European Council to discuss Ukraine, competitiveness and EU budget – Prime Minister Orpo to represent Finland

European Council to discuss Ukraine, competitiveness and EU budget - Prime Minister Orpo to represent Finland

The EU heads of state and government will meet for the European Council in Brussels on 18-19 June. Discussions at the meeting will focus on Ukraine, the Middle East, global economic challenges for European competitiveness and the EU's multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2028-2034. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo will represent Finland at the meeting.

According to Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, it is particularly welcome that negotiations on Ukraine's EU membership have finally been officially launched.

"This sends a strong signal to Ukrainians that the EU really wants Ukraine to be part of the European family," says Prime Minister Orpo.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also expected to take part in an exchange of views with the European Council.

The discussion on competitiveness and global economic challenges is expected to focus on trade imbalances, global technology competition and related harmful dependencies.

The European Council will discuss the EU's future financing for the first time since the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU presented its negotiating box. According to Prime Minister Orpo, finding a balanced solution to the proposed financial framework in the latter part of the year is essential.

"The overall level of the financial framework proposed by the Commission is too high and the reductions put forward by Cyprus are insufficient. It is important for Finland to find a level that does not make our burden of payment unreasonably heavy but enables the implementation of our key priorities, such as strengthening defence and competitiveness, and secures our major receipts, such as funding for agriculture. There are also specific issues that are important to us, such as our unique position as Russia's neighbour and the special needs of northern sparsely populated areas," said Prime Minister Orpo.

With regard to the Middle East, EU leaders will discuss, among other topics, the impact of developments in Iran on energy prices. Other items on the agenda are European defence and security, migration, illegal drugs and enlargement.

Finland's positions on the themes of the European Council were published in the Ministerial Committee on EU Affairs' press release on Wednesday 17 June.

Inquiries: Elisa Tarkiainen, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister (EU Affairs), tel. +358 295 160 363, Minna Kivimäki, State Secretary for EU Affairs, tel. +358 295 160 431 and Marko Ruonala, Chief Communications Specialist, tel. +358 50 522 8233, Prime Minister's Office