Tuesday 16 October 2018
09.00 Meeting with Brexit EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier
12.30 Tripartite social summit (press conference ±15.20)
17.00 Phone call with President of the Eurogroup Mário Centeno

Wednesday 17 October 2018
15.30 European People’s Party Summit (Stanhope Hotel)
17.00 Meeting with Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez
17.45 Meeting with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Theresa May

European Council meeting (Art. 50)
19.00 Working dinner

Thursday 18 October 2018
European Council meeting
09:30 Exchange of views with the President of the European Parliament
10:00 Working session

Euro summit
13.00 Working lunch

± 15:30 European Council press conference

16.15 Meeting with Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković

ASEM summit
19.00 Welcome and official handshake of non-EU heads of delegation
19.25 Opening ceremony and session with the stakeholders
21.00 Gala dinner in presence of H.M. King Philippe of Belgium

Friday 19 October 2018
ASEM summit
09.15 Plenary sessions
12.15 Family photo
12.30 Working lunch
15.05 Closing ceremony
15.30 Press conference

EU-Republic of Korea summit
16.10 Welcome of President Jae-in Moon and leaders’ only meeting
16.25 Plenary session

17.15 Signing ceremony of the Free Trade Agreement with the Republic of Singapore

17.45 EU-ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting

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The main topic of the Tripartite Social Summit was “Reinforcing competitiveness, sustainable job creation and social fairness in the European Union“. The discussions were structured around three sub-themes:

• The digital revolution and its potential for labour markets and the economy
• Implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights: stock-taking and way forward
• The Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 including InvestEU, ESF+ and the deepening of the EMU.

In his statement, the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said: “This is a critically important week and with less than 6 months to go until Brexit day, there is still far too much uncertainty. You are as impatient as I am for this uncertainty to end. I still believe we can get there in the coming weeks. If business is to thrive, and if citizens are to feel reassured, maximum stability, legal certainty and pragmatic solutions are needed.” 

The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker stressed: “12 million new jobs have been created since 2014, investment is picking up and the economy is growing. One year after the proclamation of the European Pillar of Social Rights at the Gothenburg Summit, this is the time to conclude the legislative work on important priorities such as work-life balance, predictable and transparent working conditions, access to social protection, the coordination of social security systems and the new European Labour Authority. I trust that the Austrian presidency will play its role as a bridge builder and help us to strengthen the social dimension of Europe – a Europe which protects, empowers and defends.”

From the side of the rotating presidency, Austria’s Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, underlined: “Digitalisation is the foremost development that will change our lives decisively in the years and decades to come. Europe cannot allow itself to fall behind the other highly competitive regions as the world goes digital. Our success in preparing for these changes, strengthening Europe’s capacity to innovate and seizing the opportunities offered by digitalisation will shape Europe’s future competitiveness as a place to do business. It will also secure jobs and prosperity for the citizens of Europe. For that reason, digitalisation is a core issue for the Austrian Presidency, and we are working swiftly to make maximum progress on key files, such as the Digital Single Market, by the end of the year. We also have a strong strategic focus on artificial intelligence.”

BusinessEurope’s President, Pierre Gattaz, representing employers (BusinessEurope, CEEP, UEAPME) stated: “The EU economic recovery continues but at lower rates than a year ago. Moreover, there remain downside risks, linked to political uncertainty and rising protectionism. It is more important than ever to ensure that the EU and all its member states, together with social partners, pursue reforms that improve competitiveness, growth and employment across Europe. The role of benchmarking should be strengthened as it is an effective tool for member states to learn from the best in different policies, gradually converging towards the best performing ones.  A key challenge is to increase productivity in Europe. This requires more targeted investment in physical and social infrastructures, in particular quality education and training and incentives for the take-up of new technologies by SMEs. Furthermore, skills shortages continue to be a real concern for employers, even in member states with relatively high unemployment.”

Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), said: “Working people are contributing plenty to increased competitiveness, but social fairness is rapidly declining. Wage increases in the European Union over the last 16 years would have been four times higher if they had reflected productivity increases. Jobs need to be economically, socially and environmentally sustainable and offer a decent life. For this to happen, we need a socially sustainable EU economic governance with increased public and private investment, social partners involved in the Semester and in European and national reforms, strengthened collective bargaining in all EU countries for a fair wage for working people. A just transition must ensure workers hit by climate change and digitalisation are not left behind. EU legislation and the new EU MFF must support social cohesion and inclusion and full implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights.” 

The views cited in this text are those of the individual / organisation concerned and do not collectively constitute the point of view of the Council or the European Council.

