The meeting was organized by Germany, Italy, and Belgium and was also attended by the leaders of Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, and Slovenia.

Discussing energy prices, President Gitanas Nausėda emphasized that the unstable situation in the Middle East is affecting global energy markets and increasing price volatility, therefore, urgent action is necessary to protect the European economy and industrial competitiveness.

“In the short term, we should not rule out the possibility of drawing on strategic oil reserves and applying other short-term measures. In the longer term, we must accelerate Europe’s energy transition—ending our dependence on Russian energy resources, expanding renewable energy production, and investing in Europe’s energy network, energy storage, and system flexibility. This is a prerequisite for a secure and competitive European economy,” the Head of State said.

Gitanas Nausėda also drew attention to the need to consider short-term measures to mitigate the energy price shock for industry, including targeted support for strategically important sectors and a possible European-level financial instrument to help energy-intensive companies during the transition period.

The meeting also focused on strengthening the European Union’s single market. President Gitanas Nausėda stressed the need to remove the main barriers to the free movement of goods, services, and capital and to ensure the ambitious strengthening of the single market.

The Lithuanian leader also emphasized the importance of promoting investment and creating conditions for the savings of European citizens to be channeled more actively into the economy.

“While strengthening the European Union’s single market, we must also think about its expansion—it has to be open to Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkan countries,” the Lithuanian President stressed.

The meeting also discussed the European Union’s legislative simplification agenda. The President expressed support for the European Commission’s efforts to reduce the administrative burden, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, the public sector, and consumers.

Speaking about the next multiannual financial framework of the European Union, Gitanas Nausėda underlined the importance of reaching a timely agreement on the new EU budget and aiming to conclude negotiations by the end of 2026.

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The report, endorsed on Wednesday by the Committees on Civil Liberties and Women’s Rights with 75 votes for, 27 against and 3 abstentions, builds on Parliament’s long-standing position that the absence of consent must be the central element in court proceedings for rape.

An EU-level definition based on absence of consent

MEPs urge the Commission to table legislation establishing an EU-wide definition of rape grounded in the absence of freely given, informed and revocable consent. Member states that still rely on force- or violence-based definitions are asked to align their laws with international standards, including the Istanbul Convention, ratified by the EU in 2023, and to ensure adequate support and protection for victims and survivors.

The report stresses that only this kind of legislation can ensure effective access to justice, as evidence shows it improves reporting, conviction, and recovery rates. MEPs also argue that such legislation should complement the 2024 EU directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence, which introduces common standards on prevention, protection and victim support. They reiterate the call for gender-based violence to be added to the list of EU crimes under Article 83(1) TFEU.

A victim-centred, intersectional approach

Sexual violence is often compounded by other forms of discrimination, MEPs say, urging member states to guarantee comprehensive medical care, including sexual and reproductive health services such as abortion, psychological support and legal assistance. The report highlights the need for 24-hour crisis centres, free specialised services and effective reparation mechanisms. It also calls for extending limitation periods for rape offences, recognising that many victims report crimes only after significant delays due to trauma, fear or social pressure.

Tackling digital violence and harmful gender stereotypes

MEPs want EU guidelines in 2026 on comprehensive sexuality and relationship education, as well as for EU-wide awareness campaigns to combat myths around rape, and online misogynistic propaganda, including online anti-gender content and incel propaganda that normalise violence against women.

They call for tailored training for law enforcement, judges, prosecutors, healthcare professionals and frontline services to prevent secondary victimisation and eliminate harmful gender stereotypes. Enhanced cooperation with civil society, women’s specialist services and EU agencies, such as the European Institute for Gender Equality and the Fundamental Rights Agency,, is requested.

Quotes

The Civil Liberties Committee rapporteur Evin Incir (S&D, Sweden), commented: “It is unacceptable that in 2026, in parts of the EU, women are still not protected by consent-based rape laws. Today’s vote brings us one step closer to creating a common, EU-wide definition of rape. ‘Yes means yes’ — and it must carry the same meaning in every member state. Women and girls deserve equal protection, regardless of where they live. I now urge the entire Parliament to complete this work in March by backing this report, and I call on the Commission to put forward a legislative proposal.”

