Önder Özar Diplomasi Sevgisi: European Council Brussels, 19 June 2026 - European Council meeting (18 and 19 June 2026)

Friday, June 19, 2026

European Council Brussels, 19 June 2026 - European Council meeting (18 and 19 June 2026) – Conclusions

European Council

Brussels, 19 June 2026

(OR. en)

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CO EUR 7

CONCL 2

From:

To:

General Secretariat of the Council

Delegations

Subject:

European Council meeting (18 and 19 June 2026) – Conclusions

Delegations will find attached the conclusions adopted by the European Council at the above meeting.

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Conclusions – 18 and 19 June 2026

UKRAINE

The European Council held an exchange of views with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President

of Ukraine.

The European Council reaffirms its continued firm and unwavering support for

Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally

recognised borders. The European Union will continue to provide, in coordination with

like-minded partners and allies, comprehensive political, financial, economic,

humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people.

The European Council welcomes the holding of the Intergovernmental Conference on

the accession of Ukraine to the European Union and the opening of the fundamentals

cluster on 15 June 2026, and looks forward to the opening of the other clusters, in line

with the merit-based approach.

The European Union supports a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine based

on the principles of the UN Charter and international law and underpinned by robust

and credible security guarantees for Ukraine. Only a solution that respects Ukraine’s

independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity can bring about a just and lasting

peace. Borders must not be changed by force, the aggressor cannot be rewarded and

Ukraine’s long-term security and ability to defend itself must be guaranteed. The path to

peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. The European Union will decide

on matters of its competence or affecting its security.

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The European Council supports diplomatic efforts to bring Russia’s war of aggression

to an end and underlines the EU’s readiness to step up its engagement in that context, in

accordance with the Union’s aim to promote peace, as enshrined in the Treaties. Europe

has a key role to play in a future settlement and stands ready to defend its interests.

Having failed to achieve its military and strategic objectives, Russia has intensified its

missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. The

European Council urges Russia to show genuine willingness regarding peace, agree to a

full, unconditional and immediate ceasefire and engage in meaningful negotiations

towards a just and lasting peace.

The European Council strongly condemns the recent serious escalation by Russia,

including large-scale missile and drone attacks against civilians in Ukraine, the recent

strikes against the UNESCO World Heritage site of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, as well as the

increasingly aggressive, reckless and irresponsible behaviour towards EU Member

States, including foreign information manipulation and interference, and threats against

the European diplomatic presence in Ukraine. The recent incident in which a Russian

drone carrying explosives crashed into a residential building in Romania as well as

similar incidents in other Member States are a direct result of Russia’s war of

aggression against Ukraine and threaten the security of EU citizens and regional

stability. The European Council strongly condemns the repeated violations of Member

States’ airspace and territorial waters and underlines that Russia bears full responsibility

for the consequences of its escalatory behaviour and its continued military actions.

The European Council reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the security of all

Member States.

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The European Union and Member States are prepared to contribute to robust and

credible security guarantees for Ukraine, notably through the Coalition of the Willing

and in cooperation with the United States. This will include supporting Ukraine’s ability

to deter aggression and defend itself effectively, also in the long term, including through

the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM

Ukraine) and the European Union Advisory Mission in Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine), as

well as support for ceasefire monitoring through the EU Satellite Centre.

The contribution of the European Union and Member States will be based on their

respective competences and capabilities and in line with international law.

The European Council strongly condemns Russia for systematically and deliberately

targeting Ukraine’s civilian and energy infrastructure, and calls for the immediate

cessation of all military activities near Ukraine’s nuclear facilities, which pose a serious

threat to their safety and security. It also calls for further intensified EU efforts,

coordinated with international partners’ efforts, to support Ukraine in urgently repairing,

rebuilding and strengthening the resilience of its critical infrastructure and energy

system ahead of next winter and to ensure the rapid rehabilitation of the Chornobyl

containment arch. At the same time, it encourages enhanced regional energy

cooperation and cross-border electricity interconnections.

The European Union remains committed to supporting Ukraine’s repair, recovery and

reconstruction, in coordination with international partners. In this context, the European

Council looks forward to the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk on 25 and

26 June 2026.

10. The European Council looks forward to the first disbursement to Ukraine from the

EUR 90 billion loan for 2026 and 2027 before the end of June 2026. It calls on Member

States to continue their bilateral support for Ukraine and underlines the importance of

continued EU outreach to third countries to ensure further international support to help

close the remaining gap in Ukraine’s finances. The European Council recalls the

importance of Ukraine continuing to uphold the rule of law and welcomes the ongoing

reform efforts.

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11. The European Council underlines the importance of further sustained efforts to provide

military support to Ukraine, including through the Ukraine Support Loan, and urgently

accelerate the production and delivery of priority equipment, in particular air defence

systems, ammunition, drones and missiles, including to help Ukraine protect its civilian

population and its energy and critical infrastructure. In this context, further enhancing

EU-Ukraine defence industrial cooperation remains crucial.

12. All military support as well as security guarantees for Ukraine will be provided in full

respect of the security and defence policy of certain Member States and taking into

account the security and defence interests of all Member States.

