Europaudvalget 2018-19 (1. samling)
Det Europæiske Råd 21-22/3-19 Bilag 7
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European Council
The President
Brussels, 20 March 2019
Dear colleagues,
As we meet tomorrow for the European Council, let me start with Brexit, which will be the first topic
of our discussions.
Today I received a letter from Prime Minister May, in which she addresses the European Council
with two requests: to approve the so-called Strasbourg agreement between the UK and the
European Commission, and to extend the Article 50 period until the 30th of June 2019.
In the light of the consultations that I have been conducting over the past days, I believe that we
could consider a short extension conditional on a positive vote on the Withdrawal Agreement in the
House of Commons. The question remains open as to the duration of such an extension. Prime
Minister May's proposal, of the 30th of June, which has its merits, creates a series of questions of
a legal and political nature. We will discuss it in detail tomorrow. When it comes to the approval of
the Strasbourg agreement, I believe that this is possible, and in my view it does not create risks.
Especially if it were to help the ratification process in the UK.
At this time I do not foresee an extraordinary European Council. If you were to approve my
recommendations, and if there were a positive vote in the House of Commons next week, we could
finalise and formalise the decision on the extension using a written procedure.
Even if the hope for a final success may seem frail, even illusory, and although Brexit fatigue is
increasingly visible and justified, we cannot give up seeking
until the very last moment
a
positive solution, of course without opening up the Withdrawal Agreement. We have reacted with
patience and goodwill to numerous turns of events, and I am confident that, also now, we will not
lack the same patience and goodwill, at this most critical point in this process.
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Det Europæiske Råd den 21.-23. marts 2019 - Bilag 7: Hyrdebrev forud for DER 21-22/3-19
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Beyond Brexit we will also address the longer-term issues facing us. In a more unstable world,
shaken by new global, technological and environmental realities, there is no doubt that only
together can we set our own course and defend the strategic interests of the Union. This is true
whether we are talking about strengthening our economic base, combating unfair practices or
tackling climate change. We will therefore discuss how to use all the levers at our disposal to
safeguard the interests of our citizens and companies. China is a key global player in all these
issues. We will have an in-depth exchange of views on the direction of our overall relations with
China, ahead of the upcoming EU-China summit. On Ukraine, five years after the illegal
annexation of Crimea, we stand firm in our commitment to Ukrainian sovereignty. We will adopt
conclusions recalling our resolve. Finally, setting our own course also means protecting our
democracies from manipulation and interference from inside and outside the EU. We will return to
efforts to combat the threat of disinformation and to protect elections across the EU.
The European Council will start on Thursday afternoon with our usual exchange with President
Tajani. We will then turn to Prime Minister May who will share her assessment of the latest
developments regarding Brexit. After this, we will discuss the next steps concerning Brexit at 27.
We will reconvene at 28 for dinner to discuss our relations with China. The following day, we will
celebrate 25 years of cooperation with our partners from the European Economic Area. Next, we
will start the Friday morning working session with a debriefing from President Iohannis on progress
in implementing our previous conclusions. The European Council will discuss the economic
situation in the presence of President Draghi. We will then address the future of our economic
base, climate change, disinformation and the protection of elections and adopt the conclusions. I
expect our meeting to conclude by lunchtime.
Yours sincerely,
D. TUSK
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