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE 27 HEADS OF STATE OF GOVERNMENT, SIBIU — 9 MAI 2019

We, the Leaders of the European Union, have gathered in Sibiu • We will deliver where it matters most. Europe will to discuss and look ahead to our common future. continue to be big on big matters. We will continue In a few weeks, Europeans will elect their representatives in the to listen to the concerns and hopes of all Europeans, European Parliament, forty years after they first exercised this bringing the Union closer to our citizens, and we will fundamental right. A Europe re-united in peace and democracy act accordingly, with ambition and determination. is but one of many achievements. Since its inception, the • We will always uphold the principle of fairness, whether European Union, driven by its values and freedoms, has provided it be in the labour market, in welfare, in the economy stability and prosperity across Europe, within and beyond its or in the digital transformation. We will further reduce borders. Over the years, it has grown into a major player on the disparities between us and we will always help the most international scene. Gathering around half a billion citizens, with vulnerable in Europe, putting people before politics. a competitive single market, it is a leader in worldwide trade, and • We will give ourselves the means to match our shapes global politics. ambitions. We will provide the Union with the means We reaffirm our belief that united, we are stronger in this necessary to attain its objectives and carry through its increasingly unsettled and challenging world. We recognise our policies. responsibility as Leaders to make our Union stronger and our • We will safeguard the future for the next generations future brighter, while recognising the European perspective of of Europeans. We will invest in young people and build other European States. That is why today we unanimously agree a Union fit for the future, able to cope with the most on 10 commitments that will help us live up to that responsibility: pressing challenges of the 21st century. • We will defend one Europe - from East to West, from • We will protect our citizens and keep them safe by North to South. Thirty years ago millions of people investing in our soft and hard power and by working fought for their freedom and for unity and brought with our international partners. down the Iron Curtain, which had divided Europe • Europe will be a responsible global leader. The for decades. There is no place for divisions that work challenges we face today affect us all. We will continue against our collective interest. working with our partners in the world to uphold and • We will stay united, through thick and thin. We will develop the rules-based international order, to make the show each other solidarity in times of need and we will most of new trading opportunities and to jointly tackle always stand together. We can and we will speak with global issues such as preserving our environment and one voice. fighting climate change. • We will always look for joint solutions, listening to The decisions we take will follow the spirit and letter of these each other in a spirit of understanding and respect. 10 commitments. The Union of today is stronger than that • We will continue to protect our way of life, of yesterday and we want to continue to build its strength for democracy and the rule of law. The unalienable rights tomorrow. This is our commitment for the future generations. and the fundamental freedoms of all Europeans were This is the spirit of Sibiu and of a new Union at 27 ready to hard fought and will never be taken for granted. We will embrace its future as one. uphold our shared values and principles enshrined in the Treaties.

52 CONCLUSIONS OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL 20 JUNE 2019

I. THE NEXT INSTITUTIONAL CYCLE 5. The EU and its Member States remain committed to scaling up the mobilisation of international climate 1. The European Council adopted a new Strategic Agenda finance from a wide variety of private and public sources 2019-2024 for the Union. It will discuss the follow-up to and to working towards a timely, well-managed and the Strategic Agenda in October 2019. successful replenishment process for the Green Climate Fund. II. MULTIANNUAL FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK IV. DISINFORMATION AND HYBRID 2. The European Council welcomed the work done under THREATS the Romanian Presidency and took note of the various 6. Further to the Presidency report and the contributions elements of the MFF package. It called on Finland’s from the Commission and the High Representative on Presidency to pursue the work and to develop the lessons learnt with regard to disinformation and securing Negotiating Box. On that basis the European Council free and fair elections, the European Council calls for will hold an exchange of views in October 2019, aiming sustained efforts to raise awareness, increase preparedness for an agreement before the end of the year. and strengthen the resilience of our democracies to disinformation. It welcomes the Commission’s intention III. CLIMATE CHANGE to conduct an in-depth evaluation of the implementation 3. The European Council emphasises the importance of commitments undertaken by online platforms and of the United Nations Secretary General’s Climate other signatories under the Code of Practice. The evolving Action Summit in September for stepping up global nature of the threats and the growing risk of malicious climate action so as to achieve the objective of the Paris interference and online manipulation associated with Agreement, including by pursuing efforts to limit the the development of Artificial Intelligence and data- gathering techniques require continuous assessment and temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. an appropriate response. It welcomes the active involvement of Member States and the Commission in the preparations. 7. The EU must ensure a coordinated response to hybrid and cyber threats and strengthen its cooperation with relevant 4. Following the sectoral discussions held over recent international actors. The European Council welcomes months, the European Council invites the Council and the adoption of a new framework for targeted restrictive the Commission to advance work on the conditions, the measures, and the work on coordinated attribution at incentives and the enabling framework to be put in place EU level in the context of the cyber diplomacy toolbox, so as to ensure a transition to a climate-neutral EU in line to better deter and respond to cyber-attacks. It invites (1) with the Paris Agreement that will preserve European the EU institutions, together with the Member States, to competitiveness, be just and socially balanced, take work on measures to enhance the resilience and improve account of Member States’ national circumstances and the security culture of the EU against cyber and hybrid respect their right to decide on their own energy mix, while threats from outside the EU, and to better protect the building on the measures already agreed to achieve the EU’s information and communication networks, and its 2030 reduction target. The European Council will finalise decision-making processes, from malicious activities of its guidance before the end of the year with a view to the all kinds. adoption and submission of the EU’s long-term strategy to the UNFCCC in early 2020. In this context, the European Council invites the European Investment Bank to step up its activities in support of climate action.

