EU FOREIGN STRATEGIC AGENDA (1st July 2020-31 December 2021)

Under German, Portuguese and Slovenian Presidencies

Summary

1. Opening accession negotiations with the Republic of Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia
2. Transatlantic partnership and the trade relations of the EU with the US
3. Close coordination with the EEA EFTA states and Switzerland on the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic
4. Addressing major conflicts in the Union’s neighbourhood and beyond, such as in Libya, the Sahel region, Syria, and Eastern Ukraine.
5. Implementation of the commitments to be undertaken at the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit.
6. EU’s engagement to the Black Sea regional cooperation and the EU’s Black Sea Synergy initiative.
7. EU-Russia relations
8. EU cooperation with the OSCE
9. EU Strategy on Central Asia (Connecting Europe and Asia strategy).
10. Cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with the aim to reach a "Strategic Partnership".
11. Dialogue and cooperation with Asia through the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), which is planning to hold its 13th Summit on 16-17 November 2020, in Phnom Penh (Cambodia)
12. EU-China Leaders' Meeting.
13. Annual EU summits with China, India, Japan and the Republic of Korea
14. EU-India Leaders’ Meeting in Porto in May 2021
15. EU-African Union (AU) Summit, to be held in October 2020
16. EU-AU Ministerial meetings ( signing and conclusion of the post-Cotonou agreement)
17. EU support of the economic integration project of the African Continental Free Trade Area and intercontinental efforts to fulfil the commitments to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
18. EU’s political partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean.
19. Updating the agreements in force with Mexico
20. Updating the agreements in force with Chile
21. Moving forward with Mercosur
22. EU intense political engagement in Venezuela.
23. Reform of the WTO to strengthen the multilateral rules-based order and reform of the international investment dispute settlement regime .
24. Working on ambitious bilateral free trade and investment protection agreements, while ensuring a level playing field and improved access to public procurement markets.
25. Negotiations of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Indonesia likely to be concluded in 2021.
26. Negotiation of FTAs with Australia and New Zealand might be concluded in the course of 2021.
27. Conclusion of a Partnership and Co-operation Agreement with Thailand in 2021.
28. EU will strive for the signature of the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement
29. Modernization of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement
30. Modernzation of the Association Agreement with Chile.
31. Signing of Geographical Indications Protection Agreement
32. Conclusion of the negotiations of an ambitious and balanced Comprehensive Agreement on Investment with China.
33. Possible re-launch of negotiations on an ambitious EU-India trade and investment protection agreement.
34. The EU shall look to work better together in the field of development cooperation and to further strengthen its international partnerships in this area in an inclusive way.
35. EU’s commitment to ending hunger and malnutrition (UN World Food Systems Summit scheduled for 2021)
36. Safeguarding of humanitarian space and the promotion of International Humanitarian Law.
37. Global Health (World Health Organisation (WHO).
38. Implementation of the EU Maritime Security Strategy (EUMSS) and its updated Action Plan to improve the way the Union responds at global scale to maritime security threats and challenges affecting people, activities and infrastructures, in particular through intensified diplomatic cooperation with international partners, notably in the Gulf of Guinea, and coordinated capacity building.
39. Enhancement of all aspects of the Common Security and Defense Policy ( CSDP) with the overall goal of making the EU a responsible, capable and reliable actor and global partner for peace and security.
40. Increase CSDP-JHA cooperation, support to national processes to increase capabilities for civilian CSDP missions and many more actions ensuring the full implementation of the civilian CSDP Compact by early summer 2023.
41. Implementation of the ground-breaking steps of the last two years in all key areas (Permanent Structured Cooperation - PESCO, Coordinated Annual Review on Defence - CARD, and the European Defence Fund - EDF).
42. Strengthening the cohesion and capacity for joint action of both NATO and the EU  including military mobility, cyber security and defence, development of capabilities, hybrid threats, capacity building, military assistance to civilian authorities and measures to enhance resilience/civil preparedness.