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4th European Political Community Summit

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4th European Political Community Summit
Host countryUnited Kingdom
Date18 July 2024
Venue(s)Blenheim Palace
CitiesWoodstock
ChairKeir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Follows3rd
Precedes5th
WebsiteUK Government
EU Council

The Fourth European Political Community Summit was a meeting of the European Political Community held on 18 July 2024 at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, United Kingdom.

Aims

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Following a bilateral summit meeting between the leaders of the United Kingdom and France on 10 March 2023, it was stated in the joint declaration that the EPC should focus on energy, infrastructures, connectivity, cybersecurity, countering disinformation and migration.[1][2]

On the eve of the second EPC summit which was held on 1 June 2023, British prime minister Rishi Sunak issued a statement saying "Stopping migration and securing our borders should be at the top of the agenda for European leaders".[3] Sunak had also caused controversy at the previous summit in Granada by demanding that the pre-arranged agenda be scrapped with the sole focus of the summit shifting to immigration.[4] When announcing the date of the summit, Sunak added that it would focus on supporting Ukraine during the ongoing Russian invasion, tackling people smuggling and reducing immigration.[5] In a Politico article, John Kampfner reported that Keir Starmer would maintain Sunak's agenda, including the topic of migration.[6]

Sunak unexpectedly announced on 22 May 2024, that a snap general election would be held on 4 July 2024, just two weeks before the summit is due to take place. The Labour Party won that election and Starmer subsequently became prime minister.[7] Whilst in opposition, Keir Starmer had indicated that he would use the summit to begin establishing a “new geopolitical partnership”; Starmer's European aims include: improving the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) by renegotiating its free trade agreement terms, and rejoining the Erasmus student exchange program.[8] Starmer has previously ruled out rejoining the European Union, the single market, or entering a customs union.[9] Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy has stated he wants the UK and the EU to create a security pact, and for the UK to attend meetings of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council.[10][11] Starmer aims to use the summit to reset relations with the EU, share ideas for a new Border Command to tackle migration and to sign a defence co-operation deal with Germany, based on the Lancaster House Treaties. Starmer's aides have downplayed the chances on using the summit to renegotiate the TCA, including veterinary agreements and mobility deals.[12]

Preparation

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Blenheim Palace hosted the 4th EPC summit on 18 July 2024

The United Kingdom was announced as the host of the fourth EPC summit in October 2022.[13] King Charles III mentioned the UK's hosting the EPC summit as part of his speech during the 2023 State Opening of Parliament.[14]

Preparations for the summit were discussed by the upper house of the UK Parliament on 12 December 2023. Tariq Ahmed, a minister in the UK foreign office stated that the UK views the EPC as an "important platform for co-ordination on European issues" adding that energy security, immigration and the Russian invasion of Ukraine would feature on the agenda.[15]

The summit was initially expected to take place in March or April, however by January 2024, several European diplomats believe the UK government's refusal to rule out a snap general election this spring lies behind "delays" to an upcoming meeting.[16] The UK government has stated that it will announce a date "in due course".[17] On 14 March 2024, UK media reported that the summit is now planned to take place in July. This caused frustration among some of the Nordic countries who would already be on their summer holidays. Sunak aimed for the summit to focus on immigration.[18] On 19 March 2024, the UK Government finally announced that the summit would take place on 18 July, and will be held at Blenheim Palace.[5]

In a letter from then British foreign minister David Cameron, the UK government pledged to work with European partners to promote coherence across this and future EPC summits.[19] On 25 March 2024, British ambassador to Hungary, Paul Fox, met with Hungarian Europe minister, Bóka János, promising to promote coherence across EPC summits; Hungary is scheduled to host the following summit in November 2024.[20] UK prime minister Rishi Sunak discussed plans and preparations for the summit with French president Emmanuel Macron in a phone call on 8 April 2024, where he stated that defending Ukraine, progressing cooperation on artificial intelligence and joint efforts to tackle illegal immigration and organized crime would be part of its agenda.[21]

On 22 May 2024, Sunak unexpectedly announced a general election for 4 July. The Labour Party won that election, with Sunak being replaced by Keir Starmer as prime minister and David Lammy being appointed as the new foreign secretary.

