António Costa, president of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, emerged from an informal EU summit held in Belgium with a sense that the next formal European Council meeting in March will have a solid foundation.
Costa explained that the discussions at Alden Biesen “today paved the way for a consensus on concrete measures to be adopted by the European Council in March”. He added that all parties agreed to continue advancing the “simplification agenda” laid out in a recent letter addressed to heads of state and government. Furthermore, they are united on moving from an “incomplete single market” toward “a market for Europe” a transition Costa said must be completed by 2026 and 2027. The outcomes of the meeting will be incorporated into “concrete commitments and timelines” for the March European Council, after which the focus will shift to implementation.
Von der Leyen, meanwhile, announced that at the upcoming European Council she will present a detailed roadmap for the EU internal market. The plan will outline specific steps to be taken and set a clear deadline for implementation. She emphasized that the goal is for the document to be approved and enacted not only by the Commission but also by the two co-legislators, the European Council and the European Parliament.
