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Ministerial Committee on European Union Affairs discussed Salzburg Informal Summit of EU Heads of State or Government

Government Communications Department
Publication date 18.9.2018 8.53 | Published in English on 18.9.2018 at 14.58
Press release 419/2018

In its meeting on 18 September, the Ministerial Committee on European Union Affairs outlined Finland's position on the agenda of the informal meeting of EU heads of state or government convening on 19 and 20 September in Austria. The working session of the informal meeting of heads of state or government in Salzburg will focus on EU internal security. The EU leaders will also discuss migration during an informal working dinner the same day. The next day, the EU 27 will discuss the UK’s exit from the European Union.

Finland considers it important to continue the efforts to strengthen EU internal security. Together, we must prevent and combat terrorism and other cross-border threats better than at present. We need to manage the EU’s external borders more effectively. In this work, Finland’s position is that each Member State is responsible for protecting its own borders. We must also invest in preventing hybrid threats and reinforcing crisis resilience in the EU and its Member States.

Finland supports a comprehensive European approach to the management of migration. Finland deems it necessary to find a solution swiftly to reform the Common European Asylum System. Cooperation with non-EU countries must also be stepped up. Interaction with African states, in particular, must be made more effective and mutually beneficial.

It is important to finalise the UK withdrawal agreement and to bring it into force. The EU’s aim has been to conclude the negotiations on a withdrawal agreement by the October European Council. A political declaration on the future EU-UK relationship will be annexed to the withdrawal agreement. So far, little progress has been made in the initial talks on the future relationship.

Inquiries: Kare Halonen, State Secretary for EU Affairs, tel. +358 295 160 319, Riikka Pakarinen, Special Adviser (EU Affairs), tel. +358 40 580 0833 and Anne Sjöholm, Head of Communications for EU Affairs, tel. 040 537 0733, valtioneuvoston kanslia