The Women’s Rights Committee rapporteur Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus (S&D, Poland) stated: “Much has changed since the Council opposed the inclusion of a consent-based definition of rape in the Violence Against Women Directive. Since then, the case of Gisèle Pelicot has shaken the whole world. Her courage to speak out, has opened the eyes of even the most conservative opponents of this change. We have an obligation to use this momentum, not tomorrow, but now. The European Parliament has listened to the voice of Gisèle Pelicot and millions of Europeans. The political will is there, so the only question that remains is: what is the European Commission waiting for?”

Next steps

The report is expected to be tabled at the March II plenary session (25 - 26 March) in Brussels.

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The Head of Government also delivered a welcoming address at the opening of the Eastern Border Regions High Level Conference.

“The safety of the countries on the EU’s eastern border determines the safety of the entire Union and the very idea it represents – a project of peace, security and stability across the continent. Our borders are the EU’s external borders. That is why today we must act together, in solidarity, to do even more and faster to ensure their security, counter Russia’s and Belarus’s hybrid attacks, and become fully resilient,” said Prime Minister I. Ruginienė.

In her speech, the Prime Minister emphasised that the High Level Conference addressing challenges on the EU’s eastern border is both timely and important, highlighting that addressing these challenges is a shared responsibility of all Member States.

During the meeting with the President of the European Commission – attended by the Prime Ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, Inga Ruginienė, Evika Silinia and Kristens Michals – the discussion focused primarily on strengthening security and defence, and reflecting these priorities in the EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

In the face of Russian threats and hybrid provocations, the security of the EU’s eastern border must be a priority in the forthcoming MFF, the Prime Minister stressed.

As the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine begins, EU support for Ukraine – including its aspiration to EU membership – must remain strong, and pressure on the aggressor must not diminish, the Lithuanian Prime Minister said.

The meeting of the Baltic States’ heads of government and the President of the European Commission also addressed EU competitiveness, as well as the importance of constructive transatlantic relations and unity.

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By 36 votes in favour and 2 against, with 5 abstentions, MEPs on the International Trade Committee have adopted their position on the proposed regulation to counteract the negative trade-related effects of the global steel production surplus on the Union market. The global steel safeguards in place since 2018 under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) will expire on 30 June 2026.

The approved text envisages lower import quotas, limiting tariff-free import volumes to 18.3 million tonnes a year - a reduction of 47% compared with 2024 steel quotas. It would also apply a 50% customs duty to imports above the quota and to steel goods not covered by the quota.

The draft regulation seeks to strengthen the traceability of imported steel products by clarifying the evidence to be provided by importers on the origin of their steel.

Members reiterated the need for the new regulation to comply with WTO rules and asked the Commission to monitor the impact of the regulation and assess the possibility to amend the products covered by the rules.

Finally, the draft legislation would ban all steel imports from Russia and Belarus, adding steel to the list of goods for which there are already restrictions on imports from the two countries.

Quote

After the vote, rapporteur Karin Karlsbro (Renew, SE), said: " Steel production is a strategic priority for Europe. In times of geopolitical uncertainty, the strength of our steel industry is central to Europe’s resilience. Today, we have said yes to continued tariff-free trade with Ukraine and no to Russian steel imports into the EU. This is a clear demonstration of European resolve."

Next steps

The International Trade Committee also approved the decision to start negotiations with the Council, with the aim of reaching a deal on the final form of the bill in the Spring.

Background

The EU steel industry has been facing trade-related challenges, including significant and sustained import pressure in terms of volume and price. These are the result of unsustainable levels of global overcapacity. The EU steel industry has seen severe job losses, and its current capacity utilisation is below profitable levels, leading to a lack of investment in its future competitiveness and decarbonisation.