1 For a large majority of Member States, climate neutrality must be achieved by 2050

53 V. EXTERNAL RELATIONS negotiating efforts with a view to the implementation of the Minsk agreements and for measures aimed at 8. On the occasion of the Eastern Partnership’s 10th rebuilding confidence among the parties. anniversary, the European Council reaffirms the importance of this strategic partnership and invites the 16. 17 July will mark five years since the downing of flight Commission and the High Representative to evaluate MH17, which claimed 298 lives. The European Council existing instruments and measures and, on the basis of reiterates its full support for all efforts to establish truth, appropriate consultations, to present by early 2020, with justice and accountability for the victims and their next a view to the next Eastern Partnership Summit, a further of kin, in accordance with UNSC Resolution 2166. In set of long-term policy objectives. this context, it welcomes the announcement by the Joint Investigation Team on 19 June 2019 that criminal 9. The European Council welcomes the peaceful transfer charges will be brought in the Netherlands against four of power in the Republic of Moldova and invites the European Commission and the High Representative to individuals, calls on Russia to cooperate fully with the work on a set of concrete measures to support the Republic ongoing investigation, and expresses its full confidence of Moldova, based on its sustained implementation of in the independence and professionalism of the legal reforms under the Association Agreement / DCFTA. procedures that lie ahead. 10. The European Council underlines the crucial importance 17. The European Council recalls and reaffirms previous of the EU’s strategic partnership with Africa. We are Council and European Council conclusions, including committed to developing it further with a shared ambition the European Council conclusions of 22 March 2018 to face together common and global challenges. strongly condemning Turkey’s continued illegal actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea. The 11. The stability, security and prosperity of the countries on European Council expresses serious concerns over the southern shore of the Mediterranean are of crucial Turkey’s current illegal drilling activities in the Eastern importance for the EU. In this context, peace and long- Mediterranean and deplores that Turkey has not yet term stability in Libya are a common priority. The EU responded to the EU’s repeated calls to cease such reiterates its support for the UN-led process for the activities. The European Council underlines the serious cessation of hostilities and an inclusive political solution. immediate negative impact that such illegal actions have 12. The European Council welcomes the renewed impetus in across the range of EU-Turkey relations. The European EU-Morocco relations and looks forward to the upcoming Council calls on Turkey to show restraint, respect the EU-Morocco Association Council. sovereign rights of Cyprus and refrain from any such 13. The European Council reiterates its call on Russia to actions. The European Council endorses the invitation release the captured Ukrainian sailors unconditionally, to the Commission and the EEAS to submit options for return the seized vessels and ensure free passage of all appropriate measures without delay, including targeted ships through the Kerch Straits, in accordance with measures. The EU will continue to closely monitor international law. developments and stands ready to respond appropriately 14. The European Council expresses its utmost concern about and in full solidarity with Cyprus. The European Council the Russian presidential decree of 24 April, enabling the will remain seized of the matter and will revert accordingly. simplified issuing of passports in certain areas of Ukraine’s and regions, which runs counter to the VI. OTHER ITEMS spirit and the objectives of the Minsk agreements. 18. The European Council endorses the conclusions on 15. The European Council will continue to monitor the enlargement and stabilisation and association process situation in eastern Ukraine and stands ready to consider adopted by the Council on 18 June 2019. further options, including non-recognition of Russian 19. In the context of the European Semester, the European passports issued in contradiction to the Minsk agreements, Council held a discussion on the basis of a horizontal in close coordination with its international partners. The report on Country-Specific Recommendations. European Council calls for an urgent resumption of

54 A NEW STRATEGIC AGENDA 2019−2024

In recent years, the world has become increasingly unsettled, We will build on and strengthen our fight against terrorism and complex and subject to rapid change. That creates both cross-border crime, improving cooperation and information- opportunities and challenges. Over the next five years, the EU sharing, and further developing our common instruments. can and will strengthen its role in this changing environment. We will increase the EU’s resilience against both natural Together, we will be determined and focused, building on our and man-made disasters. Active solidarity and the pooling of values and the strengths of our model. This is the only effective resources are key in this respect. way to shape the future world, promote the interests of our We must protect our societies from malicious cyber activities, citizens, businesses and societies, and safeguard our way of life. hybrid threats and disinformation originating from hostile This Strategic Agenda provides an overall framework and State and non-State actors. Addressing such threats requires direction for that response. It is intended to guide the work of a comprehensive approach with more cooperation, more the Institutions in the next five years. It focuses on four main coordination, more resources and more technological capacities. priorities: • protecting citizens and freedoms Developing our economic base: the European model for • developing a strong and vibrant economic base the future • building a climate-neutral, green, fair and social Europe A strong economic base is of key importance for Europe’s competitiveness, prosperity and role on the global stage and for • promoting European interests and values on the global the creation of jobs. As technological, security and sustainability stage. challenges reshape the global landscape, we need to renew Lastly, it sets out how to deliver on those priorities. 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 Protecting citizens and freedoms demographic challenges. Europe must be a place where people feel free and safe. The EU We must ensure that the euro works for our citizens and remains shall defend the fundamental rights and freedoms of its citizens, resilient, deepening the Economic and Monetary Union in all its as recognised in the Treaties, and protect them against existing dimensions, completing the Banking and Capital Markets Union and emerging threats. and strengthening the international role of the euro. The common values underpinning our democratic and To maximise our impact, we need a more integrated approach societal models are the foundation of European freedom, connecting all relevant policies and dimensions: deepening and security and prosperity. The rule of law, with its crucial role in strengthening the Single Market and its four freedoms, designing all our democracies, is a key guarantor that these values are well an industrial policy fit for the future, addressing the digital protected; it must be fully respected by all Member States and revolution and ensuring fair and effective taxation. the EU. The Single Market in all its dimensions is a key asset in that We must ensure the integrity of our territory. We need to know regard. The EU cannot afford to under-utilise the potential of a and be the ones to decide who enters the EU. Effective control of market of half a billion people, particularly in the area of services. the external borders is an absolute prerequisite for guaranteeing Short-term difficulties cannot be invoked as an argument against security, upholding law and order, and ensuring properly a long-term strategy that is bold, all-encompassing, and forward- functioning EU policies, in line with our principles and values. looking. This must go hand in hand with a more assertive, We are determined to further develop a fully functioning comprehensive and coordinated industrial policy. The EU needs comprehensive migration policy. We will continue and deepen both, and needs them urgently. our cooperation with countries of origin and transit to fight illegal Over the next few years, the digital transformation will further migration and human trafficking and to ensure effective returns. accelerate and have far-reaching effects. We need to ensure that Concerning the internal dimension, we need agreement on an Europe is digitally sovereign and obtains its fair share of the effective migration and asylum policy. A consensus needs to be benefits of this development. Our policy must be shaped in a found on the Dublin Regulation to reform it based on a balance way that embodies our societal values, promotes inclusiveness, of responsibility and solidarity, taking into account the persons and remains compatible with our way of life. To this end, the disembarked following Search and Rescue operations. EU must work on all aspects of the digital revolution and We will take the necessary steps to ensure proper functioning artificial intelligence: infrastructure, connectivity, services, data, of Schengen. regulation and investment. This has to be accompanied by the

