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European Council     8/5/2019  Remarks by President Donald Tusk after his meeting with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš Good morning. Thank you, Prime Minister, for your hospitality and our good meeting ahead of the Sibiu summit where we will discuss the EU's future priorities and challenges. It is good to be back in Prague - the city is as beautiful as ever. I haven’t told you this yet, dear Andrej,  but me and my wife spent our honeymoon here in Prague, forty years ago. It was two crazy weeks of camping in Strahov. Coming here as we celebrate the Victory Day in Europe is symbolic and emotional for me as a European and a Pole. The same is true for the 15th anniversary of the enlargement of the EU. It is impossible for me not to think back and recall the journey we have all travelled - and not to think of our future. Czechs thinkers and civic or moral leaders have always been a source of inspiration to us in Poland and to the rest of Europe. When Milan Kundera wrote his influential political essay, A Kidnapped West,  one of the most insightful and revealing texts about Central Europe, he touched the conscience of audiences across Europe's divides. And when your president and my good colleague Vaclav Havel said that in Europe freedom and responsibility are two sides of the same coin, he nailed exactly what it means to be European. Let us remember and celebrate those visionary voices that have drawn on Europe's best traditions and have further shaped them. Czechs have always  rejected the inauthentic and refused to follow doctrines or dogmas blindly. They have always shown self-distance, a wise sense of humour, and a little bit of scepticism. My message to you is: don’t  change.  Such an approach is perhaps the best response to populism and radicalism emerging in Europe. Especially when this approach combines with the motto from your presidential banner: “truth prevails.” This year you celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Velvet revolution. The then Czechoslovakia of 1989 gave the world a powerful lesson about calm, determined and peaceful pro-European change. It drew inspiration among others from Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk — his European and humanist messages, which cherished the prospect of a united Europe where nations are equal.  The Velvet Revolution also built on the legacy of Charter 77,  in whose foundation lay 'a sense of co-responsibility and a belief in the importance of civic engagement and a willingness to contribute to it, as well as a shared need to seek its new and more effective expression'. I still remember those words, because Charter 77 was one of the first samizdat publications in Poland which I distributed illegally as a student at my university. Let me once more recall Václav Havel, whose words I will take with me to Sibiu tomorrow. He wrote of Europe: Her only meaningful task for the next century is to be herself, in the best possible way; that means to resurrect and project into her life her own best spiritual traditions, and through that to creatively co-develop a new way of global cohabitation. I will conclude by recalling my beloved Bohumil Hrabal. He said 'the most important is to write life'. Let us write together the life of Europe.  I know that there were too many quotations, but I have always preferred repeating the thoughts of people who are wiser than me. Thank you. (delivered in Czech) European Council     9/5/2019  The Sibiu Declaration We, the Leaders of the European Union, have gathered in Sibiu to discuss and look ahead to our common future. In a few weeks, Europeans will elect their representatives in the European Parliament, forty years after they first exercised this fundamental right. A Europe re-united in peace and democracy is but one of many achievements. Since its inception, the European Union, driven by its values and freedoms, has provided stability and prosperity across Europe, within and beyond its borders. Over the years, it has grown into a major player on the international scene. Gathering around half a billion citizens, with a competitive single market, it is a leader in worldwide trade, and shapes global politics. We reaffirm our belief that united, we are stronger in this increasingly unsettled and challenging world. We recognise our responsibility as Leaders to make our Union stronger and our future brighter, while recognising the European perspective of other European States. That is why today we unanimously agree on 10 commitments that will help us live up to that responsibility: We will defend one Europe - from East to West, from North to South. Thirty years ago millions of people fought for their freedom and for unity and brought down the Iron Curtain, which had divided Europe for decades. There is no place for divisions that work against our collective interest. We will stay united, through thick and thin. We will show each other solidarity in times of need and we will always stand together. We can and we will speak with one voice. We will always look for joint solutions, listening to each other in a spirit of understanding and respect. We will continue to protect our way of life, democracy and the rule of law. The unalienable rights and the fundamental freedoms of all Europeans were hard fought and will never be taken for granted. We will uphold our shared values and principles enshrined in the Treaties. We will deliver where it matters most. Europe will continue to be big on big matters. We will continue to listen to the concerns and hopes of all Europeans, bringing the Union closer to our