Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The General Affairs Council approved a declaration focused on enhancing EU global influence and defending its values and “social model.”
EU Ministers of General Affairs met in Brussels today and approved a joint declaration on the EU legislative priorities for 2025. The declaration insists on reaffirming the Union’s role in the international scene and on committing to increase military defence. It also focuses on “strengthening our society and our social models” and “sustaining our quality of life.”
The declaration is paired with a joint conclusion on policy objectives and priorities for 2025-2029 that insist on boosting security, defence and competitiveness; managing migration; fighting climate change and strengthening the capacity to respond to foreign interference.
Both the declaration and the conclusion don’t provide concrete details on how these goals will be achieved, but serve as a guideline for future legislative and policy choices.
EU Council President Costa, EU Commission President von der Leyen and EU Parliament President Metsola will sign them on the margins of the European Council on March 20.
What is the declaration about?
The declaration once again insisted on a “new era for European defence and security” to address the constantly changing international landscape, and on boosting sustainable prosperity and competitiveness, including reducing its dependence on external partners. It also commits to prioritise legislative proposals to simplify legislation.
Great emphasis is also put on “our society,” “our social model,” “our quality of life,” “our democracy,” “our power and partnership.”
The European Union wants to reaffirm itself not only on defence and security, but also as a Union with its own character, values and priorities.
This includes, among other elements, addressing poverty, affordable housing issues and high energy prices; advancing gender equality and women’s rights; reaching biodiversity and climate ambitious targets.
More context: von der Leyen’s Readiness 2030 roadmap
European institutions are also insisting on cooperating with “like-minded” partners.
As the new US administration started threatening international trade partnerships and its military support to Ukraine, the EU took it as a wake up call and decided to take on more responsibility for its own security.
Von der Leyen responded by announcing the ReArm EU and the white paper on European defence. The European Commission alo just announced the Readiness 2030 roadmap.
“Security is not given; it is earned, defended and protected. The choice is clear: we must step up now,” writes the President of the Commission on her social media.
The roadmap focuses again on ReArm EU and the mobilization of up to 800 billion euros on defence spending, and EU-wide market for defence equipment and strong cooperation within member states.
What else did the General Affairs Council discuss?
The Council laid out the work for the upcoming European Council on March 20 and 21.
EU Ministers exchanged views on the European Semester, the framework to coordinate economic and budgetary policies across the Union, and discussed relations with the UK in preparation for the EU-UK Summit of May 19, 2025. Ministers stressed on the importance of cooperating with “like-minded partners” like the UK on security and defence.
The Council also approved 1.9 billion euros to Moldova to support reforms and economic growth in the country and to progress with its path towards EU membership.
The next steps will be on the table at the European Council next Thursday, when leaders of all member states will meet in Brussels to discuss the current challenges in greater detail and how to address them as a Union.