55 development of the service economy and the mainstreaming of of Social Rights should be implemented at EU and Member State digital services. level, with due regard for respective competences. Inequalities, At the same time, we must step up investment in people’s which affect young people in particular, pose a major political, skills and education, do more to foster entrepreneurship and social and economic risk; generational, territorial and educational innovation and increase research efforts, in particular by divides are developing and new forms of exclusion emerging. It is addressing the fragmentation of European research, development our duty to provide opportunities for all. We need to do more to and innovation. Investing in our future also means encouraging ensure equality between women and men, as well as rights and and supporting public and private investment, including in equal opportunities for all. This is both a societal imperative and infrastructure, to finance the growth of our economy and our an economic asset. businesses, including SMEs. Adequate social protection, inclusive labour markets and the In a world where common rules and standards are increasingly promotion of cohesion will help Europe preserve its way of life, questioned, it will be vital to promote a level playing field, as will a high level of consumer protection and food standards, including in the area of trade. This means ensuring fair and good access to healthcare. competition within the EU and on the global stage, promoting We will invest in culture and our cultural heritage, which are at market access, fighting unfair practices, extraterritorial measures the heart of our European identity. and security risks from third countries, and securing our strategic supply chains. We will continue to update our European Promoting Europe’s interests and values in the world competition framework to new technological and global market In a world of increasing uncertainty, complexity and change, the developments. EU needs to pursue a strategic course of action and increase its capacity to act autonomously to safeguard its interests, uphold its Building a climate-neutral, green, fair and social Europe values and way of life, and help shape the global future. Europe needs inclusiveness and sustainability, embracing the The EU will remain a driving force behind multilateralism and changes brought about by the green transition, technological the global rules-based international order, ensuring openness evolution and globalisation while making sure no-one is left and fairness and the necessary reforms. It will support the UN behind. and key multilateral organisations. As the effects of climate change become more visible and The EU will use its influence to lead the response to global pervasive, we urgently need to step up our action to manage this challenges, by showing the way forward in the fight against existential threat. The EU can and must lead the way, by engaging climate change, promoting sustainable development and in an in-depth transformation of its own economy and society to implementing the 2030 Agenda, and cooperating with partner achieve climate neutrality. This will have to be conducted in a way countries on migration. that takes account of national circumstances and is socially just. The EU will promote its own unique model of cooperation as The climate transition will afford us a real opportunity to inspiration for others. It will uphold the European perspective modernise and at the same time to become a global leader in a for European States able and willing to join. It will pursue an green economy. Our policies should be consistent with the Paris ambitious neighbourhood policy. It will develop a comprehensive Agreement. The EU cannot be the only one to act: all countries partnership with Africa. Together with global partners sharing should move forward and step up their climate action. our values, the EU will continue to work towards global peace and The success of the green transition will depend on significant stability, and to promote democracy and human rights. mobilisation of private and public investments, on having an But to better defend its interests and values and help shape the effective circular economy, and an integrated, interconnected new global environment, the EU needs to be more assertive and properly functioning European energy market that provides and effective. This requires us to be more united in the stances sustainable, secure and affordable energy, in full respect of the we take, and more determined and effective in exerting our Member States’ right to decide on their energy mix. The EU will influence. It also means making more resources available and accelerate the transition to renewables, increase energy efficiency, better using those we already have at our disposal. And it means reduce dependence on outside sources, diversify its supplies, and giving a clearer priority to European economic, political and invest in solutions for the mobility of the future. security interests, leveraging all policies to that end. In parallel, we must continue to improve the environment in An ambitious and robust trade policy ensuring fair competition, our cities and our countryside, enhance the quality of our air reciprocity and mutual benefits is a central element in that and waters, and promote sustainable agriculture, which is vital respect, both at the multilateral level in a reformed WTO and in to guaranteeing food safety and fostering quality production. bilateral relations between the EU and its partners. We will lead efforts to fight the loss of biodiversity and preserve The EU’s CFSP and CSDP must become more responsive environmental systems, including oceans. and active and be better linked to the other strands of external Change towards a greener, fairer and more inclusive future relations. The EU also needs to take greater responsibility for its will entail short-term costs and challenges. That is why it is so own security and defence, in particular by enhancing defence important to accompany the change and to help communities investment, capability development and operational readiness; it and individuals adjust to the new world. will cooperate closely with NATO, in full respect of the principles This requires keen attention to social issues. The European Pillar set out in the Treaties and by the European Council, including

56 the principles of inclusiveness, reciprocity and decision-making Our Institutions will work in accordance with the spirit and autonomy of the EU. the letter of the Treaties. They will respect the principles of Relations with strategic partners, including our transatlantic democracy, rule of law, transparency and equality between partners, and emerging powers have to be a key component of citizens and between Member States. Good governance also a robust foreign policy. To that end, there need to be far more depends on the rigorous implementation and enforcement of synergies between the EU and the bilateral levels. The EU can agreed policies and rules, which must be closely monitored. only engage with other global powers on an equal footing if it Each institution should revisit its working methods and reflect avoids a piecemeal approach and presents a united front, backed on the best way to fulfil its role under the Treaties. up by EU and Member State resources. The EU must give itself the means to match its ambitions, attain its objectives and carry through its policies. Delivering on our priorities Institutions and Member States must work side by side and use The EU must address internal and external challenges in an their considerable resources in a joint endeavour. The talents of integrated manner. For external action to be effective, we need a regional and local actors should be harnessed for the benefit of strong internal economic base. the overall effort. Our Institutions must focus on what really matters. In line with This Strategic Agenda is the first step in a process that will the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, the EU must be taken forward by the Institutions and the Member States. be big on big and small on small. It must leave economic and The European Council will follow the implementation of social actors the space to breathe, to create and to innovate. It these priorities closely and will define further general political will be important to engage with citizens, civil society and social directions and priorities as necessary. partners, as well as with regional and local actors.

