EUCO Liveblog
Trade-offs in final defence conclusions
Two things stand out in the final defence conclusions, compared to previous drafts. These were agreed by all 27 EU leaders:
1. Borders
Beyond the EU’s eastern border, the concession on all other problematic EU border threats found its way into the text after Southerners pushed for a stronger mention to the defence of threats the southern border. The final conclusions now include a reference to “the rest of the EU borders”.
2. Neutrals
Another key change in the final draft is the nod to neutral countries – Austria, Ireland, Malta – that their neutrality will be respected.
1. Borders
Beyond the EU’s eastern border, the concession on all other problematic EU border threats found its way into the text after Southerners pushed for a stronger mention to the defence of threats the southern border. The final conclusions now include a reference to “the rest of the EU borders”.
2. Neutrals
Another key change in the final draft is the nod to neutral countries – Austria, Ireland, Malta – that their neutrality will be respected.
