Remarks by President Donald Tusk after the European Council and Euro summit meetings on 14 December 2018 - Hoofdinhoud

A year ago, we promised concrete steps to strengthen the Economic and Monetary Union. Today, leaders delivered on this promise.

First, with an agreement to create a common backstop for the Single Resolution Fund. And second, we agreed to give the European Stability Mechanism stronger powers to prevent and manage financial crises. These two decisions — which mean changing the ESM Treaty as soon as possible — significantly strengthen the monetary union. Additionally, Finance ministers will accelerate work on a Euro area budgetary instrument. Importantly, it will be adopted in an inclusive format, by all the Member States, in the context of the long-term EU budget.

Today leaders also adopted conclusions on the Single Market, climate change, migration, disinformation and the fight against racism and xenophobia. On disinformation, I want to highlight the concern among leaders that this threat to our democracies is deliberate, large-scale, and systemic. And it is not going away, but rather growing. We are determined to counter this threat. The actions proposed by the Commission and the External Action Service should be implemented immediately by the appropriate authorities, well-ahead of the European elections.

I want to close by thanking Chancellor Kurz for a very energetic and delivery-focused Austrian presidency. Your achievements speak for themselves, like the continued reduction of illegal migration to Europe, the start of talks with Egypt and the League of Arab States, the progress on internal security or the Banking Package. Vielen Dank Sebastian!

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