Summary of the day
The EU’s 27 heads of state and government met in Brussels.
Discussions focused on an aid package to Ukraine.
Leaders convinced Hungary’s Viktor Orbán to sign off on a €50bn aid package for Kyiv – which he had vetoed at an earlier summit in December – allowing for a unanimous agreement.
As a compromise, leaders agreed that “on the basis of the commission annual report on the implementation of the Ukraine facility, the European Council will hold a debate each year on the implementation of the facility with a view to providing guidance”.
They added that “if needed, in two years the European Council will invite the Commission to make a proposal for review in the context of the new MFF [multiannual financial framework].
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, said he was grateful to EU leaders for their deal on long-term financial assistance but also urged them to step up on military aid.
EU leaders also signed off on a revision of the bloc’s long-term budget, with extra funding allocated for priorities such as migration.
Farmers protested in Brussels, throwing eggs and stones at the European parliament, lighting fires, dumping manure and setting off fireworks to put pressure on leaders.
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said farmers could count on European support and that the commission was working closely with member states to address challenges. The Belgian prime minister, Alexander De Croo, Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, and Von der Leyen met farmers’ representatives.
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“I want to simplify the daily lives of our farmers,” said the French prime minister, Gabriel Attal.
Je souhaite simplifier la vie quotidienne de nos agriculteurs.
— Gabriel Attal (@GabrielAttal) February 1, 2024
Simplifier car je préfère voir nos agriculteurs dans leurs champs que sur leurs écrans à remplir des formulaires.
À ma demande, partout en France, les préfets simplifient en ce moment même les normes en vigueur.
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