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Good morning from Brussels,

A deal on migration with concrete decisions at the EU summit starting today in Brussels seems difficult, as divisions among member states remain stark, EU diplomats told Euractiv. 

EU capitals will come to Brussels with their own priorities on how to handle EU migration, as the Middle East crisis raises concerns about potential refugee flows from the region. 

Germany, France, and Spain want an earlier implementation of the EU migration Pact, which is due to take effect in 2026. Hungary and Poland oppose this proposal. 

Berlin and The Hague also want a reference in the conclusions to the current legal framework, the Dublin Regulation, which requires asylum requests from irregular migrants to be handled by the first EU country they arrive in.

Greece and Italy reacted, saying this puts much of the burden on their shoulders. However, they are under pressure to agree to something in writing at the December summit.

The so-called “return hubs” – inspired by Italy’s Giorgia Meloni initiative with Albania—will also be discussed, but reaching conclusions will be challenging.

Euractiv’s Nicholas Wallace explains the national positions ahead of the summit and analyses the latest draft conclusions put forward by EU Council chief Charles Michel, who will attend his last summit. 

However, one certain conclusion is that migration is back on the EU agenda for good, and it is already causing political turmoil in several capitals.

In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz is under attack by the main opposition CDU for his handling of migration. There is a similar situation in Poland and Spain. In Greece, the far right is accused of aligning with Viktor Orbán’s Patriots for Europe, who harm national interests on migration.

Migration concerns take centre stage at European Council summit

Join host Giada Santana and senior editor Sarantis Michalopoulos as they dive into the policies that could redefine the future of EU migration. Listen here. 
Bubbling in Brussels
Click on the picture to read the story |  [Massimo Valicchia/NurPhoto via Getty Images]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address European Union leaders on Thursday, pitching for 'just peace' in its war with Russia as Kyiv worries it might face calls for negotiations with Moscow. 

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the EU leaders and their Gulf counterparts agreed to revive long-stalled trade talks, but disagreements on how to word it prevailed.

Last but not least, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday that NATO members spent over €20 billion on military aid to Ukraine in the first half of the year, meaning they are halfway towards meeting their annual target.

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Western Europe
Click on the picture to read the story |  [Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images]

BERLIN

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz used his statement in parliament on the upcoming European Council to talk about Germany’s economy, as an enraged opposition slammed him for not addressing the summit's key topics. Read more.  

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PARIS

In widening dispute, Israel lashes out at France after firms barred from arms show. Israel's defence minister on Wednesday called French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to ban Israeli firms from exhibiting at a naval arms show "a disgrace" and accused Paris of implementing a hostile policy towards the Jewish people. Read more.

 

Nordics

HELSINKI | OSLO

Finland, Norway to improve rail links for military use.  Finland and Norway plan to improve rail and road links between the countries for military use, Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said at a briefing in Oslo during the state visit of Finnish President Alexander Stubbs. Read more

Southern Europe

ROME

Italy-Albania migration scheme formally launched. Albania received the first group of migrants under Italy's controversial new border policy on Wednesday, an issue that will dominate the European Council meeting starting on Thursday. Read more.

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MADRID

Spain’s Partido Popular backs von der Leyen's migration proposal. Spain should move at the same pace as the EU and not remain on the periphery of what the bloc and the European Commission consider the best way to tackle irregular migration, Partido Popular Secretary General Cuca Gamarra (EPP) said on Wednesday. Read more.

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LISBON

Portuguese PM condemns Israel's 'excessive force' in Gaza. Portugal condemns Israel’s "excessive use of force" and "unjustified position" against UN Secretary-General and former Portuguese prime minister António Guterres, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said on Wednesday. Read more.

Portuguese flag permanently removed from ship carrying explosives to Israel. The Portuguese flag has been permanently removed from a ship carrying explosives destined for Israel, among other countries, after the necessary technical steps were taken, an official at the Portuguese Foreign Ministry told LusaRead more.

Eastern Europe
Click on the picture to read the story |  [Murat Sengul/Anadolu via Getty Images]

PRAGUE

An immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Lebanon conflict "solves nothing" and would oonly pave the way for more violence, Tomáš Pojar, top Czech diplomat and sherpa to the prime minister, told Euractiv in an interview, reacting to European ceasefire calls. Read more.

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WARSAW

Poland's PiS opposes Tusk's new restrictive asylum policy. The conservative opposition party PiS has decided not to support Prime Minister Donald Tusk's new migration strategy, which includes a temporary curb on asylum rights after it was condemned by President Andrzej Duda. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA 

Slovak Fico slams EU ‘war cabinet’, claims West sabotaged Ukraine peace efforts. Ahead of the upcoming European Council summit, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico criticised the EU for acting as a 'war cabinet' and undermining the peace process in Ukraine while questioning Russia's responsibility for the Bucha massacre. Read more.

The Balkans

SOFIA

Bulgaria, Greece close to renewing water deal over Arda river. Bulgaria and Greece are close to concluding a new deal that will allow Greece to continue using part of the Arda River outflow, Euractiv Bulgaria has learned. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Romanian government creates state-run rail company for defence needs. The Romanian government approved the creation of a state-run railway company to meet the country's defence needs on Wednesday, bringing the country in line with the EU's new military mobility initiative. Read more.

 

Agenda
  • EU: European Council convenes to discuss Ukraine, Middle East, migration, and more;
  • Informal meeting of trade ministers expected to focus on trade relations with ASEAN countries, EU-China trade, and more;
  • Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participates in EPP Summit;
  • Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni attends UN G77 Ambassadors meeting, in New York, United States;

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor-Braçe]

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