The global steel safeguards that have been in place since 2018 under the WTO Agreement on Safeguards will expire on 30 June 2026 when they will reach the time-limit of eight years under WTO rules. The expiry of the global steel safeguards would expose the EU steel industry to the negative trade-related impact of structural global overcapacities that have increased rather than decreased in recent years.

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During the discussions, the leaders of the Lublin Triangle countries focused primarily on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the latest developments in the peace negotiations initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Russia’s war against Ukraine remains the greatest security challenge to European security. Time and again, we see that Russia avoids committing to a just and sustainable peace and refuses to agree to a ceasefire as a necessary precondition for peace. Any future agreement must ensure Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” President Nausėda said.

According to the President, multinational European military forces deployed in Ukraine with U.S. backing would be a key deterrent against Russia. Equally important is ensuring long-term funding for Ukraine’s armed forces, which will continue to play the most crucial role in preventing renewed Russian aggression. Lithuania calls for the integration of Ukraine into European security structures and for learning from Ukraine’s military experience.

The Lithuanian leader also emphasized the need to accelerate Ukraine’s political and economic integration into the European Union.

“Lithuania seeks Ukraine’s membership in the European Union by 2030. This would be an essential step toward ensuring long-term stability, security, and prosperity not only for Ukraine, but also for the entire Eastern European region. Lithuania will devote significant attention to this strategic priority during its Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2027,” the President said.

He also called for expanding cooperation among the Lublin Triangle countries in the field of historical memory, citing the commemoration of the 1863 Uprising in Vilnius as an example.

The Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who took office in 2025, participated in the trilateral Lublin Triangle meeting for the first time.

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‘The close strategic partnership between Lithuania and Germany is particularly important for strengthening our shared security and defence. Ensuring the smooth deployment of the German brigade to Lithuania is among Government’s key priorities. Work is proceeding at full speed, with some elements already ahead of schedule. This demonstrates how much Lithuania values the cooperation with Germany, and Germany’s strong commitment to the security of NATO’s eastern flank,’ said Prime Minister Ruginienė.

The German Foreign Minister, for his part, reiterated remarks made by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during his visit to Vilnius last May: ‘Lithuania’s security is our security. The defence of Vilnius is the defence of Berlin.’

Prime Minister Ruginienė and Minister Wadephul also discussed the regional security environment in light of Russia’s ongoing military aggression against Ukraine, as well as international efforts to achieve a lasting and just peace.

They underlined the need to remain vigilant in the face of hybrid threats and to ensure close regional cooperation, as well as strong coordination at NATO and EU levels, to strengthen resilience in the Baltic Sea region.

Lithuania and Germany are like-minded partners with close ties across many areas, and the upcoming Lithuanian Season in Germany is expected to further deepen the bilateral relations through cultural cooperation.

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Lithuania's Foreign Minister stressed that the EU must continue its comprehensive support to Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia. The Minister emphasized that the main strategic objective of the EU must be to ensure that Russia and its accomplice Belarus could no longer pose a threat to European security. The EU must therefore do its utmost to significantly strengthen Ukraine’s negotiating position and proposals that would lead to a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace agreement.

The Minister stressed that the EU must urgently make decisions on the use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine's needs and agree on the date for Ukraine's accession to the EU.

"If the EU is not able to mobilise political will and make the necessary decisions on Russia’s frozen assets and Ukraine’s EU membership, we will not have the leverage. It is important for Europe to have it in order not only to help Ukraine, but also to ensure the EU’s security and stability," the Minister said.

In an online meeting of foreign affairs ministers, Budrys also stressed the need to ensure unconditional support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“This is one of the most difficult moments in the history of Ukraine. But let us not be deceived, because this is also one of the most important moments for Europe. If we allow Russia to redraw borders in Ukraine by force, we can forget about the existence of the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity on a global scale. This will have long-term consequences for Europe's security and future", said the Minister.

He also urged the EU member states to join the Special Tribunal and stressed the need to seek Russia's accountability for war crimes.

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The meeting focused mainly on issues related to defending against hybrid threats, strengthening the EU’s external borders, and ensuring societal resilience and cybersecurity.

