COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

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Press material Friday, 28 August 2026

● European Council   28/08/2026 11:04 | Press release | António Costa's "Tour des Capitales": preview for week 2   The President of the European Council, António Costa, will continue his round of visits to EU member states to meet national leaders. During the "Tour des Capitales", President Costa will engage with the Heads of State or Government on the EU's agenda - with a strong focus on the Union's next long-term budget - and will prepare the ground for upcoming European Council meetings and international summits. In the first week, he visited Bratislava, Tallinn, Vilnius, Riga, and Prague. Schedule for week 2 During the second week of his visits, President Costa will meet the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Luc Frieden, in Luxembourg on 2 September. On the same day, he will meet the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, in Zagreb, and the Prime Minister of Hungary, Péter Magyar, in Budapest. On 3 September, he will meet the President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, in Bucharest, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, in Sofia, and the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in Athens. On 4 September, he will be in Nicosia for a meeting with the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidis, and in Ljubljana for a meeting with Slovenia's Prime Minister, Janez Janša. On Saturday, 5 September, President Costa will deliver a keynote speech on "Europe in the World" at the 52nd edition of the Cernobbio Forum in Italy (also known as the Ambrosetti Forum); an annual gathering of political, academic, government and business leaders held since 1975. The details of the following week of the “Tour des Capitales” will be announced on Friday 4 September. Read more here: President Costa visits EU capitals to discuss priorities   Visit the website ● European Council   27/08/2026 12:07 | Statements and remarks | Press statement by President Costa following the meeting with Prime Minister of Czech Republic, Andrej Babiš   Dear Prime Minister, dear Andrej. First of all, thank you very much for your warm and very constructive meeting today and for welcoming me to the beautiful city of Prague, as this wonderful backdrop shows. It is essential for me to engage with all the leaders in their home countries, because in our Union, every voice, every national position, matters.  We are reaching a decisive moment in the negotiations on our next European budget for 2028 to 2034. The geopolitical environment has changed since we approved the current budget in 2020. Now, more than ever, we need to invest in defence and security, competitiveness and innovation, and strategic resilience. This means being consequential about our ambitions. Modernising our next budget so that we deliver on our new priorities, while preserving the key pillars of support to our regions – cohesion and agricultural policy. At the same time, like national budgets, the European Union budget must deliver on its priorities within the limits of finite resources. Most of it is financed through member states’ national contributions. And we need to keep those contributions within reasonable limits. That is why new own resources will also be a crucial element of the overall package. They will help reducing national contributions and at the same time, to support ambitious investment.  It is essential that we reach an agreement by the end of this year. Why? Because we cannot allow any interruption in European funding to vital projects and policies in 2028. To reach this goal, we need to work together in a spirit of European unity. I am grateful for your constructive approach on this issue, dear Andrej. And I am confident that, all together, we will rise to the challenge.  Affordable energy is fundamental for Europe’s competitiveness, especially for our industry. Czechia is an industrial leader in Europe. That is why it was so important for me to hear your perspective. Ensuring affordable and competitive energy prices is key, both for our citizens and for our industry. Therefore, we need to accelerate our work to reduce energy costs, while pursuing our efforts on the clean transition and decarbonisation in a technology-neutral way – that means, nuclear or renewables. Protecting the future of our industries is also a matter of strengthening Europe’s security, and this requires a responsible and balanced approach. This is one of the main objectives of the European Union’s “One Europe, One Market” agenda, to complete our single market. At the same time, supporting Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans on their European paths is an investment in Europe’s security and prosperity. I very much appreciate the Czech Republic’s constructive and coherent engagement in this area. We must continue to move forward with a fair, transparent and merit-based process. Every member state has its own priorities and ambitions, influenced by its geography and circumstances. Prime Minister, dear Andrej, listening to your views is essential to help shaping our common response. Because Europe’s strength comes from its unity.  And like seven years ago, we will reach a good agreement [on the next long term budget] at the end of this process. Thank you.   Visit the website ● European Council   26/08/2026 18:19 | Statements and remarks | Press statement by President Costa following the meeting with Prime Minister of Latvia, Andris Kulbergs   Dear Prime Minister, dear Andris. First of all, thank you very much here today in Riga and the very fruitful conversations that we had. Listening to every leader in their home country, every year, and hearing your views directly is very important for me as I prepare our work in the upcoming European Council meetings. Our Union is a union of nations, and unity among the 27 member states can only be built on the basis of all national positions. This rentrée marks a decisive moment for our Union — we will be working towards one of the most consequential decisions of recent years: our next long-term European budget for the period 2028 - 2034. We need to reach an agreement by the end of this year. And not just on any budget — but one with the resources to deliver on what our citizens expect from us. We need a European budget that matches our ambitions and provides the means to deliver on our common priorities — including in key areas such as defence and security, competitiveness, innovation, and strategic resilience. At the same time, it must continue to support our agricultural and cohesion policies, both essential to the prosperity, resilience, and the balanced development of every European region.  