On the first day of their traditional meeting in Brussels, EU leaders will discuss the latest Brexit developments. As the scheduled date for the UK‘s departure from the EU on March 29 draws near, options for extending the Brexit deadline will be discussed - which requires the unanimous agreement of the EU-27.
Global trade issues and preparations for the EU-China summit will also be on the meeting’s agenda. The debate will focus on the principle of reciprocity, a level playing field in the EU market and public procurement, 5G networks, and the security aspects of third party investment in strategic sectors.
On the second day of the summit, EU leaders and the prime ministers of Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein will mark the 25th anniversary of the European Economic Area.
The European Council will address priorities for the 2019 European semester and recommendations on the economic policy of the euro area The European Commission report submitted in February suggests that Lithuania has made limited progress. Although the economy grew by 3.6 percent, investment increased and inflation went down, income inequality and poverty in Lithuania remains among the highest in the EU, including insufficient retirement benefits, huge differrences across the regions, inconsistent regional development strategy, insufficient quality of education, and lower than the EU average investment in innovation.
Based on the report, the European Commission will draft country specific recommendations to be approved at the European Council summit next June.
The European Council will also address internal market issues, climate change and fight against disinformation. The first report on a joint action plan against disinformation drafted by the European External Action Service and the Commission last year will be presented to the Council. EU leaders will assess the progress made in developing the Rapid Alert System, which will allow member states to share immediate data, check facts and remove fake news.
