Representing the European Parliament at the summit, President Roberta Metsola will address the heads of state and government at 10.00, followed by a press conference.
When: Press conference at around 11.00 on 18 December
Where: European Council press room and EbS.
At their meeting in Brussels, the heads of state or government are expected to focus on Europe’s ongoing efforts to secure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, the EU’s next long-term budget (multiannual financial framework), the geoeconomic situation and its implications for EU competitiveness, the EU’s enlargement strategy, and ways to manage migration flows and protect borders.
Parliament discussed its priorities for the summit in a debate on 17 December with Danish Minister for European Affairs Marie Bjerre and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Watch the full debate here.
Russia’s war against Ukraine / European defence and security
In response to Russia’s systematic use of energy supplies as a weapon, Parliament approved the agreement with Council to ban imports of Russian natural gas on 17 December. The ban will apply to spot-market liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the date the regulation enters into force in early 2026, and to pipeline gas from 30 September 2027. The text agreed also sets out the maximum penalties that member states must impose on operators who violate the regulation. During negotiations with the Danish presidency of the Council, MEPs pushed for a ban on all imports of Russian oil and secured a commitment by the European Commission to present legislation for this in early 2026 so that an effective ban can enter into force as soon as possible and no later than late-2027.
On 17 December, MEPs adopted a resolution on military mobility highlighting the urgent need to improve the rapid cross-border movement of troops, equipment and assets across Europe to withstand potential Russian aggression. Parliament is calling for the removal of internal borders for the movement of troops and military equipment across the EU, and for upgrades to railways, roads, tunnels and bridges. MEPs recommend working towards a “military Schengen area”, reinforced by a military mobility task force and a European coordinator to streamline implementation of the different initiatives, with the Commission providing a roadmap. In a report on “European Defence Readiness 2030: Assessment of Needs”, also adopted on 17 December, MEPs identify possible ways to strengthen financing tools and better mobilise private investment to support the European Union’s defence readiness. In a rapidly deteriorating security environment and with the EU facing hybrid and conventional threats, Parliament stresses the need for the EU to ramp up investment in defence readiness significantly.
On 16 December Parliament backed a request to fast-track its legislative processes on draft legislation on a loan for Ukraine. The proposal would introduce an EU reparations loan for Ukraine, underpinned by the European Commission borrowing against the profits and cash balances generated by immobilised Russian state assets. This new instrument, if adopted, would support Ukraine’s financial needs and state budget, including military capabilities, as well as the country’s defence industry and its integration into the European defence industrial base. The proposed loan is linked to the existing Ukraine Facility and Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism.
To strengthen Europe’s defence technological and industrial base, on 16 December plenary approved an agreement with Council on increasing funding for defence-related investment. This will be achieved by amending existing EU programmes – the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), Horizon Europe, the European Defence Fund (EDF), the Digital Europe programme (DEP) and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) – to channel EU funding towards defence.
On 16 December, MEPs and the Commission debated the continuing Belarusian hybrid attacks on Lithuania. A resolution will be put to a vote on 18 December. The draft text points to Belarus’ repeated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and balloon incursions into Lithuanian airspace, as well as cyberattacks, state-sponsored disinformation campaigns, economic coercion, and instrumentalised migration. These actions, the draft says, are deliberate, coordinated, hostile and also part of a broader Russia-led strategy to undermine the EU, its member states and NATO. Watch the debate.
On 15 December, MEPs from four committees approved new proposals to accelerate defence investment and improve the EU’s responsiveness in the face of security challenges. The set of legislative files, part of the “Omnibus V” package of EU simplification measures, are designed to speed up the approval of permits for defence projects and the export of defence equipment between EU countries, simplify security and defence procurement and EU cooperation on defence contracts, ensure that EU chemical regulations accommodate defence needs, and simplify the implementation of the European Defence Fund. These proposals also aim to facilitate up to €800 billion in defence investment over the next four years under the ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030, allowing member states and the defence industry to react more effectively in response to escalating security challenges
On 2 December, the Foreign Affairs Committee adopted a report stressing that, while the transatlantic partnership remains the backbone of the world’s democratic community and a pillar of the liberal international order, the EU must strengthen its strategic autonomy to stay resilient amid shifts in US foreign policy. MEPs underline that cooperation should prioritise trade, security and defence, technology, energy and new geopolitical threats, alongside the rule of law, societal resilience and environmental protection.
In a resolution adopted on 27 November, Parliament urged the EU to show leadership at this crucial geopolitical moment and to continue working with the US and other like-minded partners to ensure that negotiations for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine uphold the principles of international law. MEPs reiterated that “nothing about Ukraine should be decided without Ukraine, and nothing about Europe without Europe”, and criticised the US administration’s ambivalence toward the country.
