Thread by @GeorginaEWright

.@EmmanuelMacron is outlining the programme of the French presidency of the Council of the EU:

1. Logo: @CBeaune is now taking the floor. He introduces the logo and explains it. French colours, EU stars and an arrow indicating progress.

2. Moto: 'Puissance, relance et appartenance' (first uttered in November 2020) stays. And a lovely new 2€ coin (20 years after the euro was first introduced).

3. Summits/meetings: all over France (not only in the hexagone!). I hear around 385 events between Jan and 20 March 2022. We shall see.

4. Back to the president. One message: We want to go from an EU with strong internal cooperation to a powerful EU in the world that is free in its choices and master of its destiny. In line with 2017 Sorbonne speech.

5. Sovereign Europe: EU must protect its borders. (1) FR wants to launch a regular political dialogue (at ministerial level) on Schengen to ensure freedom of movement. Commission will put fwd proposal. (2) New crisis mechanism to help MS dealing with migration crisis at borders

6. Sovereign Europe (II): FR wants to progress EU discussions on migration & asylum pact.

7. Sovereign Europe: do more on EU defence. Want to build on progress made in past 4 years and focus on operations. France wants to adopt strategic compass in March 2022 (as per EU Council decision in Feb 21).

8. EU-African Union summit: 17/18 Feb in Brussels (presumably after African Union summit in Cairo?). Focus on investment in education, climate, health (improve vaccine production facilities for eg), etc. Security angle ("Europeanise EU-Africa partnership"). And migration.

(Not an EU agenda btw, but an EU-African agenda. Lots of dialogue with African Union and ind. African countries).

9. Western Balkans: meeting in June. Re-engaging WB and improving investment. Can't have a peaceful Europe in 50 years if we don't engage with WB. "Clarify future options". (Suspect the US will be happy with this).

10. New economic growth model: EU27 summit on 10/11 March. EU must be able to produce, be innovative, create new job opportunities, defend its regulatory model and have a strong climate agenda.

11. Regulation & innovation: "Think European". EU must be able to define the rules that apply to it. EU Commission will, in 2022, propose new investment plans to foster new areas for innovation. (IMO, this isn't a NextGenEU but more tailored funds).

12. (!!) Rethink budgetary framework, capital markets union and complete banking union (on this, read @i_montaigne report : institutmontaigne.org/publications/r…)

13. Green growth: accelerate EU climate talks (Fit for 55 package). "Must not waste 1 minute". Think about investment, competition and energy security/poverty. CBAM. (He didn't mention ETS, I think?).

14. Bring climate & trade closer together: France will push for more climate in WTO (though recognises talks may take longer than 6 months). Biodiversity. FR wants EU to make sure imports of soy/palm oil/etc are *not* contributing to deforestation.

15. Tech/digital:
(1) France has done a lot to 'scale up' tech start ups. Wants EU to do more to scale up start ups in EU too.
(2) DSA/DMA
(3) Access for talent
(4) Investment
(5) Regulation : protecting EU citizens (+ EU globalising its standards)
(6) Taxing dig giants.

16. Social dumping: PR believes this contributed to Brexit sentiment. Needs to be tackled. Slovenian EU Presidency (current one if you are wondering) has made progress on EU minimum wage directive. FR wants it to be adopted during its presidency.

17. France wants this presidency to be *useful* : then President lists a number of (pretty important) ongoing EU talks : "capitalisme responsable", etc. (@i_montaigne has written a report on this too: institutmontaigne.org/publications/l…)

18. Conference on the Future of Europe: we need an EU that is closer to people, respond to their expectations. We will listen to recommendations made by EU citizens. Could lead to EU treaty reform (!) (btw, new German government said it was open to it). Depends on recommendations

19. Protection of rights: President lists basically everything. But also wants to protect media freedom.

20. I don't know if I understood this correctly but I believe he is suggesting drawing up a common EU history project on the creation and evolution of the EU. June "EU universities" summit. Mentions ARTE (30 year anniversary next yr).

21. 2022 = year of the youth. France will propose the idea of a 6 month civic training in another EU country (for the youth, presumably younger than 18). This is an idea that came straight from French youth. END.

Now over to Q&A. (Which I won't tweet).