Starmer hosted Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris at Chequers on the eve of the summit.[22]

Schedule and agenda

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The summit took place on 18 July 2024 at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock.[5] The agenda included an opening plenary, followed by three roundtables on migration, energy and connectivity, and defending and securing democracy, before ending with a closing plenary.[23] Swiss president Viola Amherd presented feedback from the June 2024 Ukraine peace summit that took place in Bürgenstock, Switzerland.[24]

The schedule and agenda is as follows:[25]

Participants

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Participating states and organizations

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Countries participating in the European Political Community
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer chaired the summit
Opening session
European leaders at Blenheim Palace

The summit was attended by heads of state or government of the states participating in the European Political Community, alongside the President of the European Council and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The British government stated that "around 50" leaders would attend the UK EPC event.[33] Rishi Sunak invited NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to the UK's EPC summit during a meeting in Warsaw, on 23 April 2024.[34] On 14 July 2024, Keir Starmer announced that representatives of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Council of Europe would be attending the summit.[23]

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was unable to attend the summit due to a packed travel schedule.[35]

Key
Non-EU member
Member Represented by Title
Albania Albania Edi Rama Prime Minister
Andorra Andorra Xavier Espot Zamora Prime Minister
Armenia Armenia Nikol Pashinyan Prime Minister
Austria Austria
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev President
Belgium Belgium Alexander De Croo Prime Minister
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Bećirović Chairman of the Presidency
Bulgaria Bulgaria Rumen Radev President
Croatia Croatia Andrej Plenković Prime Minister
Cyprus Cyprus
Czech Republic Czech Republic Petr Fiala Prime Minister
Denmark Denmark Mette Frederiksen Prime Minister
Estonia Estonia Kaja Kallas Prime Minister
Finland Finland Alexander Stubb President
France France Emmanuel Macron President
Georgia (country) Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze Prime Minister
Germany Germany Olaf Scholz Chancellor
Greece Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis Prime Minister
Hungary Hungary Viktor Orbán Prime Minister
Iceland Iceland Bjarni Benediktsson Prime Minister
Republic of Ireland Ireland Simon Harris Taoiseach
Italy Italy Giorgia Meloni Prime Minister
Kosovo Kosovo Vjosa Osmani President
Latvia Latvia Evika Silina Prime Minister
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein Daniel Risch Prime Minister
Lithuania Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda President
Luxembourg Luxembourg Luc Frieden Prime Minister
Malta Malta Robert Abela Prime Minister
Moldova Moldova Maia Sandu President
Monaco Monaco Pierre Dartout Minister of State (de facto Prime Minister)
Montenegro Montenegro Jakov Milatović President
Netherlands Netherlands Dick Schoof Prime Minister
North Macedonia North Macedonia Hristijan Mickoski Prime Minister
Norway Norway Jonas Gahr Støre Prime Minister
Poland Poland Donald Tusk Prime Minister
Portugal Portugal Luís Montenegro Prime Minister
Romania Romania Klaus Iohannis President
San Marino San Marino Luca Beccari Secretary of State for Foreign and Political Affairs (de facto Prime Minister)
Serbia Serbia Aleksandar Vučić President
Slovakia Slovakia Peter Kmec Deputy Prime Minister
Slovenia Slovenia Robert Golob Prime Minister
Spain Spain Pedro Sánchez Prime Minister
Sweden Sweden
Switzerland Switzerland Viola Amherd President
Turkey Turkey N/A N/A
Ukraine Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy President
United Kingdom United Kingdom Keir Starmer (host) Prime Minister
European Union European Union Charles Michel
Josep Borrell[36] 		President of the European Council
High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

Invited delegates

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Entity Represented by Title
Council of Europe Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić[37] Secretary General
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization Jens Stoltenberg[38] Secretary General
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya[39] Head

Outcomes

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Future EPC summits

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During the closing press conference, Keir Starmer confirmed that the next summit will take place in Hungary followed by two summits in Albania and Denmark in 2025.[40]

Armenia–Azerbaijan relations

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Main article: Armenia–Azerbaijan relations

Prior to the summit, the host government attempted to arrange a bilateral meeting between the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the summit. Despite the efforts of the UK, the anticipated meeting between Pashinyan and Aliyev did not take place. A senior British government official stated that "the UK is not attempting to mediate the ongoing dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan." The Armenian Foreign Ministry confirmed that they were open to meeting with the Azerbaijani side and stated that "the Armenian side also reiterates its proposal to intensify the negotiations on the highest levels and to reach the signing of the peace treaty within one month."[41]

