EU leaders will discuss measures on how to further tackle the refugee crisis, including proposals to strengthen the protection of external borders and the Frontex agency and to start discussions on setting up a European border guard agency. According to the President, the free movement of persons in the Schengen area will be ensured only by effectively securing the EU's external borders. Leaders will exchange views on how to improve the EU return policy and conclude readmission agreements with countries from which refugees arrive in the EU.
The European Council will also focus on the situation in Syria and Russia's military actions in this country. EU leaders will be presented with progress on strengthening the Economic and Monetary Union, which is necessary to ensure EU financial stability, growth, the creation of new jobs, and global competitiveness. UK Prime Minister David Cameron will inform the participants about preparations for the planned referendum on EU membership.
Ahead of the European Council meeting, the ceremony of signing an agreement on financial assistance for the Gas Interconnection Poland–Lithuania (GIPL) project will take place at the European Commission's building Berlaymont. The agreement will be signed by the representatives of the Lithuanian and Polish gas transmission system operators – Amber Grid and Gaz Systems – and the Innovations & Networks Executive Agency responsible for financing strategic EU projects.
According to the President, the Gas Interconnection Poland–Lithuania is of strategic importance to the whole of the European Union. It will help to integrate the isolated gas markets of the Baltic States into the common EU gas market and promote trade in natural gas across Central and Eastern Europe. This will not only increase the security and reliability of gas supply but will also create the conditions for transparent and fair competition which will benefit all natural gas consumers.
The ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. Lithuanian time. It will be streamed live on http://goo.gl/65lTID.
