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Prime Minister Marin to attend European Council meeting

Government Communications Department
Publication date 14.10.2020 13.20 | Published in English on 14.10.2020 at 16.08
Press release 647/2020

Prime Minister Sanna Marin will attend the European Council meeting to be held in Brussels on 15–16 October. The topics on the agenda for the meeting are the COVID-19 pandemic, the future relationship between the EU and the UK, climate change and external relations.

At the meeting, the European Council will examine the epidemiological situation with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. The EU leaders will also discuss general coordination and the ongoing work related to vaccine development and distribution in the EU.

The EU leaders will assess the implementation of the EU-UK withdrawal agreement and will review the ongoing negotiations on the future partnership to begin on 1 January 2021.

With regard to climate change, the European Council will review the Union's progress towards achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The European Commission has proposed a new interim target of at least 55 per cent in emissions reductions by 2030. At the moment, the EU is committed to reducing its emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2030 compared to the levels in 1990.

On the topic of external relations, the EU leaders will focus in particular on relations between the EU and Africa.

Inquiries: Jari Luoto, State Under-Secretary for European Affairs, tel. +358 50 468 5949, Tuulia Pitkänen, Special Adviser (EU Affairs), tel. +358 295 160 231, Anne Sjöholm, Head of Communications for EU Affairs, tel. +358 40 537 0733, Prime Minister’s Office

Inquiries about media arrangements in Brussels: Marko Ruonala, Press Officer, tel. +32 470 206 152, Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU, Brussels