The EU leaders' summit in Brussels discussed various topics including the long-term budget of the Union, energy prices, and migration. Due to global events, this summit had a broader agenda compared to previous meetings, but ultimately, few decisions were made.
Disputes over ETS2
Serious disagreements were clearly evident at Thursday's summit, where EU leaders discussed delays in implementing ETS2, the second phase of carbon pricing, due to high energy prices. This debate lasted three hours and resulted in a delay for lunch and the cancellation of the evening press conference.
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Leaders of various countries also discussed the long-term budget of the Union, but ultimately no progress was made, and most leaders reiterated their previous positions. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that his country is "not the EU's ATM."
Future Plans and Energy Challenges
Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, is still trying to reach an agreement on the budget before the end of the year. He announced that leaders will have a special meeting at the end of November to make further progress in this regard. However, limited time and the intensity of negotiations could be challenging.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested that the December meeting might last more than two days and advised leaders to bring more clothing for this trip. This indicates the need for deeper and longer discussions on key issues.
Some leaders strongly criticized Costa for the way energy prices are managed, describing it as "chaos." European diplomats emphasized that improper management of negotiations could lead to increased tensions.
Additionally, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kļaviņš told reporters on the sidelines of the summit that supporting Ukraine costs every European about the price of a beer per year. This comparison was made to emphasize the importance of cost-saving and helping countries involved in humanitarian crises.
Finally, during lunch on Thursday, EU leaders discussed the trade imbalance with China and welcomed an agreement that the European Commission had signed with China to limit imports of hybrid cars. This agreement is seen as a positive step towards supporting the European industry.
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