Read-out of the meeting between President von der Leyen, President Sassoli and Chancellor Merkel (rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU)

Met dank overgenomen van Europese Commissie (EC) i, gepubliceerd op woensdag 11 november 2020.

Following yesterday's political agreement between the Parliament and the Council on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and on NextGenerationEU (NGEU), President von der Leyen held a fifth videoconference with the President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli i, and Chancellor Angela Merkel i for the Presidency of the Council of the EU, in the context of a “article 324” meeting.

The three Presidents welcomed the agreement reached yesterday by the institutions in the context of the trilogue discussions, as well as last week's agreement on the Rule of Law mechanism.

They noted that time is now of the essence in order to finalise all the necessary steps to enable the MFF and NGEU to enter into force on January 1st 2021.

They called on the European Parliament and the Council to formally endorse the agreements reached yesterday and last week as quickly as possible. This will open the way for the formal adoption of all the necessary pieces of legislation, and national ratifications where required.

The three Presidents emphasised that the seriousness of the current epidemiological and economic situation clearly demonstrated the need for swift, coordinated and resolute action. The entry into force of the MFF and NGEU are absolute preconditions for a successful exit of the health and economic crisis, as they will provide the budgetary means to finance the necessary actions and programmes.

They agreed to stay in close contact throughout the coming weeks to monitor progress on the adoption of the legislative acts and other preparatory steps. President von der Leyen confirmed her intention to reconvene a further meeting under article 324 of the Treaty, as appropriate.