The European Council meeting on 19-20 March will take place at a moment of heightened geopolitical volatility and mounting pressure on the Union’s internal resilience. Russia’s war on Ukraine has entered its fifth year, with Kyiv facing acute shortages of air defence systems, ammunition and fiscal support. At the same time, the war in the Middle East is threatening regional stability and disrupting global energy markets, with potentially severe repercussions for Europe’s economic competitiveness.

What do these developments mean for Europe’s strategic role at a time when multiple crises are unfolding simultaneously? Can the EU sustain long‑term military and financial support for Ukraine while accelerating defence industrial production and agreeing on credible security guarantees? How will the Union navigate the consequences of the war in the Middle East, and does it possess meaningful leverage to shape the regional environment? Will the emerging competitiveness agenda – from deepening the Single Market to reforming energy prices and strengthening industrial policy – be sufficient to reverse Europe’s declining economic dynamism? And can leaders reconcile growing demands on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) with limited fiscal space and diverging national priorities?

This event welcomes the participation of EPC member organisations, EU institutions and media.

For media enquiries, please contact media@epc.eu.

For other queries, please contact events@epc.eu.