French President Emmanuel Macron met with Pashinyan on the sidelines of the summit and also defended French arms sales to Armenia during a press conference. Macron stated, "It is normal to respond to the request of a sovereign country which wants to equip itself [militarily] and which thinks that it could be attacked by another. If we look at the last decade, it seems that Azerbaijan has become much more equipped than Armenia. And if I have a good memory -- but correct me if I'm wrong -- Azerbaijan launched a war, and a terrible war, in 2020."[42]

Belarusian opposition

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For the second time, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was invited to attend the summit by the host government.[39][43]

Human trafficking and irregular migration

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During the closing press conference, Keir Starner stated that the UK's new Border Security Command would work with Europol and the European Migrant Smuggling Centre to counter people smuggling and illegal migration. The UK committed £84 million over three years for development projects in Africa and the Middle East to reduce economic migration[29] and signed agreements with Slovakia and Slovenia to tackle organised crime gangs.[44]

Support for Moldova

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Moldovan President Maia Sandu met with Charles Michel, Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Klaus Iohannis and Tusk to discuss Moldova's resilience and gain support towards a secure and prosperous future.[45]

Support for Ukraine

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Upon arrival at the summit, NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg announced plans for a new 700 personnel NATO command centre based in Wiesbaden, Germany to coordinate support for Ukraine during its ongoing invasion by Russia.[46]

During the opening plenary session, Swiss president Viola Amherd announced that 87 countries had signed the global peace summit communique.[47]

Ukraine signed agreements with Slovenia and the Czech Republic to allow those countries to provide long term military and humanitarian assistance.[48][49] The Czech Republic agreed to boost cooperation in the military tech sphere, including the production of ammunition, small arms, drones, electronic warfare, and heavy equipment. Slovenia will allocate an additional 5 million euros for humanitarian aid, economic recovery, and the Grain from Ukraine program and will support with training within the framework of the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine.[50][51][52]

Prior to the summit, Bloomberg reported that British prime minister Keir Starmer will use the summit to launch a plan to tackle the shadow fleet of oil tankers Russia is using to avoid international sanctions.[53] Starmer confirmed these plans during his closing press conference[40][54] later adding that an additional 11 vessels would be subject to international sanctions.[55]