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Good afternoon. Let me start by thanking the Social Partners for today’s good and constructive discussions. This Social Summit takes place at a critical time for the Brexit talks. Unfortunately, the report on the state of the negotiations that I got from Michel Barnier today, as well as yesterday’s debate in the House of Commons, give me no grounds for optimism before tomorrow’s European Council on Brexit. And as I see it, the only source of hope for a deal, for now, is the goodwill and determination on both sides. However, for a breakthrough to take place, besides goodwill, we need new facts. Tomorrow, I am going to ask Prime Minister May whether she has concrete proposals on how to break the impasse. Only such proposals can determine if a breakthrough is possible.

While working on a Brexit deal, we also need to make sure, that we are prepared in case an agreement is not possible, or in case it is rejected. Therefore, tomorrow, leaders will discuss how to step up our preparations for a no-deal scenario. But, as I have already stressed: “the fact that we are preparing for a no-deal scenario must not, under any circumstances, lead us away from making every effort to reach the best agreement possible, for all sides.”

Among other things, the European Council will also debate internal security. The latest cyber attack against the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, at a time when it was investigating the Salisbury poisoning, shows what new threats we are facing. Therefore, I will propose actions to the leaders that will strengthen our resilience and resolve. It is time the EU got ready for all possible cyber security risks.

The economy is another area where the EU wants to be more resilient. Good progress in reinforcing the Economic and Monetary Union by December is still possible. Even if the tensions among members of the euro area are greater today than they were in June. Therefore, the Euro Summit will discuss how to ensure that we have further progress in reforming the EMU by the end of the year.

For many of the issues discussed during the Social Summit – including migration and security, investments, EMU, digital innovation – the EU budget is key. As Social Partners noted today, the EU budget is also our best lever for promoting social and economic convergence. That is a very important reason why the ongoing MFF (Multiannual Financial Framework) discussions must accelerate. And that is why I will give special prominence to the MFF at the December European Council.

Before concluding, I want to recall that today is the first anniversary of the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Since then, other journalists have been murdered, also in Europe. And today we are all troubled by reports of the killing of the Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. And I am absolutely convinced that without a free press, our societies will not be free. This is why I call for a full investigation to establish what happened, and to hold those responsible to account. The violence against journalists has to stop. Thank you.

Questions and answers at the press conference following the Tripartite Social Summit

President Tusk you have called for concrete proposals from Theresa May, proposals on what? If those proposals aren’t forthcoming, what will happen? Lastly, is there going to be a summit in November or not?

The problem is clear: it is the Irish question and the problem with the borders between Ireland and Northern Ireland, the so called backstop. It looks like a new version of the Gordian knot. Unfortunately, I can not see a new version of Alexander the Great, it is not so easy to find such kind of creative leader. It’s for the leaders to decide if we need an extraordinary summit in November or not. Logistically we are ready but we need also the feeling that we are at least close to a positive breakthrough. What we need today, is to finalise our negotiations. The clock is ticking and I hope that tomorrow, Theresa May will present something creative enough to solve this impasse.

Is it a no deal Brexit now your number one assumption? Is that the most likely scenario in your eyes?

It is a question about our responsibility and not our predictions or our plan. A no deal scenario is more likely than ever before but it does not mean that it becomes our political priority, but quite the opposite. Because the situation is tricky as it is today, we need to prepare for this black scenario. I still believe, it is not only hope but also a rational assessment, that we can find a better solution than a no deal scenario.

Do you think it is realistic to make progress on the Eurozone reform when the Italian government is challenging European rules, European institutions, the markets. Do you fear a new euro crisis because of Italy?

I hope positive progress is still possible. This is why I decided to organize this Euro summit. We have to be realistic and frank. I am aware that the atmosphere is more tricky than it was in June but I think we can use time before December to clarify the positions of some Member States. Our goal remains to have visible progress in December. What we need today is a respectful dialogue between the Commission and Italy.

President Tusk, you want Theresa May to come up with concrete solutions. Is the EU going to think creatively about how to break this impasse too? You mentioned Alexander the Great, Alexander is also the first name of Boris Johnson. Is he a figure that the EU is looking at to rescue this negotiations? Are you even thinking about the next government after Theresa May’s?

