Strengthening the EU’s competitiveness is the main issue on the agenda of the Extraordinary Summit which will take place in Brussels today 17 and tomorrow Thursday 18 April, says the invitation of the President of the European Council Charles Michel to the leaders of the 27.

After the developments and Iran’s attack on Israel, points out Charles Michel, the European Council must condemn but also send a message of unity “urging all parties to show the maximum possible restraint, to respect international law and to avoid actions that can increase tensions. We must also address the situation in Lebanon, recognizing the difficult circumstances it faces and reiterating our strong support at this critical time.” He emphasizes that the latest events have “worsened” the already “extremely unstable situation in the region”.

It adds that the Europeans’ commitment to work “with partners to end the tragic crisis in Gaza with an immediate ceasefire and release of hostages, as well as an urgent scale-up of unimpeded humanitarian aid to Gaza, remains vital”.

For Turkey, the president of the European Council states that the “strategic discussion” will be framed “by our strategic interest in developing a mutually beneficial cooperation relationship. Strengthening the relationship should also help promote a stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean. In line with our approach, our work on this issue should be progressed in a gradual, proportionate and reversible manner.”

On competitiveness, he notes that Enrico Letta is expected to present his report to the leaders.

In particular, Charles Michel points out that all the possibilities of the single market must be fully exploited, “eliminate all fragmentation” and follow the recommendations that Enrico Letta will present.

The president of the European Council underlines at the same time that “a new competitiveness agreement and a new perspective are long overdue. This strong and urgent response is paramount to ensuring our prosperity and our global leadership. Essentially, we must collectively bridge the growth and innovation gap with our global counterparts and protect our economic, industrial and technological base.”

Finally, it states that for “Ukraine, following our extensive March conclusions, we will address Russia’s persistent attacks on Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure, including the energy sector. These underline the urgent need to step up our military assistance, especially air defense capabilities.”