57 STATEMENT − EURO SUMMIT MEETING 21 JUNE 2019

1. We welcome the progress made in the Eurogroup on the ERM II Member States on a voluntary basis. With strengthening of the Economic and Monetary Union as a view to ensuring autonomy of decision of the euro set out in the letter of the President of the Eurogroup of area Member States, we ask the Eurogroup and the 15 June 2019 and invite the Eurogroup in an inclusive Commission to further work on all pending issues; format to continue working on all the elements of this we ask the Eurogroup to report back swiftly on the comprehensive package. We take note of the broad appropriate solutions for financing. These elements agreement reached by the Eurogroup on: should be agreed as a matter of priority so as to be able • the revision of the ESM Treaty. We expect the to set the size of the BICC in the context of the next Eurogroup to continue its work so as to allow for an MFF. agreement on the full package in December 2019; 2. We look forward to the continuation of the technical work • a budgetary instrument for convergence and on the further strengthening of the Banking Union. competitiveness (BICC) for the euro area, and

58 REMARKS BY PRESIDENT DONALD TUSK BEFORE THE G20 SUMMIT IN OSAKA, JAPAN — 28 JUNE 2019

First of all I want to stress how much we appreciate the tireless efforts of the Japanese presidency in making sure that this summit will bring the world closer to solving key challenges of our times. The leadership of Prime Minister Abe, his personal devotion and diplomatic skills are impressive and really unique. I know that with a host like him we are in good hands. Before coming to Osaka, I visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki where I met with survivors of the nuclear bombings. They understand only too well the value of international cooperation because they know what a global conflict may lead to. I promised them to bring words of warning to the G20 participants. The global stage cannot become an arena where the stronger will dictate their conditions to the weaker, where egoism will dominate over solidarity, and where nationalistic emotions will dominate over common sense. We should understand that we have a responsibility not only for our own interests, but above all, for peace and a safe, fair world order. Finally, let me share one reflection. Thanks to my jet lag I was able to read the whole interview with President Putin in the . I have to say that I strongly disagree with the main argument that liberalism is obsolete. We are here as Europeans also to firmly and univocally defend and promote liberal democracy. Whoever claims that liberal democracy is obsolete, also claims that freedoms are obsolete, that the rule of law is obsolete and that human rights are obsolete. For us in Europe, these are and will remain essential and vibrant values. What I find really obsolete are: authoritarianism, personality cults, the rule of oligarchs. Even if sometimes they may seem effective.

59 CONCLUSIONS OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL — 30 JUNE−2 JULY 2019

1. The European Council elected Charles Michel as 3. The European Council adopted the decision proposing President of the European Council for the period from Ursula von der Leyen to the European Parliament as 1 December 2019 to 31 May 2022. It requested the candidate for President of the European Commission. Secretary-General of the Council to assist the elected 4. The European Council considers Fontelles President of the European Council in the transition period. to be the appropriate candidate for High Representative of 2. The European Council welcomed the decision of the the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, subject Heads of State or Government of the Contracting Parties to the agreement of the President-elect of the Commission. to the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance 5. The European Council considers Christine Lagarde in the Economic and Monetary Union whose currency to be the appropriate candidate for President of the is the euro to appoint Charles Michel as President of the European Central Bank, subject to receiving the relevant Euro Summit for the period from 1 December 2019 to 31 recommendation and opinions in accordance with the May 2022. Treaties.

60 REMARKS BY PRESIDENT DONALD TUSK BEFORE THE G7 SUMMIT IN BIARRITZ, FRANCE — 24 AUGUST 2019

First of all, let me express my best wishes to the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker. I always attended G7 summits with Jean-Claude, and I must say I will miss him in Biarritz. This is another G7 summit which will be a difficult test of unity and solidarity of the free world and its leaders. There is still no certainty whether the group will be able to find common solutions, and the global challenges are today really serious, or whether it will focus on senseless disputes among each other. The last years have shown that it is increasingly difficult for all of us to find common language when the world needs our cooperation more, not less.This may be the last moment to restore our political community. Today it would be especially urgent and essential to build our unity around the following challenges: 1. The defence of liberal democracy, rule of law and human rights, in particular in the context of the revival of nationalisms and new forms of authoritarianism, as well as threats coming from the development of digital technologies (meddling in elections, fake news, using artificial intelligence against citizens and their freedoms). 2. Climate crisis and the protection of natural environment, including forests and oceans. The burning Amazon rainforest has become another depressing sign of our times. We of course stand by the EU-Mercosur agreement, which is also about protecting the climate and environment, but it is hard to imagine a harmonious process of ratification by the European countries as long as the Brazilian government allows for the destruction of the green lungs of Planet Earth. This is about our “to be or not to be.” At the same time the EU is ready to offer financial help to fight the fires. 3. Putting a stop to trade wars. Trade deals and the reform of WTO are better than trade wars.Trade wars will lead to recession, while trade deals will boost the economy, not to mention the fact that trade wars among G7 members will lead to eroding the already weakened trust among us. 4. The threat of nuclear proliferation. The rejection of the nuclear deal with Iran by the US hasn’t brought about any positive results, and the divisions in the Western world when it comes to this issue, play into the hands of the Iranian Ayatollahs, as well as Russia and China. G7 leaders should make one more effort to find common language on this. 5. Russia’s policy towards its neighbours, especially its aggression against Ukraine. One year ago, in Canada, President Trump suggested reinviting Russia to G7, stating openly that Crimea’s annexation by Russia was partially justified. And that we should accept this fact. Under no condition can we agree with this logic. When it comes to speculations around inviting Russia to the table I would like to say this. First: the reasons why Russia was disinvited in 2014, are still valid. What is more, there are new reasons, such as the Russian provocation on the Azov Sea. Second: when Russia was invited to G7 for the first time, it was believed that it would pursue the path of liberal democracy, rule of law, and human rights. Is there anyone among us, who can say with full conviction, not out of business calculation, that Russia is on that path? Today I will try to convince my interlocutors that it would be better to invite Ukraine, as a guest of course, to the next G7 meeting, to hear the opinion of the new President. I talked with him about it two days ago, and I know he would be very interested. Let me also say that the EU has concrete proposals for Africa. We are keeping our longstanding commitment to the Global Fund against AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, and we will contribute 550 million euros to the replenishment of the Fund. This means that our overall involvement will exceed 1 billion euros. I am also happy to announce that the EU will join the “Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa”, which is an important step in the fight for women’s empowerment. The EU’s contribution of over 85 million euros will help develop 100.000 businesses run by women. Last but not least, the EU will contribute an initial 1 million euros to the “International Fund for Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence” that Nadia Murad and Doctor Denis Mukwege, winners of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, will present to G7 leaders tomorrow. Also tomorrow, on the margins of the summit, I will have a meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He will be the third, British Conservative, Prime Minister, with whom I will discuss Brexit. The EU was always open to cooperation, when David Cameron wanted to avoid Brexit, when Theresa May wanted to avoid a no-deal Brexit, and we will also be ready now to hold serious talks with PM Johnson. The one thing I will not cooperate on is no deal. And I still hope that PM Johnson will not like to go down in history as Mr No Deal. We are willing to listen to ideas that are operational, realistic, and acceptable to all Member States including Ireland, if and when the UK government is ready to put them on the table.

