March 2017: Commission White Paper on the Future of Europe and Rome Summit to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Treaties of Rome

The news:

On 25 March, Heads of State or Government will come together in Rome to mark the 60^th Anniversary of the signature of the Treaties of Rome, which laid the foundations for the European Union i we know today. This Summit is the next step in implementing the positive agenda President Juncker i set out in his State of the Union address and agreed at the informal Bratislava Summit in September 2016 by the EU-27 Member States. To support the reflection on the future of the European Union at 27, President Juncker will present a White Paper on the Future of Europe in time for the meeting of EU leaders in Rome.

The background:

The Bratislava declaration and roadmap, agreed by EU leaders, build on President Juncker's State of the Union speech and set out the objectives for the months leading to Rome. These include restoring full control of external borders, ensuring internal security and fighting terrorism, strengthening EU cooperation on external security and defence, boosting the single market and offering better opportunities for young people in the EU. The Commission i is working intensively to deliver on these objectives before leaders gather in Rome. The informal Bratislava and Malta Summits were an opportunity for the EU-27 to reaffirm their unity and their common determination to deliver swiftly for our citizens. Our ambition now, as the European Union, must not simply be to adapt to a changing world, but to shape it. Our goal is not only to protect what we have today, but to build a better society for tomorrow.

The event:

Details of the Rome Summit, related events and the publication of the White Paper will follow in due course.

The sources:

EU27 agree way forward in Bratislava

Infographic - Bratislava roadmap

Joint Declaration on the EU's legislative priorities for 2017

Web page of the Italian government on the Rome celebrations

AGENDA/17/252