Det Europæiske Råd den 12.-13. december 2019 - Bilag 8: Hyrdebrev forud for mødet i Det Europæiske Råd 12-13/12-19 og møde i Det Europæiske Råd (Art. 50) 13/12-19

Europaudvalget 2019-20
Det Europæiske Råd 12-13/12-19 Bilag 8
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European Council

The President

Brussels, 10 December 2019

Dear colleagues,

I look forward to welcoming you to the December European Council - my first European Council

meeting as President.

My intention is to build on the impressive work of my two predecessors and create a strong

relationship with you, based on trust, confidence and transparency.

Together, we will provide the strategic guidance that Europe needs to tackle the many challenges

identified in the Strategic Agenda adopted in June 2019.

Concerning this week's European Council, the meeting will start at 15:00 on 12 December with an

exchange of views with the President of the European Parliament David Sassoli. This will be

followed by our first working session, in which we will begin by adopting our conclusions on the

Conference on the Future of Europe.

We will then move to the vital challenge of Climate Change. I want us to agree on the commitment

for the EU to become climate-neutral by 2050. This would be a major signal from the European

Council that the EU will take a global leadership role on this crucial issue. It is my conviction that

the transition to climate neutrality will create new opportunities for economic growth and

development.

However, we must also recognise that it will require efforts from all Member States. We will put in

place a framework and the necessary resources to chart a fair and balanced path towards our

objective. This means taking into account the different national realities and starting points.

Over dinner, we will discuss the Multiannual Financial Framework. This is another key area for the

future of our Union. We must enter into a new stage of our work and engage seriously. There is no

point repeating known positions and maximalist requests; concessions will be needed from all

sides. We will work to identify the key elements of a final agreement.

The first day will conclude with a debrief on the implementation of the Minsk Agreement along with

short conclusions on WTO, Africa and Turkey.

Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 175 - 1048 Bruxelles/Brussel - Belgique/België

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Det Europæiske Råd den 12.-13. december 2019 - Bilag 8: Hyrdebrev forud for mødet i Det Europæiske Råd 12-13/12-19 og møde i Det Europæiske Råd (Art. 50) 13/12-19

On Friday, our meeting will begin at 10:00 in the presence of European Central Bank President

Christine Lagarde and Eurogroup President Mario Centeno. After an exchange of views on the

economic situation, we will take stock of the progress made by the Eurogroup on strengthening the

Economic and Monetary Union and give some indications on future work. A statement will be

adopted to that end.

The proceedings will conclude in the Article 50 configuration. We are ready for the next steps and

reaffirm our desire for as close a relationship as possible with the United Kingdom. We will adopt

short conclusions on Brexit.

I look forward to working closely with all of you on these issues, and many others, to make Europe

bolder, more prosperous, and more self-confident.

Sincerely,

C. MICHEL

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