61 SPEECH BY PRESIDENT DONALD TUSK AT THE ATHENS DEMOCRACY FORUM 2019 — 9 OCTOBER 2019

There are three reasons why I am grateful for the invitation to Athens. I will begin with the most banal one, which is very obvious and personal at the same time. The history of Greece has always been my passion. Before I was ten I read Homer’s Iliad in Polish. No sooner had I finished, than I started reading it again, and so it went for several months. Almost learnt it by heart. ‘Sing, o goddess, the anger of Achilles, son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans’. Homer had given my life a meaning, because children also look for a meaning and a purpose in life. I decided to become an archaeologist, to discover the ruins of Troy, and read everything there was to read in Polish about ancient Greece: mythology, Plutarch, essays on Athenian architecture and the Peloponnesian War, philosophers and Herodotus. Imagine my despair when I read the biography of the famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. It turned out that Troy had been discovered long ago, and so I lost my sense of purpose for quite some time. So the only thing I could do was to pursue a more modest dream: to become a historian and, sometime in the future, to see the Acropolis with my own eyes. The first dream came true after ten years, the second – after forty years. When, as a fully grown man, I first arrived in Athens, having climbed the Acropolis and put my arms around one of the columns of the Erechtheion, I was moved to tears just like when I first read about the deadly arrow of Paris hitting the heel of Achilles. Immersed in Greek history, and a bit later also in Greek tragedy and philosophy, I had to, sooner or later, come across that cursed word: politics. Cursed today, since for the ancient Greeks, politikon had many positive meanings: public, civic, daily, ordinary, sociable, even polite! The spelling of the word polite is not a coincidence. In secondary school, our history teacher told us to read Sophocles’ Antigone, and then act out the trial of Creon. No-one wanted to be his advocate. Then the teacher looked at me with a telling smile and said, ‘Donald, you always have something to say, even when not asked, and ancient Greece is your passion, so you will defend Creon’. Oh my god, I – a 17-year-old idealist – am forced to take the side of a merciless tyrant, the side of authority, against rebellion? I didn’t know Max Weber at the time, I had no idea about the ethics of responsibility, but I managed somehow, and when the class gave their verdict, it was a draw. Perhaps it was then that, unknowingly, I became a politician. One thing is for sure, a quarter of a century later I became the head of government in Poland. There is also a second reason for my gratitude for the invitation to Athens. It gave me the opportunity to have an extended discussion, just hours ago, with my friends, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his predecessor Alexis Tsipras. Of course these were separate meetings, as you may guess, but in essence they were quite similar. Even if the battle dust has only just settled after the last election campaign, both my interlocutors focused not on that which today divides the people of Greece and Europe (and there would be much to talk about), but on that which can and should unite us, how to bring back a positive meaning to the term Politeia, which Cicero translated into Latin as Res Publica, a public affair. This may perhaps be the greatest challenge of our times – how to make out of politics what it once was: acting and thinking for the common good. Because, after all, we all feel how social entities and political communities are breaking into incompatible pieces. Increasingly often we are witnesses and victims of growing polarisation. Earlier partners, still yesterday competitors, today – sworn enemies. I can see this process happening in so many places, including my home country. Politics, from being the art of coexistence of different ideas and communities, is turning into the ability to deal brutally with opponents, competitors, misfits or strangers. Violence, lies, hate speech, myths and resentment – these are the tools of today’s politics. It is politics understood as war: even if shots are not fired everywhere, almost everywhere, some part, some fragment of the whole, wants to destroy, invalidate or totally subordinate the others. Emotions have replaced reason, while in political mathematics, dividing and subtracting have displaced multiplying and adding. It is no accident that in the latest issue of the prestigious Polish periodical Political Review (Przegląd Polityczny) devoted to Brexit, there are essays on Thucydides and his reflection on the theme of stasis, an ancient Greek term literally meaning: a part, a fraction, denoted a state of public disorder, chaos resulting from political passions and a constant escalation of internal conflicts. As an example Thucydides gave the situation in Korkyra, where agreement was not possible also because, in the heat of the battle, the sides freely changed the meanings of words, while values were being reversed. Madness and reckless audacity came to be seen as courage; common sense as cowardice, moderation as conformism. Every pause for thought or attempt at reflection was treated as capitulation or laziness. Those who sowed anger, resentment and destruction became figures of political and even moral authority, and whoever resisted them, in the name of order and prudence, was under suspicion. Thucydides noticed that in the state of upheaval, human nature comes before justice. Emotions and passions, inherent in our nature, are stronger than our attachment to the laws and rules we ourselves have established, and will always be pushing us towards violation and domination. The most important political inventions of humanity – democracy, human rights and freedoms, international order, checks and balances, the rule of law – they all stem from this awareness of our nature as well as from past, negative experiences. But do they stem only from the past? Aren’t we today facing our own stasis, amplified by the technological revolution and the mass character of social phenomena? Are Europe and the world not turning, before our eyes, into ancient Korkyra?

62 I am curious how today Thucydides would diagnose the situation in the United States under the administration of President Trump, in the United Kingdom in the time of Brexit and permanent parliamentary crisis, in some countries in East Central Europe, where the foundations of liberal democracy and the rule of law are being undermined, or on the border of Russia and Ukraine. For sure he would have something to write about. There is also a third reason why I’m grateful for the invitation to your Forum. To me personally, it is especially important and moving. This is because the hosts have decided to award the prize posthumously to Paweł Adamowicz, my friend and close collaborator, the Mayor of my city, Gdańsk, who was murdered in January this year. He was stabbed to death the moment after saying the following words, addressed to thousands of people gathered in Gdańsk, at the culmination of a great charity event, and I quote: “Gdańsk is generous, Gdańsk shares its good, Gdańsk wants to be a city of solidarity. This is a wonderful time of sharing what is good.” He fell victim to hatred, which he opposed all his life. He was not an ancient hero, like Demetrius Poliorcetes, he did not conquer or destroy other cities. He built his city with the belief that not everything is lost, that love is stronger than hate, that solidarity is stronger than egoism. I also believe that not everything is lost, and I want to wish you all the same faith.

