College meeting: Brexit; harnessing globalisation; Estonian Presidency

Commission i takes next step in Article 50 i negotiations with the UK and discusses globalisation. Visit of the forthcoming Estonian Presidency i.

Brexit

The College of Commissioners has today sent a recommendation to the Council i to open the Article 50 negotiations with the United Kingdom. This follows the adoption of political guidelines last Saturday by the European Council.

Today's text complements the guidelines and provides the necessary detail to conduct the first phase of the negotiations. This reflects the two-phased approach put forward by the leaders of the 27 Member States and prioritises those matters which are necessary to ensure an orderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union.

The negotiating directives cover 4 main areas. Safeguarding the status and rights of citizens - EU27 citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the EU27 - and their families is the first priority of the negotiations. The Commission's recommendation also states clearly that agreement on the principles of the financial settlement must be reached before it is possible to move on to the second phase of the negotiations. Today's recommendation will be sent to the Council, where it is set to be adopted by the General Affairs Council on 22 May.

Debate on globalisation

The College also held a debate on the reflection paper on harnessing globalisation which will be the second of the five reflection papers to further steer the wide debate on the future of the EU i, as launched and announced by the Commission’s White Paper on 1 March. The paper will be adopted on 10 May.

Visit of the Estonian Presidency

Ahead of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU due to start on 1 July 2017 Jüri Ratas i, Estonian Prime Minister, and his Government paid a visit to the College to present the priorities of their mandate.

Discussions focused on the need to make real progress on energy efficiency and renewable energy but also to boost the European economy. Defence issues, deepening the cooperation with NATO i and strengthening the relations with Eastern partnership countries were also addressed. Completing the Digital Single Market is at the heart of the Estonian Presidency Working Programme; a priority which is also shared by the European Commission.

President Juncker expressed satisfaction about the preparations of the Estonian Presidency highlighting that the priorities presented today are in line with the Commission's working programme for 2017 and with the Joint Declaration on legislative priorities agreed by all three institutions at the end of 2016.

Related links

Brexit

European Commission takes next step in Article 50 process by recommending draft negotiating directives: audiovisual material - http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/focus/index.cfm?sitelang=en&focusid=2308

Speech by Michel Barnier i at the press conference on the adoption of the Commission's recommendation on draft negotiating directives - http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-17-1205_en.htm

Press release - http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-1170_en.htm

Fact sheet: European Commission's draft negotiating directives for Article 50 negotiations with the United Kingdom - http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-17-1183_en.htm

Visit of the Estonian Government

Joint meeting - http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/player.cfm?ref=I137591

Group photo - http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/player.cfm?ref=I137927

Remarks by President Jean-Claude Juncker i at the joint press point with Jüri Ratas, Prime Minister of Estonia, and Vice-President Andrus Ansip i upon the visit of the Estonian government to the European Commission - http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-17-1211_en.htm

Full video of the joint press point - http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/player.cfm?ref=I137594

College meeting

Agenda of the meeting - https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/?fuseaction=list&coteId=10060&year=2017&withPDF=true

Minutes of the meeting - https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/?fuseaction=list&coteId=10061&year=2017&withPDF=true