It is customary for EU institutions to switch to vacation mode in August and simply deploy skeleton staff in Brussels and elsewhere.
Not this year though. The EU is facing unprecedented, challenging times.
Its cohesion and integration are being threatened by recent developments in the political landscape of various member states, by the continuous (yet inconclusive) search for wider solutions to the migration crisis and by the unpredictable and uncertain outcome, and impact, of Brexit.
European citizens rightly look to Brussels for answers to European challenges.
For European leaders the moment has come for crucial decisions to safeguard the future of Europe and protect the security, welfare and prosperity of its citizens.
There are, at least, five central issues on the agenda, all interconnected and needing immediate attention. Foremost among them is how to follow up the concepts put forward by the June European Council for effective action to prevent illegal migration and to provide international protection to refugees amassing on Europe’s borders.
Connected with this issue are the ongoing discussions on a Common European Asylum System, on which divergent views among member states regretfully persist.
However, European citizens are concerned not only about migration but also about job creation, the cost of living, pensions, the environment, education and health – basically, about the whole socio-economic model that has sustained the welfare and prosperity of Europe.
Reaching an agreement on the next seven-year Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) for a fully functional digital single market to ensure the competitiveness of European industries, and on a smooth Brexit, are very critical to ensure a secure future for Europe.
In this context, the choice of the slogan, ‘A Europe that protects’, by the incoming Austrian presidency of the EU Council, is extremely timely. Some may say this slogan may carry a slight tint of populist rhetoric, however from a broader European perspective, it highlights the need for a determined and focused, action-driven EU agenda developed around the real concerns of European citizens.
As expected, in response to recent deve-lopments on the EU’s southern and eastern borders, security and the issue of illegal migration are the first priorities of the Austrian presidency.
The Austrian approach heavily stresses the need for securing external borders.
Since 2016 there have been attempts to conclude an asylum package, which includes not only a revision of the Dublin Regulation, but also agreement on a EU agency for asylum, an EU asylum fingerprint database, standards for the reception of applicants for international protection, standards for the qualifications of third-country nationals, a common procedure for international protection and an EU resettlement framework.
Recent developments in Westminster do not augur well for effectively concluding the Brexit negotiations by October
The Dublin Regulation remains the most problematic issue, and member states have indicated that without consensus on this they are not prepared to agree on the other files individually. An early agreement on the whole asylum package is crucial for the effective implementation of the EU’s internal migration policy.
The Austrian presidency is pushing the migration dossier with the aim of achieving concrete results in time for the informal summit it intends to organise in Salzburg on September 20.
However, the future of the EU does not depend only on securing its external borders and managing migration. Other recent developments are undermining its core achievements and the trust of its citizens.
The current threats of a globalised trade war, emanating largely from an increasingly protectionist United States trade policy, have delivered more urgency to the need for the EU to rise to the challenge of reinforcing its economic performance and share of global trade. This is crucial for sustaining the future of the EU’s prosperity and competitiveness.
A major instrument for securing the EU’s future and the stability of its socioeconomic model is the MFF. This seven-year plan for the EU budget is intended to provide an EU added value and investment in areas where it would be more beneficial for member states to act together to respond to common challenges.
Successful negotiations on the MFF are crucial for supporting structural reforms in the EU and member states.
Its objectives include supporting competitiveness for economic growth and job creation, and helping the least developed regions of the EU to catch up with the rest of the union.
The big divide is between member states that are calling for budget cuts, or at least a stable budget in terms of percentages, and those wishing for a higher EU-budget, claiming that more is needed to tackle the future EU challenges and to supplement the loss of the UK contribution.
The current interinstitutional negotiations are aiming to do more with less.
Recent developments in Westminster do not augur well for concluding the Brexit negotiations effectively by October, or at the latest by the end of this year, to allow sufficient time for the ratification of the Brexit Treaty.
The challenge for the EU is to maintain unity among the 27 member states and to lay the foundations for a positive and mutually beneficial future relationship with the UK without placing undue pressure on the UK government which would add to its current disarray.
With the European elections round the corner (May 2019), public debate in Europe will no doubt focus on these challenges.
It is the responsibility of all the European leaders and institutions, collectively, to deliver while also placing European citizens’ minds at rest that the EU is also prepared for the unexpected, given the current dynamic and volatile scenarios.
The European Union has no choice but to rise to this occasion and to convince its citizens that it is an EU which really protects their interests.
Edward Zammit Lewis is chairman of the Standing Committee for Foreign and European Affairs.