COVID-19 Coronavirus: Michel (European Council), “opportunity to transform our economies”. Talking points ahead of summit

In his letter to the 27 EU leaders ahead of the European Council meeting on 19 June, President Charles Michel went on to add that “the next MFF should be adjusted to take account of the crisis and should be considered together with the Recovery Plan”; also, “the overall package should not just deal with the immediate crisis, but also presents an opportunity to transform and reform our economies and help them embrace a green and digital future”. At the same time, Michel called for a “constructive and in-depth” debate on the elements that “require further clarification or where views still need to converge”, including: the size and duration of the Recovery Plan; the best way to allocate the assistance and the issue of loans and grants; questions relating to conditionality and governance; the size and content of the MFF and its financing, including own resources and rebates. “Our ultimate goal - he remarked - is to reach a deal as soon as possible. We will need to work hard in the coming days and weeks. We will succeed if we enter talks with a sense of responsibility and the willingness to come out of this major challenge united and strong”.
Valentina Bombelli