The June summit agenda covers a wide range of issues: European leaders will decide on actions to help the increasing number of migrants from North Africa, they will review the EU security and defense strategy, discuss country-specific recommendations to boost growth, and orientations for the digital single market. The European Council will also focus on the EU economic and monetary policy, eurozone stability and more effective EU activities.
According to the President, Europe cannot remain indifferent to the fate of people fleeing war and persecution. But the EU migration policy must send a clear signal that illegal migration and human trafficking will not be tolerated, she said.
Lithuania is ready to act in solidarity with other EU countries to help the refugees. However, Lithuania's position is that their relocation and resettlement within the European Union should be voluntary and based on fair objective criteria reflecting the capacity of each member state to integrate migrants. The Government has confirmed in its resolution that Lithuania can take in up to 250 migrants and asylum seekers over the course of two years.
Leaders in Brussels will also discuss how to strengthen EU security in a changing geopolitical environment. According to the President, the EU needs a new foreign and security strategy which has not been modified for the past 12 years. It is necessary to consider very responsibly the newly emerging hybrid threats, changes in the EU neighborhood, and Russia's growing military aggression. It is also necessary to streamline efforts in order to reinforce the protection of the cyber and information space as well as European resistance to disinformation.
The European Council will approve the European Commission's country-specific recommendations to boost growth. The President pointed out that these recommendations set forth clear obligations for national governments to take the appropriate measures to ensure the general well-being and welfare of the people.
EU leaders will exchange views on ways to speed up the creation of a digital single market – which is of paramount importance for economic growth and cyber security.
They will discuss the development of economic and monetary policies of the Union, the financial stability of EU member states and the prevention of future economic crises. A report by five presidents of EU institutions – Jean Claude Juncker, Donal Tusk, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, Mario Draghi, and Martin Schulz – on strengthening the Economic and Monetary Union will be presented to European leaders in Brussels.
Ahead of the European Council summit, President Dalia Grybauskaitė will participate in the traditional meeting of the Nordic and Baltic countries (NB6) to discuss, together with the leaders of Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark, their shared interests, positions and cooperation in the European Union.
