UPN, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 158: Konklusioner møde i DER 21.-22. marts 2019, EUCO 1-19

Det Udenrigspolitiske Nævn 2018-19 (1. samling)
UPN Alm.del Bilag 158
Offentligt

European Council

Brussels, 22 March 2019

(OR. en)

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CO EUR 1

CONCL 1

NOTE

From:

To:

Subject:

General Secretariat of the Council

Delegations

European Council meeting (21 and 22 March 2019)

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Conclusions

Delegations will find attached the conclusions adopted by the European Council at the above

meeting.

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UPN, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 158: Konklusioner møde i DER 21.-22. marts 2019, EUCO 1-19

Conclusions

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21 and 22 March 2019

JOBS, GROWTH AND COMPETITIVENESS

The European Council held an exchange of views on the current economic situation. It

endorses the policy priority areas of the Annual Growth Survey and invites Member States to

reflect them in their forthcoming National Reform Programmes and Stability or Convergence

Programmes, with the aim of fostering growth and jobs through investment and reforms. It

also endorses the draft Council recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area.

A strong economic base is of key importance for Europe’s prosperity and competitiveness,

and for its role on the global stage. This should be achieved through an integrated approach

addressing the current and emerging global, technological, security and sustainability

challenges, and connecting all relevant policies and dimensions: the Economic and Monetary

Union which should be deepened, the Single Market in all its dimensions, as a cornerstone of

the Union’s growth; an assertive industrial

policy allowing the EU to remain an industrial

power; a forward-looking digital policy, fit for an age of digital transformation and the rise of

the data economy; and an ambitious and robust trade policy ensuring fair competition,

reciprocity and mutual benefits. Due regard should be paid to an improved business

environment for SMEs, skills development and the social dimension.

To that end, the European Council calls for action by the EU and its Member States along the

following lines:

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the Single Market should be further deepened and strengthened, with particular

emphasis on the development of a service economy and on mainstreaming digital

services; remaining unjustified barriers must be removed, building on the Commission

Communication of November 2018, and no new ones created. Further steps should be

taken to deepen the Capital Markets Union and the Energy Union, and to ensure fair and

effective taxation. The Commission is invited to develop by March 2020, in close

coordination with the Member States, a long-term action plan for better implementation

and enforcement of Single Market rules;

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Conclusions

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21 and 22 March 2019

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in view of the importance of a globally integrated, sustainable and competitive

industrial base, the Commission is invited to present, by the end of 2019, a long-term

vision for the EU’s industrial future, with concrete measures to implement it. It should

address the challenges European industry faces, touching upon all relevant policy areas;

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the EU needs to go further in developing a competitive, secure, inclusive and ethical

digital economy with world-class connectivity. Special emphasis should be placed on

access to, sharing of and use of data, on data security and on Artificial Intelligence, in

an environment of trust. The European Council looks forward to the

Commission’s

recommendation on a concerted approach to the security of 5G networks;

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in order to remain globally competitive in key technologies and strategic value chains,

the EU needs to encourage more risk-taking, and step up investment in research and

innovation. Measures should be taken to further support the European Innovation

Council and to facilitate the implementation of Important Projects of Common

European Interest, while ensuring a level playing field, as well as a regulatory

environment and state-aid framework that are conducive to innovation;

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fair competition should be ensured within the Single Market and globally, both to

protect consumers and to foster economic growth and competitiveness, in line with the

long-term strategic interests of the Union. We will continue to update our European

competition framework to new technological and global market developments. The

Commission intends to identify before the end of the year how to fill gaps in EU law in

order to address fully the distortive effects of foreign state ownership and state-aid

financing in the Single Market;

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Conclusions

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21 and 22 March 2019

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the EU should continue to push for an ambitious and balanced free trade agenda through

the conclusion of new Free Trade Agreements, promoting EU values and standards, and

ensuring a level playing field. The European Council reaffirms its commitment to an

open rules-based multilateral trading system with a modernised WTO at its core, and to

resisting all forms of protectionism and distortions. The European Council calls for the

necessary steps to be taken towards rapid implementation of all elements of the U.S.-EU

Joint Statement of 25 July 2018;

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the EU must also safeguard its interests in the light of unfair practices of third countries,

making full use of trade defence instruments and our public procurement rules, as well

as ensuring effective reciprocity for public procurement with third countries. The

European Council calls for resuming discussions on the EU’s international procurement

instrument;

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the new European foreign investment screening framework will enable Member States

to address investments that threaten security or public order.

In March 2020 the European Council will hold an overall discussion on strengthening the

economic base of the EU, on the basis of a comprehensive contribution by the Commission.

II.

CLIMATE CHANGE

The European Council:

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reiterates its commitment to the Paris Agreement and recognises the need to step up the

global efforts to tackle climate change in light of the latest available science, especially

the IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-

industrial levels;

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Conclusions

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emphasises the importance of the EU submitting an ambitious long-term strategy by

2020 striving for climate neutrality in line with the Paris Agreement, while taking into

account Member States’ specificities and the competitiveness of European industry;

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calls for the timely finalisation of the national long-term strategies;

recognises that the implementation of the Paris Agreement objective offers significant

opportunities and potential for economic growth, new jobs and technological

development and for strengthening European competitiveness, which must be reaped

while ensuring a just and socially balanced transition for all;

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calls on the Council to intensify its work on a long-term climate strategy ahead of a

further discussion in the European Council in June 2019.

III. EXTERNAL RELATIONS

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.

Five years after the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia the EU remains

resolute in its commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The EU reiterates

that it does not recognise and continues to condemn this violation of international law which

remains a direct challenge to international security. The EU remains committed to

implementing its non-recognition policy.

The European Council deeply regrets the loss of lives and the destruction in Mozambique,

Malawi and Zimbabwe, caused by tropical cyclone Idai. The European Council welcomed the

emergency response already provided by the European Union and its Member States, and

expressed its readiness to continue supporting the concerned countries in providing urgent

humanitarian relief assistance to the affected populations.

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Conclusions

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21 and 22 March 2019

IV.

SECURING FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS AND FIGHTING DISINFORMATION

Welcoming the important work accomplished in this respect in the past months, the European

Council calls for further enhanced coordinated efforts to address the internal and external

aspects of disinformation and protect the European and national elections across the EU.

Information-sharing is key in that context and the recent establishment of the Rapid Alert

System is an important step forward. The European Council urges private operators such as

online platforms and social networks to fully implement the Code of Practice and ensure

higher standards of responsibility and transparency. It calls for continued and coordinated

efforts to safeguard the Union’s democratic systems and to combat the immediate and long-

term threats posed by disinformation, as an integral part of strengthening the EU’s resilience

against hybrid threats. The European Council will come back to this issue at its June meeting

on the basis of a report on the lessons learnt prepared by the Presidency in cooperation with

the Commission and the High Representative, in order to inform our long-term response.

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