To do all this, the structure of the next budget will need to look very different to previous ones. And, like national budgets, the European Union budget must deliver on its priorities within the limits of finite resources. Most of it is financed through member states’ national contributions. And we need to keep those contributions within reasonable limits. That is why a balanced and ambitious package of so-called new own resources, the new revenue streams for the European Union, will be an essential part of an overall agreement. One thing is certain: we must reach an agreement before the end of this year so that European Union funding for our farmers, businesses, students, researchers and innovators is not interrupted in 2028. That is why we need to approach the final stages of this negotiation with an open mind and a spirit of collective responsibility. I am confident we can reach an agreement before the end of the year. And in that context, I want to thank Andris for Latvia’s constructive approach to this debate.  Dear Prime Minister, standing at the European Union’s Eastern flank means standing at the forefront of the security challenges affecting our continent. Russian hybrid threats and recent incidents involving drones and concerns related to airspace security have demonstrated the importance of strengthening our collective preparedness, protecting our borders, and ensuring that Europe has the necessary capabilities to respond effectively. At the same time, Europe’s borders will only be secure if all our borders are secure, in a 360-degree approach. We need to continue working towards decisively ramping up Europe’s defence readiness by 2030. Andris, your geography also exposes you to the instrumentalisation of migration. This is totally unacceptable. It is unacceptable wherever it takes place on the European Union’s external borders – whether in Ceuta, or in the Baltic region. This is a common European challenge that requires a joint European response in support of affected member states.  I would also like to thank you for Latvia’s strong and principled support for Ukraine. Your commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, resilience, and European aspirations has been unwavering. Supporting the Western Balkans, Moldova and Ukraine, on their paths towards membership of the European Union, is an investment in Europe’s security and prosperity. We need to advance on all fronts, working harder and faster with all candidates through the merit-based process. Let me conclude by remembering that Europe’s strength comes from its unity. Latvia’s commitment, and perspective are essential in shaping our common response. We count on your leadership, dear Andris, and on Latvia’s continued contribution to building a stronger, safer, and more united European Union. And I look forward to continuing this work with you at our next European Council meetings. Thank you.   Visit the website   ● European Council   26/08/2026 13:21 | Statements and remarks | Press statement by President Costa following the meeting with President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda   Thank you, President Nausėda, dear Gitanas, for your warm welcome here in Vilnius. It is a pleasure to be here on the second day of my tour of European capitals. I truly appreciate the opportunity to hear from you directly and in person ahead of a busy autumn. It is very important for me to engage directly with all the European leaders to properly prepare the upcoming meetings of the European Council. And it is especially timely as Lithuania is preparing to take over the presidency of the Council of the European Union in January 2027. And I’m very glad to see how well your preparations are going and how your priorities are completely and fully aligned with European strategic priorities.  As you said, the decisive challenge we need to tackle together this autumn is our next long-term European budget for the period 2028 – 2034. To ensure that there is no interruption in the European Union funding for farmers, our businesses, our students, and other recipients in 2028, we need to reach an agreement by the end of this year. The next budget must reflect the demands of the challenging times we live in – and must have competitiveness, industrial transformation, defence, security, and strategic resilience at its heart. Of course, the new budget must also continue to support the cohesion policy and the Common Agricultural Policy, as they are the pillars of regional development and shared prosperity on our continent. To find this balance between traditional priorities and responding to new challenges, the structure and headings of the budget will look completely different to previous budgets. All this, we must finance within the limits of finite resources. That is why a balanced and ambitious package of so-called new own resources, the new revenue streams for the European Union, will be an essential part of an overall agreement.  I am confident that we will find the right solution for our Union, for our citizens and our future, because it is our common responsibility to do so. In that context, I want to thank you, dear Gitanas, for Lithuania’s constructive approach to this debate.  I would also like to thank you, for the powerful example set by Lithuania through its steadfast and outspoken support for Ukraine, including vital military assistance. Thanks to the courage of the Ukrainian armed forces, the tide is turning on the battlefield. And we will continue to increase the pressure until Russia comes in good faith to the negotiating table.  When speaking about Europe’s security, we cannot forget enlargement. Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans are progressing on their paths towards the European Union, and it’s the best investment we can make in the future peace, security and stability of our continent. I appreciate Lithuania’s constructive efforts in this context, and the fact that Lithuania has identified enlargement as one of the main priorities of your presidency.  Dear Gitanas, your geography makes Lithuania a real expert in dealing with security challenges of the European Union’s Eastern flank and the Baltic Sea region. Hybrid threats and drone incursions show how important it is to be prepared, including in the areas of air defence and border protection. These complex threats require coordinated action at the European Union level. That’s why we are strengthening our defence and security capabilities so that Europe can deter adversaries and respond to any aggression. Gitanas, your geography also exposes you to the instrumentalisation of migration. This is totally unacceptable. It is unacceptable wherever it takes place on the European Union’s external borders – whether in Ceuta, or in the Baltic region. This is a common European challenge that requires a joint European response in support of affected member states. A safe and strong Europe is built on our unity. And as a union of nations, unity among the 27 member states can only be built on the basis of all national positions. Starting in January, Lithuania will play a decisive role in creating and shaping European unity, as Council presidency. That is why today we also discussed the preparations of this presidency. I came away from our discussions even more convinced that I will be able to count – and Europe can count – on Lithuania’s drive, professionalism and European commitment.  And finally dear Gitanas, you can also count on me to make the future Lithuanian presidency a success. Once again thank you for welcoming me here in beautiful Vilnius.    Visit the website