Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I attended a meeting of the European Council in Brussels on 27 June.

At the meeting, which had an had extensive agenda, Leaders agreed on a package of appointments and nominations to top roles in the Union’s institutions for the next period; adopted our five-year Strategic Agenda to cover the period to 2029; agreed a roadmap on internal reforms; met with President Zelenskyy and discussed Ukraine; returned to our discussions of the Middle East, calling again for an immediate ceasefire, release of hostages, and unhindered access for humanitarian assistance in Gaza; discussed short and medium-term goals in the area of security and defence; and touched on a number of other issues including competitiveness, migration, the Black Sea region, Moldova, Georgia, and hybrid threats.

On appointments, we continued discussions started at our informal meeting of 17 June and decided to nominate Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as President of the European Commission; to appoint former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonia Costa as President of the European Council; and to nominate Estonian Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, as High-Representative and Vice-President of the Commission for Foreign Affairs.

The meeting also adopted the EU’s new Strategic Agenda based around three themes: a free and democratic Europe; a strong and secure Europe; and a prosperous and competitive Europe. The Agenda will help guide the EU’s direction and goals over the next 5 years, including during Ireland’s Presidency in the second half of 2026.

Leaders had an exchange with President Zelenskyy, who was able to attend in person on this occasion, and expressed our deep concern about the recent escalation of hostilities and intensified attacks on civilians by Russia.

We took stock of the various ways the EU is supporting Ukraine, welcoming in particular signature of the EU’s security guarantees for Ukraine, as well the first disbursement, this summer, of extraordinary revenue from Russia’s frozen assets. We called for the Council to agree urgently the release of the first tranche of funding from the Ukraine Assistance Fund under the European Peace Facility.

I am very pleased that negotiations towards EU membership were formally opened with Ukraine and Moldova on 25 June in meetings of the Intergovernmental Conferences. This represents an historic step for both countries in their path towards EU membership. EU membership will be Ukraine’s ultimate security guarantee.

We also returned to discussions on the Middle East, agreeing an important set of conclusions, calling for all parties to implement the recent UN Security Council resolution on the need for an immediate ceasefire, and called for the release of all hostages and a surge in unhindered humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza.

Crucially, the EU called for the full respect of international law and implementation of ICJ orders, including those from 24 May in relation to Israel’s offensive in Rafah and the obligation on Israel to provide humanitarian access to Gaza.

Leaders reiterated our commitment to a two-state solution with a contiguous and viable Palestinian state living alongside a secure Israel as the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace.

Any action to weaken the Palestinian Authority must stop, and we called on Israel to cease illegal settlements and to release any withheld clearance revenue, and to take the steps necessary to ensure that corresponding banking services between Israeli and Palestinian banks remain in place.

We also called for de-escalation of tensions along the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel.

On security and defence, the European Council considered how to enhance Europe’s defence readiness and requested that work on the European defence industry strategy be taken forward.

For Ireland, it will be important that we engage maturely and constructively in these discussions, while also ensuring that our position as militarily neutral is fully respected.

The meeting also reviewed progress on initiatives to enhance competitiveness, secure economic resilience and achieve the full potential of the single market.

We also reviewed progress on enlargement and adopted a roadmap on the parallel task of internal reform. This outlines steps we need to take to ensure the Union can continue to be effective in the future, including with more Member States.

We also expressed concern about the situation in Georgia, warning its leadership that recent decisions will damage their country’s EU perspective. We discussed migration, including the need to implement the Asylum and Migration Pact. We called for an EU strategy for the Black Sea region and how considered how best to tackle hybrid threats.