Stefan Löfven, Swedish Prime Minister eudebates COVID-19 and the climate at EU Summit

Prime Minister Stefan Löfven will meet his head of state and government colleagues at the European Council in Brussels on 10-11 December. https://www.eudebates.tv/debates/spec... #Hungary #Orban #EU #Commissioner #Poland #VETO The EU leaders’ agenda includes climate targets, coordination of the COVID-19 response and foreign policy issues. They will also discuss the EU’s long-term budget and the EU’s future relations with the UK. Coordination of the COVID-19 response The EU leaders will hold a general discussion about the COVID-19 situation in Member States. Various testing methods and work to produce and distribute a vaccine, as well as how it will be deployed, are issues that will be raised at the meeting. EU climate targets for 2030 The EU must review its climate targets for the next few years to become climate-neutral by 2050. At the Summit, the heads of state and government will decide on tighter climate targets for 2030. The objective of the EU is net-zero emissions by 2050, and to achieve that the Government wants to see a more ambitious EU target for 2030. The long-term EU budget At the end of July, EU heads of state and government agreed on a proposal for a new long-term budget for the EU, as well as on a recovery package. Since the summer, negotiations on the long-term budget have been ongoing and have been concluded with the European Parliament. Some EU Member States are now having difficulty approving the agreement as payments from the EU budget are to be linked to the rule of law for the first time. Future relations with the UK Negotiations between the EU and the UK have been intense in recent weeks. Outstanding issues include the formulation of regulations for a level playing field and agreement on fishing, as well as the formulation of regulations for dispute settlement. When the UK left the EU at midnight on 31 January, a transition period began that runs until the end of 2020. During the transition period, the EU and the UK are negotiating on the future relationship between the EU and the UK. High-level negotiations are now under way and the heads of state and government are likely to address the issue. Euro Summit On Friday, a Euro Summit will take place in an extended format. This means that EU Member States outside the euro area are welcome. The heads of state and government will discuss the banking union and the capital markets union during the Summit. https://www.eudebates.tv/ #eudebates Temporary Entry Ban to EU via Sweden Extended for a Month due to COVID-19 Sweden has decided to extend the closure of external borders for non-EEA citizens in compliance with the recommendation of the EU Commission for the prolongation of border seal off for another month, until May 15. The decision has been taken as a part of ongoing attempts of the Swedish government to curb the further spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and reduce the outbreak of COVID-19. The temporary entry ban was first introduced by the Swedish government on March 19, for 30 days, and has not been extended until mid-May. Most of the Schengen Area member states have already confirmed they are also extending the border closure. “There have been no material changes to the entry ban. In the same way as before, the entry ban essentially applies to all foreign citizens travelling to Sweden from all countries except EU Member States, the United Kingdom, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland,” a press release of the government explains. It also states that Swedish citizens are not affected by this measure, pointing out that the entry ban does not prevent travel within the EU. The government has noted that two important categories remain exempt from the entry ban, which are: EU citizens and holders of s Swedish residence permit may still enter the country for the purpose of returning to their homes. Persons with urgent needs or who are to carry out essential functions in Sweden may enter the country. I.e. healthcare professionals, staff transporting goods, people with imperative family reasons, etc. Persons who need more information related to the travel ban and exemptions are advised to contact the Swedish Police Authority PM: Expect Some Measures to Remain in Place for a Long Time During a press conference on Thursday announcing the decision, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven warned that people should expect the measures put in place due to the coronavirus to remain for a long time to come. “It is still far too early to ease restrictions and recommendations. Even though the sun is shining and you gave up your Easter holiday, it is not the time to celebrate May 1st,” the prime minister said.