63 CONCLUSIONS OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL(1) (ART. 50) — 17 OCTOBER 2019

1. The European Council endorses the Agreement on the in the future in line with the Political Declaration. The withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Union’s approach will continue to be defined by the overall Northern Ireland from the European Union and the positions and principles set out in the previously agreed European Atomic Energy Community. On this basis, the European Council’s guidelines as well as in statements European Council invites the Commission, the European and declarations, notably those of 25 November 2018. The Parliament and the Council to take the necessary steps European Council will remain permanently seized of the to ensure that the agreement can enter into force on 1st matter. November 2019, so as to provide for an orderly withdrawal. 3. The European Council reiterates its gratitude to Michel 2. The European Council approves the Political Declaration Barnier for his tireless efforts as the Union’s chief setting out the framework for the future relationship negotiator and for his contribution to maintaining the between the European Union and the United Kingdom unity among EU27 Member States throughout the of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The European negotiations on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom Council restates the Union’s determination to have as from the European Union. close as possible a partnership with the United Kingdom

1 Following a notification under Article 50 TEU, the member of the European Council representing the withdrawing Member State shall not participate in the discussions of the European Council or in decisions concerning it.

64 CONCLUSIONS OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL 17–18 OCTOBER 2019

I. MULTIANNUAL FINANCIAL V. TURKEY FRAMEWORK 6. The European Council endorses the Council conclusions 1. Further to a presentation by the Presidency, the of 14 October 2019 on North East Syria. European Council exchanged views on key issues of 7. The EU condemns Turkey’s unilateral military action the next Multiannual Financial Framework such as in North East Syria which causes unacceptable human the overall level, the volumes of the main policy areas, suffering, undermines the fight against Da’esh and the financing, including revenues and corrections, as threatens heavily European security. The European well as the conditionalities and incentives. In the light Council notes tonight’s US-Turkey announcement on of this discussion, it calls on the Presidency to submit a pause for all military operations. It again urges Turkey a Negotiating Box with figures ahead of the European to end its military action, to withdraw its forces and to Council in December 2019. respect international humanitarian law. Following the Council conclusions of 14 October 2019, it recalls that II. THE NEXT INSTITUTIONAL CYCLE Member States have decided to halt arms export licensing to Turkey. 2. The European Council exchanged views with President- elect Ursula von der Leyen on the Commission’s 8. The European Union remains engaged in its efforts contribution to the implementation of the EU’s priorities towards effectively addressing the serious humanitarian as set out in the Strategic Agenda. It took note of the report and refugee crisis in the light of evolving needs, including presented by the Finnish Prime Minister on the follow-up by supporting those Member States that are facing the to the Strategic Agenda undertaken in the Council. most serious challenges in terms of migratory flows in the Eastern Mediterranean. 3. The European Council also adopted a decision appointing Christine Lagarde President of the European Central Bank. 9. The European Council will remain seized of this matter.

III. CLIMATE CHANGE VI. ILLEGAL DRILLING ACTIVITIES 4. The European Council welcomes the outcome of the 10. The European Council also endorses the Council UN Climate Action Summit 2019 on ambition, action conclusions of 14 October 2019 on Turkey’s illegal and solidarity. The existential threat posed by climate drilling activities in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone change requires enhanced ambition and increased and reaffirms its solidarity with Cyprus. climate action by the EU and at global level. The European 11. The European Council will remain seized of this matter. Council is determined that the EU will continue to lead the way in a socially fair and just green transition in the VII. MH17 implementation of the Paris Agreement, in line with its 12. With reference to the conclusions of 20 June 2019, the June 2019 conclusions. It supports the COP25 priorities European Council reiterates its full support for all efforts including attention to the link between oceans and to establish truth, justice and accountability for the victims climate. The European Council recalls that it will finalise of the downing of MH17 and their next of kin and calls on its guidance on the EU’s long-term strategy on climate all States to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation change at its December meeting with a view to the in accordance with UNSC Resolution 2166. adoption and submission of the EU’s long-term strategy to the UNFCCC in early 2020.

IV. ENLARGEMENT 5. The European Council will revert to the issue of enlargement before the EU-Western Balkans summit in Zagreb in May 2020.

65 DECLARATION OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL (ART. 50) 29 OCTOBER 2019

On 17 October 2019, the European Council endorsed the spirit of the Withdrawal Agreement, and must not hamper its Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great implementation. Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the The European Council notes that, during this further extension, European Atomic Energy Community. the United Kingdom will remain a Member State until the new Recalling its conclusions of 17 October 2019 by which it endorsed withdrawal date, with full rights and obligations in accordance the Withdrawal Agreement and invited the Commission, the with Article 50 TEU, including the obligation to suggest a European Parliament and the Council to take the necessary candidate for appointment as a member of the Commission. steps in view of its conclusion, the European Council expects The European Council recalls the commitment by the United the United Kingdom to proceed in parallel with its ratification Kingdom to act in a constructive and responsible manner so that it can enter into force as early as possible. throughout the extension in accordance with the duty of sincere With a view to allowing for the finalisation of all steps necessary cooperation, and expects the United Kingdom to fulfil this for the ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement, including commitment and Treaty obligation in a manner that reflects the obtaining of the consent of the European Parliament, its situation as a withdrawing Member State. To this effect, the the European Council agrees to a further extension of the United Kingdom shall facilitate the achievement of the Union’s period under Article 50(3) TEU. It notes that the Withdrawal tasks and refrain from any measure which could jeopardise Agreement will enter into force on the first day of the month the attainment of the Union’s objectives, in particular when following the completion of the ratification procedures by the participating in the decision-making processes of the Union. Parties during this period, which ends at the latest on 31 January The European Council recalls that, in addition to meetings under 2020. Article 50 TEU, the 27 Member States and the Commission, The European Council firmly states that it excludes any where appropriate together with other institutions, bodies, offices reopening of the Withdrawal Agreement in the future and recalls and agencies of the Union, will continue to meet separately at that any unilateral commitment, statement or other act by the all levels to discuss matters related to the situation after the United Kingdom should be compatible with the letter and the withdrawal of the United Kingdom.

