The next President of the European Council, Antonio Costa will attempt to limit EU summits in Brussels to one day instead of the traditional two, European sources confirmed on Thursday.
The upcoming President plans to foster a more dialogue-focused atmosphere among EU leaders. The former Portuguese Prime Minister will take over from Charles Michel on 1 December. Over the past three months, he has visited EU capitals to gauge leaders’ opinions on improving summit functionality.
A frequent request was to centre discussions on strategic and forward-looking topics. To avoid lengthy debates over meeting conclusions, member state ambassadors and strategic advisors will be empowered to finalise conclusions prior to summits. "This won’t always be possible, but we’ll try as it will aid leaders during meetings," said the diplomat.
Costa also aims to limit summits to one day instead of the customary two, though exceptions will be made for complex budget talks that often require multiple sessions.
In addition, he will organise informal "retreats" for EU leaders. These will be genuine informal meetings without press and written conclusions. "We have tough decisions ahead. Leaders must have time to converse without the pressure of immediate decision-making," said the diplomat. The first retreat is scheduled for 3 February in Belgium but not at the Council building, focusing on European defence.
Amid five years of tension regarding EU representation abroad under the Von der Leyen-Borrell-Michel trio, leaders are nearly unanimous in wanting better inter-institutional cooperation. Costa intends to work closely with Ursula von der Leyen and the new EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, stating, "We have several institutions covering different competences, but there’s only one Union."
Fortnightly meetings between Costa and Von der Leyen will be organised, mirroring arrangements with the European Parliament. Regular views exchanges are planned with President Roberta Metsola and political group leaders within the conference of presidents.