The President emphasized that Lithuania is constantly confronted with hybrid attacks and other hostile activities from Russia and Belarus, including instrumentalized illegal migration, smuggling balloons, repeated airspace incursions, and the jamming of positioning system signals.

He underlined that Lithuania is taking all possible measures to ensure the protection of civil aviation, critical infrastructure, and the EU’s external borders.

The President thanked the Executive Vice-President for the planned additional funding to strengthen the EU’s external borders through the deployment of drones and counter-drone systems, as well as for the Commission’s active efforts in preparing the European Preparedness Union Strategy and the Democracy Shield initiative. Lithuania also advocates closer EU–NATO cooperation in the field of cybersecurity and the sharing of valuable experience with foreign partners, in particular Ukraine.

The President noted that the resilience of EU societies, the fight against disinformation and attempts to rewrite history, and the strengthening of European historical memory will be among Lithuania's priorities during its Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2027. He invited the Executive Vice-President to support the idea of establishing a memorial to the victims of totalitarian regimes in Brussels.

The parties also discussed issues related to the development of artificial intelligence (AI), ensuring European technological sovereignty, and combating online fraud.

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When: Wednesday 12 November at 14.30

Where: Anna Politkovskaya press room in Brussels and via Interactio

Key topics this week include:

Debate on the outcome of the October EU summit with Presidents Costa and von der Leyen
Vote on due diligence and sustainability reporting requirements
Debate on the new 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework, with President von der Leyen
EU 2040 climate target: debate and vote
Debate on the first annual European asylum and migration report
Debate and vote on the EU’s 2025 gender equality strategy
Plenary proxy voting during pregnancy and after childbirth: vote

Interpretation of the press briefing will be available in English and French.

You can follow it live from 14.30 tomorrow in Parliament’s Anna Politkovskaya press room or via Parliament’s webstreaming and EbS.

Information for the media - Use of Interactio to ask questions

Journalists wishing to participate actively and ask questions, please connect via Interactio using this link: https://ep.interactio.eu/link/pressconfp1611820.

Interactio is only supported on iPads (with the Safari browser) and Mac/Windows (with the Google Chrome browser). For more details, check the connection guidelines and recommendations for remote speakers.

When connecting, enter your name and the media you are representing in the first name / last name fields. For better sound quality, use headphones and a microphone. Interpretation is only possible for questions asked on video.

Journalists who have never used Interactio before are asked to connect 30 minutes before the start of the press conference to perform a connection test. IT assistance can be provided if necessary. When connected, open the chat window (upper right corner) to be able to see the service messages.

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According to the President, the Lithuanian and Polish nations – living side by side for centuries and united by shared historical experiences and traditions of statehood – continue to nurture a multifaceted bilateral dialogue that further enriches the history of relations between the two states and strengthen their time-tested friendship.

“We are united by a shared understanding that our highest priority is the strengthening of regional security. I am glad that through concrete actions we reaffirm this commitment to our common security: we are NATO allies that devote the largest share of our budgets to defense, we participate together in military and civil exercises, and we implement strategic infrastructure projects for military mobility and dual-use purposes. I firmly believe that by coordinating our actions, strengthening defense industry capabilities and deterrence, and effectively safeguarding our airspace, we will continue to advance our cooperation in national defense and security,” the President wrote in his message of congratulations.

The President emphasized that another priority of good neighborly relations and reliable partnership is the implementation of strategic infrastructure projects. He recalled the recent inauguration, together with the President of Poland, of the vital artery connecting Warsaw and Kaunas – the Via Baltica highway – as well as the successful synchronization of the Baltic States’ electricity grids with continental Europe and the GIPL gas interconnection with Poland.

Reflecting on the historical unity between Lithuanians and Poles and stressing the importance of honoring and commemorating the courage, sacrifice and yearning for freedom of the heroes of the 1863–1864 uprising – with another anniversary of this event approaching – the President expressed his wish to mark the occasion together with the President of Poland, both in Warsaw and in Vilnius.

The President wished Poland and all its people continued success, security, prosperity, and harmony.

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