The March European Council featured
positive financial news and discussions on migration, the western Balkans, a
European Public Prosecutor’s Office and the future of the European Union (EU).
The meeting began with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker welcoming the re-election of European
Council President Donald Tusk, who will serve a two and a half year term.
The meeting was the first held in nearly a
decade in which the 28 member state economies are expecting growth over the next two
years. Discussions centered around ensuring conditions to perpetuate that
growth, like a focus on the single market and trade policy, according to a European Commission announcement.
On migration, leaders at the council agreed
to push for asylum policy reforms by June, and Juncker reiterated his calls for
the member states to implement solidarity measures.
Junker also repeated the EU’s commitment
to stability through reform in the western Balkans.
“It must be clear
that the western Balkan countries are keeping their unequivocal European
perspective,” he said, according to the announcement.
The meeting also included the first steps in
allowing 17 member states to fight fraud in the EU budget and enforce criminal
justice through a European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which other EU countries
would be able to join in the future.
Finally, EU-27 leaders discussed the commission’s recent white paper on the future of Europe.
