In November, much media attention was given to the stalemated Brexit negotiation and the chaotic US presidential election. The EU, however, did not stop moving and wait for their Anglo-American buddies to clear their minds. The EU leaders met on 19 November and here’re some takeaways we prepared for you:
Welcome to Post-COVID-19 Cooperation
The meeting proposed a potential EU common approach on rapid antigen tests and mutual recognition of tests and their result and discussed the potential coordinated restrictive measures across the EU for another potential spread during Christmas.
As the old saying goes, opportunities come from risks and Europe is never free from risks - so do opportunities. It is indeed expected that in the future the EU would develop common policy approaches and industrial standards to harmonize the existing technological and policy gaps across different EU member states. A common EU approach would definitely create both positive and negative implications - so stay tuned for our forthcoming report on how COVID-19 changes the EU policy and coordination.
With or Without the Conditions, It’s the Problem
No one wants their hands tied, especially you know the conditions could never be met. As a result, Poland and Hungary decided to veto the MFF framework which tied the recovery fund with the rule of law. While EU leaders discussed the issue in the meeting, away from the meeting table it was suggested that the EU is somehow searching for a way to bypass the veto.
Surely the EU wishes to get the thing done in the December meeting without the veto, as any usage of the EU budget receipts to underwrite the borrowing from the private market still requires the approval of all 27 member states. However, if the thing turns really ugly, it is expected that the EU might go around the rules and leave Warsaw and Budapest behind. No one wants their hands tied, right? So stay tuned for our update about the progress of the Next Generation Europe initiative.
Time to Express EU’s Solidarity
With the tragic terrorist attacks that happened in France and Austria, the meeting served as the right time for the EU to express their solidarity. Yet, this kind of solidarity includes both the Europeans and non-Europeans, such that the EU is planning more on the integration policy, to act strength on the EU’s motto - Unity in Diversity.
Looking Foward
The December meeting of the EUCO is extremely critical: the final verdict on Brexit negotiation, the progress of COVID-19 related measures, and the MFF dispute settlement. The November meeting built some foundation for the future discussion, yet the real deal is always the December meeting.
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(Photo credit: Tauno Tõhk, shared under CC BY 2.0)