Following on from the summit, Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the UK Cabinet where he called for Western allies to allow long-range strikes on military targets within Russia. Keir Starmer unveiled a Defence Export Support Treaty to enable Ukraine to draw on $4.5 billion of funding for its defence industry.[56][57]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "UK-France Joint Leaders' Declaration". GOV.UK. 10 March 2023. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Déclaration conjointe – 36ème Sommet franco-britannique". Élysée (in French). 10 March 2023. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  3. ^ Sunak, Rishi (31 May 2023). "Prime Minister: The security of our borders must be Europe's top priority". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  4. ^ Samuel, Henry; Barnes, Joe; Riley-Smith, Ben; Hymas, Charles (27 September 2023). "UK and Spain in row over Sunak demand for focus on illegal migration". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Sunak, Rishi (19 March 2024). "UK to host European Political Community meeting in July 2024 at Blenheim Palace". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  6. ^ Kampfner, John (6 June 2024). "Starmer will try to prove Britain can be a reliable EU friend — and Germany will be key". Politico. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  7. ^ Lawless, Jill (6 July 2024). "A NATO summit and mending EU relations are among first tasks for new UK leader Keir Starmer". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  8. ^ Milligan, Ellen (24 June 2024). "Starmer's Silence on Brexit Risks Backfiring If He Gains Power". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 24 June 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  9. ^ Courea, Eleni (22 June 2024). "Reopening Brexit debate would bring 'turmoil', says Keir Starmer". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 June 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  10. ^ Lammy, David (17 April 2024). "The Case for Progressive Realism". Foreign Affairs. 103 (3). Archived from the original on 17 April 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  11. ^ Fisher, Lucy; Foy, Henry (17 April 2024). "Labour to seek regular UK access to EU foreign affairs council". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 17 April 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  12. ^ Fisher, Lucy; Pickard, Jim; Foster, Peter (2 July 2024). "Keir Starmer to signal Britain is 'back' on the world stage". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 2 July 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Informal meeting of heads of state or government, Prague, 6 October 2022". Council of the European Union. 8 September 2022. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  14. ^ King Charles III (7 November 2023). "The King's Speech 2023". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
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  16. ^ Fisher, Lucy; Foster, Peter; Parker, George; Foy, Henry (22 January 2024). "EU diplomats blame possible UK spring election for summit delay". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 22 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  17. ^ McGrath, Dominic (23 January 2024). "UK diplomat plays downs delays to naming date for major European summit". The Independent. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  18. ^ Gross, Anna; Parker, George; Fisher, Lucy; Bounds, Andy (14 March 2024). "Rishi Sunak rules out holding a general election in May". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 14 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  19. ^ Ricketts, Peter [@LordRickettsP] (19 March 2024). "The UK is good at convening major conferences and getting useful outcomes from them. So it's excellent that Gov't will be hosting the 44-member European Political Community summit at Blenheim on 18 July. An important opportunity to sustain crucial European support for Ukraine" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 26 March 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ János, Bóka [@JanosBoka_HU] (25 March 2024). "Meeting w/ @PaulFox_FCDO preparation of the #EPC Summit scheduled for July in the UK and in November in Hungary" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 25 March 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024 – via Twitter.
  21. ^ Sunak, Rishi (8 April 2024). "PM call with President Macron of France: 8 April 2024". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  22. ^ O’Carroll, Lisa (11 July 2024). "Starmer to begin reset of EU relations in meetings with Irish and French PMs". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 July 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  23. ^ a b Starmer, Keir (14 July 2024). "Prime Minister to host European leaders at first major UK-led summit of his premiership". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 14 July 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  24. ^ Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports (15 July 2024). "President Amherd to represent Switzerland at fourth meeting of the European Political Community". The Federal Council. Archived from the original on 15 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
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  27. ^ "Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelenskyy address European Political Community". 18 July 2024 – via YouTube.
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  30. ^ "YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
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  33. ^ Blewett, Sam; Bloom, Dan (19 March 2024). "UK at last confirms European Political Community summit date". Politico. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
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  35. ^ Soylu, Ragip (16 July 2024). "Turkey: Erdogan to skip European summit in UK". Middle East Eye. Ankara. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  36. ^ "Media advisory: HR/VP Borrell attends the European Political Community meeting in the United Kingdom | EEAS". www.eeas.europa.eu.
  37. ^ "Secretary General at European Political Community Meeting".
  38. ^ NATO Press Office (15 July 2024). "Participation by the NATO Secretary General in a meeting of the European Political Community". North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  39. ^ a b Tsikhanouskaya, Sviatlana [@Tsihanouskaya] (17 July 2024). "Thankful to 🇬🇧 Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer for the invitation to attend the Summit of the European Political Community tomorrow in Blenheim Palace. It's an important opportunity for us to advance the European perspective for #Belarus and strengthen ties with our European allies" (Tweet). Retrieved 17 July 2024 – via Twitter.
  40. ^ a b "PM's press conference remarks at the European Political Community summit: 18 July 2024". GOV.UK. 18 July 2024.
  41. ^ "Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting fails to materialize at European Political Community summit". www.aa.com.tr.
  42. ^ Ռ/Կ, «Ազատություն» (19 July 2024). "Macron Defends French Arms Supplies To Armenia" – via www.azatutyun.am.
  43. ^ https://tsikhanouskaya.org/en/news/aid-to-political-prisoners-support-for-civil-society-preservation-of-belarusian-culture-key-points-from-sviatlana-tsikhanouskayas-meetings-during-european-political-community-summit.html
  44. ^ "UK steps up work to reduce illegal migration". GOV.UK.
  45. ^ "Meeting of the European Political Community - Consilium".
  46. ^ "NATO's Ukraine command center in Germany to start operating in September". news.az.
  47. ^ "Global peace summit communique reaches 87 signatories". The Kyiv Independent. 18 July 2024.
  48. ^ "x.com".
  49. ^ "x.com".
  50. ^ "Ukraine signs long-term security deals with Czechia, Slovenia". The Kyiv Independent. 18 July 2024.
  51. ^ Looijen, Benjamin (18 July 2024). "Ukraine and Slovenia sign security agreement". Euromaidan Press.
  52. ^ "Fiala and Zelenskiy Sign Security Cooperation Deal at EPC Summit in Oxford".
  53. ^ Nardelli, Alberto; Wickham, Alex; Nightingale, Alaric (15 July 2024). "UK, EU States to Target Russian Oil Fleet With More Checks". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  54. ^ "UK leads 45-country coalition crackdown on 'Russia's shadow fleet'". Lloyd's List. 18 July 2024.
  55. ^ https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/uk-adds-11-designations-russia-sanctions-list-2024-07-18/
  56. ^ https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/show-support-uks-starmer-invites-ukraines-zelenskiy-attend-cabinet-2024-07-18/
  57. ^ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm52jvn41l7o
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