66 KEYNOTE SPEECH BY PRESIDENT DONALD TUSK AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 2019/2020 ACADEMIC YEAR AT THE COLLEGE OF EUROPE — 13 NOVEMBER 2019

I want to first thank the of the College of Europe, Jörg Monar, both for the invitation and for the masterful lecture on the life and thought of that he has just presented. Thank you, Professor, for your hospitality and for setting the scene so well, especially in view of what I have to say today. When I heard that this year’s College of Europe promotion was dedicated to Hannah Arendt, and that I was invited to inaugurate the academic year, I was more than happy for two reasons. Firstly, because Arendt is an intellectual heroine for me. And secondly, because we are in the magnificent city of . Even if not formally, it is a sister city to Gdańsk, my hometown. Both are in competition for the title of Venice of the North. Both are ancient arteries of European trade, where north and south met in medieval Europe. Both were geo- political nodes in the Hanseatic League. Both hosted English and Scottish merchants, deeply integrated into the European economy, trading in wool and grain. And both are the homes, in different ways, of the old Flemish masters who – you may not know it – are my favourite school of European painting. Bruges is where the work of Jan van Eyck and others came to life. Meanwhile Gdańsk is where The Last Judgement, the work of another famous Brüggeling, Hans Memling, now hangs in the national museum. I didn’t expect a few years ago, when I was showing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte this painting in Gdańsk, that within a year, Europe would come to resemble some bits of The Last Judgment. If you remember the painting, you will know exactly what I have in mind. I would like to begin my speech with a personal remark. There are three women who are connected with this place and with this ceremony, and who have had a great influence on my life. I have already mentioned Hannah Arendt. I have taken with me today this book. It’s just a few chapters from “The Life of the Mind”, one of the famous books of Hannah Arendt, which we published illegally in Communist Poland in 1988. Philosophy tastes best when it is forbidden. She wrote there: “The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil.” It is an important thought. Exactly in the same year, 1988, a second heroine of my young years, , said here in this College, during the same ceremony as today: “We must never forget that, East of the Iron Curtain, peoples who once enjoyed a full share of European culture, freedom and identity, have been cut off from their roots. We shall always look on Warsaw, Prague and Budapest as great European cities.” Two months later, I welcomed her together with Lech Wałęsa and Polish workers outside the Gdańsk shipyard. On that day we had a feeling that the Iron Curtain was about to fall and that a new era of freedom and unity was coming. I also have a great fondness for a third European woman, a student of your college, who also spoke here some time ago, on the same occasion as today, the then Danish Prime Minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt. I am here today largely thanks to her. In 2014 she was my main contender for the position of President of the European Council, but at the request of , Helle withdrew her candidacy and supported mine. As you can see, my fondness for her is deeply justified. In a few days I will end my mission, so I feel obliged to tell you what I actually did here in the last five years. Please don’t worry, I’ll be brief. It may sound banal but, when I am asked what my term has been about, I answer without hesitation: “Unity” – a leitmotif, a task, almost my obsession, from the very beginning. On the day of my departure to Brussels, at the Warsaw airport, quite by accident I met Lech Wałęsa. When Wałęsa heard I was on my way to take over the European Council from Herman Van Rompuy, he reacted impulsively: “I just hope this Union doesn’t fall apart with you there, it looks bad enough already!” It is therefore no surprise that during the handover ceremony on 1st December 2014, in my very short, two-minute speech, I mentioned the word “unity” three times. My message was this: “What Europe needs is protecting our fundamental values: solidarity, freedom, unity against the threats to the EU and its unity, coming from both inside and outside. Politics has returned to Europe, history is back, and such times need leadership and political unity.” I told you I was obsessed with unity. My exercises in unity started practically on day one. First, it was about the Kremlin’s aggressive policy. I was (and still am) convinced that, in this game, what is at stake, is not only the future of independent Ukraine and the security of Central Europe, including that of my country, but the sovereignty of Europe as a political entity. And I had no doubt that Putin’s strategic goal was not only to regain control of the former Soviet Union territories, but also to systematically weaken the EU by provoking internal divisions. I had to publicly remind others, almost every week, that Russia is not our “strategic partner”, but our “strategic problem”. I was even labelled a “monomaniac”, for being so focused on this subject. But eventually it paid off. We maintained our unity, also in terms of sanctions, throughout my entire term. The second test was protecting the unity of the Eurozone. I never pretended to be an expert, like Herman is, on the common currency or banking. I saw the Greek crisis in political and geo-strategic, rather than financial categories. That is why I did everything to avert the risk of Grexit. As a typical representative of the ‘Northern school’, I have always believed that you shouldn’t spend more than you have. But despite this belief, I protected the Greeks from the overly tough and, at times, orthodox approach of the and the Dutch. Not