To compare Boris Johnson to Alexander the Great is a sort of exaggeration I think, but of course this is my private opinion. Both sides are responsible for this still possible breakthrough. When it comes to this very context, the backstop, we need something fresh in our discussions and to be very clear, because I have heard some comments, sometimes very dramatic comments, one of the authors is also Boris Johnson, that the EU wants to annex economically Northern Ireland and also to split the UK. Of course this is not true. Objectively this is a very difficult and complicated issue. The question of the Irish border is an unfortunate natural and automatic result of the Brexit decision. This is why we need something very creative to protect at the same time our values, the single market and to fully respect the UK and its sovereignty. For me it is clear, the goal must be clear for all of us, but for this we need maybe a new way of thinking because objectively this is something really difficult.

Video of the full questions and answer session – part 1

Video of the full questions and answer session – part 2

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Joint statement by President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Council Donald Tusk, Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz, President of BusinessEurope Pierre Gattaz and General-Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation Luca Visentini.

The main topic of the Tripartite Social Summit was “Reinforcing competitiveness, sustainable job creation and social fairness in the European Union“. The discussions were structured around three sub-themes:

• The digital revolution and its potential for labour markets and the economy
• Implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights: stock-taking and way forward
• The Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 including InvestEU, ESF+ and the deepening of the EMU.

Following the Summit, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker underlined: “12 million new jobs have been created since 2014, investment is picking up and the economy is growing.   One year after the proclamation of the European Pillar of Social Rights at the Gothenburg Summit, this is the time to conclude the legislative work on important priorities such as work-life balance, predictable and transparent working conditions, access to social protection, the coordination of social security systems and the new European Labour Authority. I trust that the Austrian presidency will play its role as a bridge builder and help us to strengthen the social dimension of Europe – a Europe which protects, empowers and defends. “

In his statement, the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said that:”This is a critically important week and with less than 6 months to go until Brexit day, there is still far too much uncertainty. You are as impatient as I am for this uncertainty to end. I still believe we can get there in the coming weeks. If business is to thrive, and if citizens are to feel reassured, maximum stability, legal certainty and pragmatic solutions are needed.”

From the side of the rotating Presidency, Austria’s Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, said that “Digitalisation is the foremost development that will change our lives decisively in the years and decades to come. Europe cannot allow itself to fall behind the other highly competitive regions as the world goes digital. Our success in preparing for these changes, strengthening Europe’s capacity to innovate and seizing the opportunities offered by digitalisation will shape Europe’s future competitiveness as a place to do business. It will also secure jobs and prosperity for the citizens of Europe. For that reason, digitalisation is a core issue for the Austrian Presidency, and we are working swiftly to make maximum progress on key files, such as the Digital Single Market, by the end of the year. We also have a strong strategic focus on artificial intelligence.“

BusinessEurope’s President, Pierre Gattaz, representing employers (BusinessEurope, CEEP, UEAPME) said “The EU economic recovery continues but at lower rates than a year ago. Moreover, there remain downside risks, linked to political uncertainty and rising protectionism. It is more important than ever to ensure that the EU and all its Member States, together with social partners, pursue reforms that improve competitiveness, growth and employment across Europe.The role of benchmarking should be strengthened as it is an effective tool for Member States to learn from the best in different policies, gradually converging towards the best performing ones.  A key challenge is to increase productivity in Europe. This requires more targeted investment in physical and social infrastructures, in particular quality education and training and incentives for the take-up of new technologies by SMEs. Furthermore, skills shortages continue to be a real concern for employers, even in Member States with relatively high unemployment.”

Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), said: “Working people are contributing plenty to increased competitiveness, but social fairness is rapidly declining. Wage increases in the European Union over the last 16 years would have been four times higher if they had reflected productivity increases. Jobs need to be economically, socially and environmentally sustainable and offer a decent life. For this to happen, we need a socially sustainable EU economic governance with increased public and private investment, social partners involved in the Semester and in European and national reforms, strengthened collective bargaining in all EU countries for a fair wage for working people. A just transition must ensure workers hit by climate change and digitalisation are not left behind. EU legislation and the new EU MFF must support social cohesion and inclusion and full implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights.”

Background

The Tripartite Social Summit takes place twice a year, ahead of the spring and autumn European Councils. It is an opportunity for a constructive exchange of views between leaders of European employee and employer organisations, the European Commission, the European Council, the EU Heads of State or Government and Employment and Social Affairs Ministers from the countries holding the current and upcoming Council of the EU Presidencies.

Today’s edition focussed on reinforcing competitiveness, sustainable job creation and social fairness in the EU. More specifically, participants had a discussion on the potential of the digital revolution for labour markets and the economy, the roll-out of the European Pillar of Social Rights as well as the next EU long-term budget, including InvestEU, the European Social Fund Plus and the deepening of the Economic and Monetary Union.