On 25 November, Parliament adopted a law to establish the EU’s first-ever European defence industry programme (EDIP). The scheme seeks to strengthen the EU defence industry, foster joint procurement, extend manufacturing capacity and increase support for Ukraine. The €1.5 billion EDIP budget includes €300 million for the Ukraine Support Instrument and sets up the new FAST fund of at least €150 million to strengthen the defence supply chain. During negotiations, MEPs secured additional funding via the SAFE instrument, and the programme also enables member states to redirect unspent Recovery and Resilience Facility funds to support EDIP projects.
Further reading
Parliament to fast-track the reparations loan for Ukraine
EU to phase out imports of Russian gas
MEPs back “military Schengen” to help withstand potential Russian aggression
MEPs back new measures to strengthen Europe’s defence readiness
Parliament backs measures to boost EU support for defence investments
Defence: MEPs call on European allies to build a strong pillar inside NATO
Parliament greenlights first-ever European defence industry programme
EU must show leadership in achieving peace in Ukraine
MEPs demand a unified EU response to Russian violations and hybrid warfare threats
EU-US relations: MEPs call for deepened transatlantic cooperation beneficial for both sides
MEPs demand an assertive foreign policy that defends the EU’s interests
Geoeconomic situation and EU competitiveness
On 16 December, MEPs approved new EU rules on sustainability reporting and due diligence obligations for companies. Social and environmental reporting will apply only to EU companies with more than 1,000 employees and an annual net turnover exceeding €450 million, as well as to non-EU companies generating the same turnover within the EU. For due diligence, the requirements will be limited to very large EU companies with over 5,000 employees and a net annual turnover above €1.5 billion. The same rules will apply to non-EU companies with an equivalent turnover in the EU.
To prevent imports from Mercosur countries harming Europe’s agriculture sector, MEPs approved a safeguard clause for the EU-Mercosur agreement on 16 December. Negotiations with the Council on the final form of the legislation started on 17 December and were concluded the same evening. The draft regulation sets out how the Commission could decide to temporarily suspend tariff preferences on the import of certain agricultural products considered sensitive (such as poultry or beef, eggs, citrus and sugar) from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay if these imports are seen to be harming EU producers.
On 17 December, Parliament gave its greenlight to new EU deforestation rules, agreed between Parliament and Council on 4 December. The application of the EU Deforestation Regulation will be postponed by one year for all businesses. The new law also introduces targeted adjustments to help companies, global stakeholders and member states implement the legislation more effectively.
On 16 December, MEPs adopted new rules on further flexibility and support for farmers in complying with the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP). Farmers will enjoy more flexibility for keeping land in good agricultural and environmental condition. Inspections will take place according to the “once only” principle, so farmers will not have to undergo more than one official on-the-spot check in any given year. Co-legislators also agreed to increase financial support for small scale farmers.
These agreements form part of the Omnibus I simplification package proposed by the European Commission on 26 February 2025. MEPs have repeatedly pushed for a revision of EU rules to simplify and reduce administrative requirements for businesses. The Commission’s “omnibus” package seeks to boost competitiveness and investment capacity for businesses. As a matter of urgency, Parliament has already adopted several proposals and is making swift progress to finalise the remaining ones. Addressing the informal leaders’ meeting in Copenhagen on 1 October, President Metsola reaffirmed Parliament’s commitment to the simplification agenda, emphasising that it “will mean more jobs, more stability and ultimately, more security.”
MEPs and the Council reached a provisional agreement updating EU rules on the screening of foreign investments to prevent security risks, on 11 December. Under the new rules foreign investments in sensitive sectors such as defence, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, critical raw materials and financial services will be subject to mandatory screening by member states, in order to identify and address potential security or public order risks.
On 11 December, the Legal Affairs Committee came forward with a series of recommendations for an upcoming Commission proposal on a new legal framework to support innovative companies, known as the “28th corporate regime”. According to MEPs, to boost cross-border mobility, investment and innovation, the EU needs harmonised rules tailored to SMEs, including startups and scaleups, aligning EU company law with the dynamic needs of modern businesses.
On 26 November, MEPs approved a proposal to simplify InvestEU programme reporting requirements and expand its financial capacity to address rising funding challenges. InvestEU is the EU’s main instrument for attracting public and private investment. The proposal is part of the Omnibus II package, which seeks to simplify EU rules, boost competitiveness, and enhance investment capacity. The changes will reinforce the InvestEU programme with a €2.9 billion increase in the EU guarantee. This additional guarantee will enable more financial support to be channelled, for instance, into housing, modern transport infrastructure, clean energy technologies, and skills development.
