Prioriteiten van Litouwen als voorzitter Raad besproken tijdens Europese top (en)

President Dalia Grybauskaitė i has departed for Brussels where she will attend a European Council meeting. The main focus of the meeting will be on one of Lithuania's EU Presidency priorities - progress towards completing the EU digital single market. European leaders will discuss how to promote innovations, advance electronic trading, improve business environment in the cyberspace and attract larger investments, as well as to foster digital skills of European citizens.

At the meeting, much importance will be attached to innovative business and promoting innovation that would contribute to boosting job creation. Discussion will be held on how to attract more investments in research and ensure their better use.

The Tripartite Social Summit will be held ahead of the European Council meeting. It is a forum for cross-Europe social dialogue where the leaders of the European Union and the Council Presidency, as well as representatives of the subsequent Presidencies and of employers' and workers' associations will discuss ways to address unemployment problems, reduce poverty and social exclusion, and improve the position of workers. At the summit, the President will represent the EU Council and co-chair together with the European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman van Rompuy. The Tripartite Social Summit meets twice a year, before the spring and autumn European Council meetings.

The EU economic and social policies will also be featured at the European Council meeting. The European leaders will exchange views on progress in implementing the initiatives to help deal with youth unemployment. Among the other topics of discussion will be coordination of economic reforms and the establishment of the banking union.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė will present the ongoing preparations for the Vilnius Summit to be held this coming November.

Prior to the European Council meeting, Dalia Grybauskaitė and EU leaders will discuss trade bans on Lithuanian products and quick reaction of the European Commission (EC) in resolving the issue.

Common regional interests will be reviewed at a traditional meeting of the heads of state of the Nordic and Baltic countries (NB6).