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Europaudvalget 2009-10
Det Europæiske Råd 16/09-10 Bilag 4
Offentligt

EUROPEAN COUNCIL

THE PRESIDENT

Brussels, 14 September 2010

SN 26/10

&addressee

&form of address

It is my pleasure to invite you to the meeting of the European Council in Brussels on

16 September 2010.

After our traditional meeting with the President of the European Parliament, we will begin our

morning session by discussing how to give new momentum to the European Union's external

relations. I have suggested that you are accompanied by Foreign Ministers for this discussion.

Europe is facing many challenges in a rapidly growing world, requiring a concerted global

response. The Lisbon Treaty opens up new opportunities allowing the European Union more

effectively to respond to these challenges. But beyond that, as was evidenced by the outcome of last

year's Copenhagen conference on climate change, there is a clear need to improve the manner in

which the European Union defines and conducts its external policies, in order for it to become a

truly effective global actor. The Union and its Member States must act more strategically, on the

basis of clearly identified interests and objectives, so that Europe's full weight can be brought to

bear internationally. In line with the new Treaty, the European Council has a major role to play

here, in terms of providing guidance and defining the Union's strategic objectives and interests.

Rue de la Loi 175 - 1048 Bruxelles - BELGIQUE

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At our meeting on Thursday, I would like us to focus on the most pressing events that require input

from the Heads of State or Government.

I think first of all of the upcoming meetings with our Asian partners (the Asia Europe Meeting and

the summits with China, the Republic of Korea and India). After introductory remarks by myself

and by the President of the Commission, Cathy Ashton will give us her impressions after her recent

visit to the region and the discussions she held with our Foreign Ministers. I would then be

interested in hearing your personal assessment on the key messages we should convey at those

meetings, but also in your bilateral contacts. Defining our interests is essential. On that basis we can

examine the assets and means of action to underpin our messages and to promote our interests, as

well as the most effective way to prepare the meetings.

In the course of the debate we could focus on concrete issues such as how to improve EU market

access and the conditions for European investments; promote economic and exchange rate policies

conducive to the reduction of global imbalances; make progress on climate negotiations; render

more effective our dialogue on values; and cooperate on development in regions such as Africa.

This exchange should help us to deepen our relationship with these countries and to make sure that,

like other emerging economies, they both benefit from and contribute to global governance.

The second more concrete theme concerns the upcoming G20 Summit in Seoul. Whilst we will be

reverting to this at our October meeting, it would be useful at this stage to already have a first

exchange of views on what we hope to achieve in Seoul and where to put the emhasis in the

preparatory work. It would also be useful to hear first indications on G8 and G20 activities for 2011

under French chairmanship.

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On all of the issues mentioned above as indeed on most aspects of international relations, close

cooperation with our transatlantic partners is crucial. I would like to use the upcoming summit with

President Obama to give a fresh impetus to our strategic partnership based on shared values and a

shared history. This requires efforts on both sides and a willingness to build on our respectives

strengths and specificities.

I do not of course expect a fully-fledged strategy to emerge from this one meeting. What I would

much like us to do is set the right tone and method for the future. This is the beginning of a process,

in which the European Council will more regularly discuss external relations in order to define key

messages on our strategic objectives and on the means to achieve them. This process will only yield

results if it goes together with closer interaction between the European Council and the Council but

also with the capitals. We have to send a clear message to our partners that our summits with them

have a political backing of all EU 27 at the level of Heads and are not only a product of the Brussels

institutions. The annex to the conclusions contains a few concrete ideas on how to reach those aims;

in this context, the European External Action Service will take on an important role.

Over lunch, I will report back to you on the work undertaken in the Task Force on economic

governance. Important progress has been achieved, notably on the development of a new macro-

economic surveillance framework to monitor and correct unsustainable competitiveness

divergences and imbalances and on the strengthening of national fiscal frameworks. More work is

however required and the Task Force will be delivering its report to our October meeting.

Foreign Ministers will have a separate lunch, chaired by the High Representative.

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We will resume our plenary meeting in the afternoon and hear a brief report from the High

Representative of the discussions of Foreign Ministers. Further to their preparatory work on

Pakistan, we will address the difficult situation in that country before approving our conclusions.

I look forward to seeing you on Thursday,

&salutations

H. VAN ROMPUY