Further reading
Mercosur: Parliament and Council agree on agriculture safeguards
Mercosur: Parliament backs safeguard measures to protect EU agriculture
Simplified sustainability reporting and due diligence rules for businesses
Deforestation law: Parliament adopts changes to postpone and simplify measures
Parliament endorses simpler rules and more support for farmers
Agreement on enhanced tools to protect EU strategic sectors from risky foreign investments
InvestEU: final vote to increase financial capacity and simplify rules
MEPs’ recommendations for a new EU framework for innovative companies
Migration
On 17 December, MEPs approved the negotiation mandate for talks with Council on changes to the EU’s 2024 Asylum Law regarding the criteria for designating safe non-EU countries. Negotiations started on 17 December in Strasbourg and were concluded on 18 December. Co-legislators agreed on the new rules under which member states may decide that a non-EU country is a safe third country (STC) with respect to an asylum applicant who is not a national of that country, and may therefore declare their application inadmissible. The new rules would allow EU countries to apply the STC concept in individual cases where one of these three conditions is met: there is a connection between the applicant and a third country; applicants have transited through a third country on the way to the EU; or an agreement or arrangement exists with a third country at a bilateral, multilateral or EU level for the admission of asylum seekers. The deal builds on a proposal by the Commission to update this provision in the Asylum Procedure Regulation. MEPs also approved the mandate for talks on an EU-wide list of safe countries of origin. On 3 December, the Civil Liberties Committee endorsed the designation of an EU-wide list, in line with the Commission proposal. The list would include: Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Kosovo, India, Morocco and Tunisia. EU accession candidate countries are also considered safe countries of origin, unless specific circumstances indicate otherwise, e.g. indiscriminate violence in the context of an armed conflict. Negotiations started on 17 December in Strasbourg.
Further reading
Asylum: EP and Council reach a deal to update safe third country rules
MEPs support review of criteria to declare a third country safe for asylum applicants
Asylum policy: MEPs back first EU list of safe countries of origin
EU Talent Pool: deal on facilitating international recruitment in shortage occupations
More flexible visa suspension mechanism
Reinforced Europol mandate for fight against migrant smuggling
Next multiannual financial framework
On 11 December, Parliament’s Budgets Committee presented its draft interim report for the 2028–2034 multiannual financial framework (MFF). The report will set out Parliament’s position for upcoming talks with member states, including proposed funding levels for each EU policy and programme. It calls for a significantly strengthened MFF. The co-rapporteurs Siegfried Mureşan (EPP, RO) and Carla Tavares (S&D, PT) claim this will address the EU’s intensifying geopolitical, economic, social, and environmental challenges. Parliament is expected to vote on the report in plenary in May 2026.
On 7 May 2025, Parliament adopted a resolution outlining its demands for the 2028–2034 budget. MEPs call for a significantly more ambitious multiannual financial framework (MFF) that can deliver on EU citizens’ rising expectations amid global instability, arguing that the current spending ceiling of 1% of the EU-27’s gross national income is not enough.
Further reading
Press conference: lead MEPs brief the public on EU’s long-term budget
Parliament’s priorities for the EU’s post-2027 long-term budget
Parliament’s draft report on the long-term EU budget
Recording of the presentation of the draft report in the Budgets Committee (19.2.2025.)
Recording of a press conference by the MFF co-rapporteurs (18.12.2024.)
EPRS briefing: Future of EU long-term financing (February 2025)
Press release: “Own Resources”: Parliament’s position on new EU revenue
All you need to know about the EU’s long-term budget
Middle East
On 16 December, MEPs discussed recent developments in Palestine and Lebanon with Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica. The debate centred around ongoing violence in Palestine, recent Israeli air attacks on alleged Hezbollah sites in Lebanon, and the prospects of achieving a two-state solution. Watch the debate.
In a debate on 21 October, MEPs and Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica discussed the recent Middle East peace agreement and the role of the EU. On 13 October, EP President Roberta Metsola welcomed the peace deal for Gaza and said the EU stands ready to help ensure its implementation.
In a resolution adopted on 11 September 2025, MEPs stated that the creation of a Palestinian state is key to peace, Israel’s security, and regional normalisation. MEPs strongly condemned Israel’s aid blockade and urged all EU institutions and member states to take diplomatic steps to ensure a commitment to a two-state solution. Parliament also called for Gaza’s total demilitarisation, the release of all hostages, Hamas’s exclusion from governance, and full investigations into all war crimes and violations of international law.
Further reading
Parliament pushes for Gaza aid, the hostages’ release and justice
Enlargement
On 22 October, Parliament adopted a resolution on the institutional implications of the EU’s enlargement negotiations. It emphasises that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and other geopolitical challenges heighten the need to accelerate the enlargement process. The resolution also stresses that the post-2027 MFF and a more efficient budget, including the new own-resources package, must equip the EU to move decisively towards enlargement while safeguarding existing policies, programmes and priorities. The report highlights the need to address the problems stemming from unanimity voting in the Council, including its use for intermediate steps in the accession process, allowing bilateral disputes to delay candidate countries’ progress.
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