EuroWire, BRUSSELS: European Council President António Costa has set the agenda for an informal EU leaders’ summit in Cyprus next week, saying heads of state or government will meet on April 23 and 24 to address the worsening geopolitical environment and the bloc’s next long-term budget. Costa said Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides will host the gathering in Lefkosia and Agia Napa, with the meeting intended to help coordinate the European Union’s response to external crises affecting security, energy costs and the wider economy.
Costa said leaders will begin discussions over dinner on April 23 with an address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Russia’s war against Ukraine. The meeting will then turn to Iran and the wider Middle East, which Costa described as posing serious challenges to the European Union. The agenda includes Europe’s contribution to de-escalation and peace in the region, freedom of navigation, and the effect of higher fossil fuel prices on households and businesses across the 27-member bloc.
The invitation to leaders also says the summit will review the instruments available to the EU in response to the crisis, building on decisions taken at the European Council meeting in March and on follow-up measures proposed by the European Commission. Costa said the bloc’s readiness to respond to a difficult geopolitical and security environment will form part of the discussion, including possible consideration of elements linked to Article 42(7) of the Treaty on European Union as work in that area continues.
EU summit agenda centers on Middle East security
On the morning of April 24, leaders are due to shift to the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework, covering 2028 to 2034. Costa said that debate had originally been planned for March but was postponed and has since become more urgent. He said the meeting should provide political guidance on how to align the Union’s ambitions with the level of financing required, including discussion of new own resources, as EU institutions prepare for negotiations later this year.
Costa said the next long-term budget should also be examined alongside the EU’s competitiveness agenda because it will be a central instrument for common strategic action. He said leaders would return to the budget repeatedly during 2026 in an effort to create conditions for a timely agreement. The Cyprus meeting comes after EU leaders in March adopted conclusions on Ukraine, the Middle East, competitiveness, European defense and security, and energy, setting the background for the April discussions.
Budget debate gains urgency
After the EU-only meeting, leaders are scheduled to continue talks on current developments in the Middle East at an informal working lunch with regional partners on April 24. Costa said the exchange is intended to address shared challenges and emerging opportunities for cooperation. The added session means the Middle East will feature in both the closed leaders’ talks and the broader regional discussions planned for the second day of the summit in Cyprus.
The informal summit comes as the EU weighs how to respond to multiple external crises while preparing its next spending framework. Costa said the meeting in Cyprus will allow leaders to revisit implementation of the March decisions, particularly in energy, provide further political guidance on the Middle East crisis and its impact on European economies, and mark an important step toward an agreement on the next long-term budget. The two-day gathering is due to conclude on April 24.