Ministerial Committee on EU Affairs outlines positions for Porto Summits
In its meeting on Wednesday 5 May, the Ministerial Committee for European Union Affairs outlined Finland’s positions leading up to the Social Summit, the informal meeting of heads of state or government and the EU-India Leaders’ Meeting to be held in Porto on 7 and 8 May.
The informal meeting of heads or state or government taking place on Saturday 8 will focus on social issues. At the meeting, the leaders will adopt the Porto Declaration on the subject. In Finland’s view, post-pandemic recovery, the green and digital transition and adaptation to demographic change will not be possible without a strong social dimension and investments in employment, skills and social inclusion. The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan is a necessary addition to the European Green Deal, and its implementation in full is essential in order to strengthen the social dimension, promote fair and inclusive working life and ensure a well-functioning single market. The EU Member States have organised their social, employment, health and education policies in different ways and on different principles, and this must also be taken as a starting point in the future.
According to preliminary information, the topics to be discussed at the informal dinner of heads of state or government on Friday 7 May will include the EU’s joint measures to combat COVID-19 and the EU-India Leaders’ Meeting taking place the next day.
On Saturday 8 May, the members of the European Council and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet for the EU-India Leaders’ Meeting. Due to the worsening COVID-19 situation in India, the Indian Prime Minister will participate via videoconference. The purpose of the meeting is to strengthen the EU-India Strategic Partnership and to advance the implementation of the results of the EU-India summit held last July.
Items on the agenda include cooperation on the following topics:
• The COVID-19 pandemic and global health security
• Green growth, climate change and biodiversity loss
• Trade and economic issues, technology and connectivity policy
• Foreign and security policy and rules-based multilateral cooperation.
In Finland’s view, it is important to hold a leaders’ meeting in order to strengthen the partnership between the EU and India.
The Ministerial Committee on European Union Affairs also outlined Finland’s positions for the following meetings:
• Foreign Affairs Council 10 May
• General Affairs Council 11 May
The Foreign Affairs Council will discuss transatlantic relations and the Western Balkans. In addition, the Council will have an informal discussion with United States climate envoy John Kerry.
The General Affairs Council will receive a progress report on the EU’s joint response to the COVID-19 pandemic and will be briefed on the Conference on the Future of Europe, the launch of which will take place on Europe Day, 9 May. The Council will also discuss the agenda for the special European Council on 25 May.
Inquiries: Jari Luoto, State Under-Secretary for European Affairs, tel. +358 50 468 5949, Tuulia Pitkänen, Special Adviser (EU Affairs), tel. +358 295 160 231, Kare Halonen, State Secretary for EU Affairs, tel. +358 295 160 319, and Anne Sjöholm, Head of Communications for EU Affairs, tel. +358 40 537 0733, Prime Minister’s Office