67 because I have always been in love with Greek culture. In fact I rate Johann Sebastian Bach’s music and Vermeer’s paintings, as highly as the sculptures of the Parthenon. But because I knew that the Eurozone could collapse as a result of the sides in this conflict going one step too far. And this in fact almost happened. On that fateful night of 12th July 2015, when Chancellor Merkel and Prime Minister Tsipras were on the verge of walking out on each other, at four o’clock in the morning, I closed the door and told them: “Sorry, but there is no way you’re leaving this room until you agree.” Four hours later I announced our “aGreekment”. The Eurozone was saved and today Greece is one of the more promising economies of the Union. The third challenge was building a consensus around a common migration policy. I saw from the start that divisions here could be very dangerous. Disputes about asylum policy, especially mandatory relocation, triggered emotions and resentments on a great scale. This is why the number one priority for me was to reject the alternative of Open Europe versus Fortress Europe. I felt it was essential to avoid painting black and white images. The advocates of tight external borders were accused of xenophobia and a lack of solidarity, while the proponents of Willkommenspolitik – of letting in terrorists and unacceptable submission. The Benelux countries, the Germans and Scandinavians wanted greater determination in the actions of southern countries, but frankly speaking, they were loudest in criticising eastern countries for their lack of solidarity. And southern Europe joined this anti-eastern choir, because it was much easier to propose mandatory relocation than to protect borders. The way to ease the tensions was, first and foremost, to make all the countries realise that there was no inherent contradiction between liberal democracy and effective controls of our external borders. That we must help refugees, but not abandon our primary duty to protect our territory. Of course the problem of migration has not disappeared and will keep us busy in the years to come. But we have succeeded in persuading most actors to calm their emotions and focus on more pragmatic initiatives that protect our borders, on the fight with people smugglers, as well as cooperation with Libya and other African countries, and of course the deal with Turkey. And finally, our unity on Brexit. As I say these words, the UK is still a member of the European Union, and will remain so, until the end of my term. But I will not pretend that this is some kind of success, because Brexit may happen at the beginning of next year. I did everything in my power to avoid the confrontational no-deal scenario and extend the time for reflection and a possible British change of heart. I have been called a romantic and an anglophile, both terms, in my opinion, quite suitable and merited. Most importantly, however, Brexit hasn’t divided us. The EU27 have maintained extraordinary self-discipline and loyalty among themselves, despite London’s attempts to “bilateralise” these negotiations. During the past five years it was also necessary to put a brake on so-called ‘creative’ ideas and initiatives such as “a smaller club”, “the core of Europe” and others. They stemmed in part from the frustration of federalists, and from often-justified complaints about some states blocking further integration. Paris was particularly active here, paradoxically especially after the election of President Macron, a sincere and energetic European. As I said in Rome, during the ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the Treaties, I cannot accept the return of a multi-speed Europe. I spent half of my life behind the Iron Curtain, in the Soviet sphere, under the Communist regime, so I know very well what a two-speed Europe really means. The unity of the EU requires mutual patience, not coercion. On various occasions, whenever the pace of integration is raised, I like to quote an African proverb: “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” In our thinking about the future of Europe, we should be guided by our common sense and a sense of timing. We cannot condemn ourselves to the false alternative of quick integration or collapse of the Union. It is worth re-discovering, again and again, the path – sometimes winding, sometimes quite narrow – that leads between utopia and dystopia. Unity will not be built by extreme Eurosceptics or radical federalists. I have tried to stick to this winding and narrow path all along. Another everyday exercise in unity was, and should remain, the protection of the smallest member states, the ones in greatest need, the most vulnerable. Germany and France are bigger than Malta or Lithuania, but that doesn’t mean that they are more right. At least not always. Serving the unity of the EU has also sometimes meant opposing the will and intentions of the most powerful. This wasn’t of course about any kind of affirmative action in favour of smaller countries, but about the principle of equality of rights and objectivity, regardless of who benefits from it. Without dogmatism, of course. After all, even the Germans are sometimes right. I am quite aware that in politics, as in life, size matters. But the EU was invented also so that strength is not the only, decisive factor, so that in our internal policy, what decides is the power of argument and not the argument of power. Whenever necessary, I formulated fairly brutal warnings, like “Cyprus is not for sale”, or “Do not throw Ireland under the bus”, and I also protected new member states against the arrogance of some older ones, with varying degrees of success, of course. The principle of “one for all, and all for one” sounds nice, but we cannot force it upon others. After all, we are talking about solidarity here, which is something that cannot be enforced – either it’s there, or it isn’t. I remember when during a debate on relocation at a European Council summit, it was suggested that, in our conclusions, we include the term “the obligation of solidarity”. I protested, saying this was an obvious oxymoron. And I know what I am saying, I still feel like an expert in solidarity. In my office of the President of the European Council, I keep a self-made poster with the inscription “It’s the unity, stupid”. I made it to always remember what is most important. And I will leave it there, just in case. Finally, if you allow me, I want to tell you something I wouldn’t have dared to say a few months ago, as I could be fired for being too frank. And today, it is simply too late to impeach Donald, at least the European one. In fact, I envy John Bercow, that he can finally, honestly say what he thinks about Brexit.

68 I will also touch upon this subject. I have heard repeatedly from Brexiteers that they wanted to leave the European Union to make the United Kingdom global again, believing that only alone, it can truly be great. You could hear in these voices a longing for the Empire. But the reality is exactly the opposite. Only as part of a united Europe can the UK play a global role, only together can we confront, without any complexes, the greatest powers of this world. In fact, I can say the same about Germany or France. And the world knows it. I have heard the same in India, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and South Africa; that after its departure, the UK will become an outsider, a second-rate player, while the main battlefield will be occupied by China, the United States and the European Union. “Why are they doing this?” – I was asked this regretful question everywhere I went. One of my English friends is probably right when he says with melancholy that Brexit is the real end of the British Empire. The UK election takes place in one month. Can things still be turned around? Hannah Arendt taught that things become irreversible only when people start to think so. So the only words that come to my mind today are simply: Don’t give up. In this match, we had added time, we are already in extra time, perhaps it will even go to penalties? Now turning to the French President, one of the undisputed leaders of the European Union, and our hope for the future, and my dear friend. I want to tell him that I share his dream of a truly sovereign Europe. I am convinced that we are capable of it, on condition that we will act as a sovereign. And not the way it was recently in the case of EU enlargement. There will be no sovereign Europe without stable Balkans integrated with the rest of the continent, and you don’t need to be a historian to understand this. And there will be no sovereign Europe without an independent Ukraine. Our tough and consistent stance on Russia was the first expression, so clear and unambiguous, of our sovereignty. We must persevere in this. And this is why when I hear Macron’s words, that “we must reconsider our position with Russia, to rethink the strategic relationship”, I can only express hope that it will not happen at the cost of our common dreams about Europe’s sovereignty. In the same interview for , President Macron says that he shares the same views on this subject as Viktor Orbán, and that he hopes that Mr Orbán will help convince Poles to change their position on Russia. Maybe, but not me, Emmanuel. And, finally, what is most important to me. I have always underlined the role of compromise in European politics. Compromise, negotiations, consensus, the key words, without which we cannot understand the EU. There are, however, things and issues, which cannot be the subject of compromise and negotiations. And I’m talking about our fundamental values: freedom, the rule of law, the dignity of individuals. What’s the point of unity, sovereignty and solidarity if we are unable to defend Europe, understood as a territory of freedom, culture and law, against external and internal opponents? If we are unable to defend Europe also against our weaknesses and misgivings, against the temptation to make deals with evil, and against submission to the powerful and ruthless? Europe is not a continent in a geographical sense. It is a continent in an axiological sense. And it will remain so, as long as we have enough strength to protect not only our borders and interests, but – first and foremost – the essence of Europe. After all, we don’t want our part of the world to be, as shown on a physical map in a school atlas, simply a large but peripheral peninsula of the great Eurasia.

69 Cover photos: Above: the European Council at meeting in the Europa building in Brussels Below: President Tusk visits Tajikistan, May 2019

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The European Council July 2018 to November 2019

Print PDF ISBN 978-92-824-7057-2 ISBN 978-92-824-7040-4 A report by the President ISSN 1977-3110 ISSN 2363-2828 doi:10.2860/9675 doi:10.2860/72365 Volume 3. November 2019 QC-AO-19-001-EN-C QC-AO-19-001-EN-N