citizens, and we will act accordingly, with ambition and determination. We will always uphold the principle of fairness, whether it be in the labour market, in welfare, in the economy or in the digital transformation. We will further reduce disparities between us and we will always help the most vulnerable in Europe, putting people before politics. We will give ourselves the means to match our ambitions. We will provide the Union with the means necessary to attain its objectives and carry through its policies. We will safeguard the future for the next generations of Europeans. We will invest in young people and build a Union fit for the future, able to cope with the most pressing challenges of the 21st century. We will protect our citizens and keep them safe by investing in our soft and hard power and by working with our international partners. Europe will be a responsible global leader. The challenges we face today affect us all. We will continue working with our partners in the world to uphold and develop the rules-based international order, to make the most of new trading opportunities and to jointly tackle global issues such as preserving our environment and fighting climate change. The decisions we take will follow the spirit and letter of these 10 commitments. The Union of today is stronger than that of yesterday and we want to continue to build its strength for tomorrow. This is our commitment for the future generations. This is the spirit of Sibiu and of a new Union at 27 ready to embrace its future as one. European Council     9/5/2019 Remarks by President Donald Tusk at the press conference of the informal summit in Sibiu Yesterday I received these gloves from Helmuth Duckadam and a piece of advice on how to defend our European interests more effectively, and you know, he is very professional at this. Two weeks ahead of the European Parliament elections, the leaders have met in Sibiu to begin a discussion on the EU's priorities for the coming years. We talked both about internal affairs as well as global challenges, bearing in mind that the world around us is becoming increasingly changeable and unpredictable. The result of this discussion will come in June, when – as the European Council – we will adopt the EU’s priorities for the next five years, also known as the Strategic Agenda. Without prejudging the outcome of this debate – as it will also be influenced by the European Parliament elections – I can state one thing with complete certainty. The leaders have categorically demonstrated that they want to take full political responsibility not only for single events or challenges, but for the European Union as a whole. Put simply, the member states and their democratically elected leaders want to actively shape the way the EU functions and develops. I believe that such a way of thinking is important, and – above all – desirable, in order to ensure the effective functioning of our whole community. This is why I intend to maintain this spirit of the discussion during the preparation of the EU's priorities for the coming years and in the process of nominating the new EU leadership. In this context I would like to announce that, just after the European Parliament elections, on 28th May, I will call a meeting of all 28 EU leaders, in order to start the nomination process. My intention is to carry out the election of heads of EU institutions in a swift, smooth and effective manner. Naturally, this process will follow the rules set down in the Treaties. It should reflect geographical balance as well as demography, so that both large and smaller countries are represented in the highest positions in the EU. To me, the spirit of the Treaty is also important when it comes to gender as well as political balance. Of course it would be best if we managed to reach consensus on all these decisions. But we have to be realistic. I will not shy away from putting these decisions to the vote, if consensus proves difficult to achieve. The aim is simple: we need effective institutions, and so we need swift decisions. My intention is for the European Council to nominate the new EU leadership in June. I call on everyone to live up to their responsibility to make this possible. Today, President Anastasiades also informed the leaders about the Turkish drilling activities within the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus. The European Union stands united behind the Republic of Cyprus and expects Turkey to respect sovereign rights of the EU Member State. The European Council will continue to follow these developments closely. Let me conclude in Romanian: I would like to thank President Iohannis for organising and hosting the Sibiu Summit. When we met in January, at the beginning of your Presidency – when I spoke with such conviction, and so emotionally about Romania – I was speaking with confidence, because I know that you are truly remarkable. You have organised an exceptional summit and you can be proud of your work, just as Europe is proud of you. I have fallen in love with Sibiu, the whole of Europe has fallen in love with you. (delivered in Romanian) Eurogroup Eurogroup, 16/05/2019 The 6 month work programme broadly defines the main areas on which the Eurogroup plans to focus its efforts in the upcoming semester. It also contains preliminary agendas for upcoming Eurogroup meetings. These agendas are indicative and may change depending on circumstances. Eurogroup work programme for the first half of 2019 Meeting information Brussels   16/05/2019 Preparatory documents Draft annotated agenda - Eurogroup, 16 May 2019 Draft annotated agenda - Eurogroup in inclusive format, 16 May 2019