13. The European Union remains determined to further increase pressure on Russia and

continue weakening Russia’s war economy so that it stops its brutal war of aggression

and engages in meaningful negotiations towards peace. The European Council reiterates

the importance of further reducing Russia’s energy revenues, curbing its shadow fleet

operations and further constraining its banking system. The European Council

welcomes the recent adoption of new sanctions, notably targeting the shadow fleet,

following the adoption of the 20th sanctions package. It calls for the swift adoption of

the 21st sanctions package. Undermining the Russian shadow fleet’s business model

requires a ‘whole of route’ approach and coordination among Member States and with

partners, including a common approach to addressing the significant environmental,

security and maritime safety risks posed by such vessels. The European Council also

stresses the importance of continued coordination with G7 and other like-minded

partners on sanctions, of strengthening the enforcement of existing measures and

closing loopholes, and of further reinforcing the anti-circumvention measures. The

European Council stresses that, as long as there is no just and lasting peace in Ukraine,

there should not be a normalisation of Russia’s participation in international sports and

cultural events.

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14. The European Council urges all countries to immediately cease any assistance to Russia

in its war of aggression against Ukraine, whether direct or indirect, and notably through

the provision of dual-use goods and components. In particular, it strongly condemns the

deployment of the DPRK’s military forces in the war against Ukraine as well as the

continued military support provided to Russia by Iran, Belarus and the DPRK, among

others.

15. The European Council reiterates its urgent call on Russia and Belarus to immediately

ensure the safe and unconditional return to Ukraine of all unlawfully deported and

transferred Ukrainian children and other civilians. In this respect, it welcomes the

commitment made at the high-level meeting of the International Coalition for the Return

of Ukrainian Children to step up action to secure their return. Other humanitarian relief

efforts and confidence-building measures, notably the exchange of prisoners of war and

the return of civilian detainees, must continue as part of the pathway to peace.

16. The European Council also reaffirms the EU’s commitment to ensuring full

accountability for war crimes and the other most serious crimes committed in

connection with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. In this context, the

European Council welcomes the ratification on behalf of the European Union of the

Convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine as well as

progress on the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.

It encourages further sustained efforts within the framework of the Council of Europe

towards the operationalisation of these two international bodies.

17. In light of the potential threat, including in the longer term, posed to the EU’s internal

security by Russian ex-combatants having participated in the aggression against

Ukraine, and taking note of the proposal by the Commission and the High

Representative in this context, the European Council encourages further technical work

to assess possible ways to address this issue, without prejudice to Member States’

competences in this domain.

18. The European Council will revert to this issue at its next meeting.

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II.

MIDDLE EAST

Iran

19. The European Council welcomes the memorandum of understanding between the US

and Iran, which provides an opportunity for regional stability and the full restoration of

freedom of navigation and safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz. It welcomes the

continued diplomatic efforts in view of reaching a peace settlement and underscores the

importance of a negotiated long-term resolution to all outstanding issues, in line with

international law. It commends Pakistan, Qatar and other regional partners for their

mediation efforts. The European Union will continue to engage, in close coordination

with regional partners, in diplomatic efforts and stands ready to support the

implementation of the agreement.

20. The European Council stresses the need to respect freedom of navigation and maritime

security in accordance with international law and the United Nations Convention on the

Law of the Sea. The European Council welcomes efforts announced by Member States

and partners to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, once the

conditions are met. Any arrangement related to the Strait of Hormuz must not limit

freedom of navigation or alter its governance in any way.

21. The European Council recalls the role of the EU maritime defensive operation

EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, highlights its potential to contribute to stabilising the region,

and calls for its reinforcement, in line with its mandate.

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22. The European Council reiterates that Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear

weapon. It urges Iran to comply with its legally binding nuclear safeguard obligations

under the Non-Proliferation Treaty and to resume full cooperation with the International

Atomic Energy Agency. It also calls on Iran to put an end to its destabilising activities,

including its ballistic missile programme. In light of the increasing threat from the

Iranian intelligence services’ use of criminal networks and other proxies, the European

Union and its Member States reaffirm their commitment to cooperating closely to

prevent and counter such hostile actions.

23. The European Council calls on the Iranian regime to cease the violence and repression

against its own people. It calls for the respect of the universal human rights and

fundamental freedoms of the Iranian people, including the right to choose their own

future. In this regard the European Union will continue to work on further restrictive

measures against those responsible.

24. The European Union will continue to work, including with regional and global partners,

to mitigate the impact of the crisis and to reduce the global vulnerability to the Strait of

Hormuz, including through the diversification of energy supply routes. The European

Council takes note of the initiatives proposed by the Commission to address the

consequences for the EU in terms of energy security, energy prices and global supply

chains, including food security, and calls on the Council and the Commission to

continue to monitor the situation. It reiterates the importance of ensuring preparedness,

including regarding possible future migratory flows, working with countries of origin

and transit.

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Gaza/West Bank

25. The European Council expresses its grave concern over the deteriorating situation in

Gaza and the West Bank, including the persistent and devastating humanitarian crisis in

Gaza. It calls on Israel to allow immediate, unimpeded access and sustained distribution

of humanitarian assistance at scale into and throughout Gaza, including via the Cyprus

Maritime Corridor to supplement land routes, and to enable the UN and its agencies,

and humanitarian organisations, to work independently and impartially to save lives and

reduce suffering. It also calls on Israel to reopen Gaza border crossings, as well as the

medical corridor between Gaza and the West Bank, allow access for international

media, and reverse its decision regarding the NGO registration law. The European

Council urges Israel to comply with all its obligations under international law, including

international humanitarian law. The protection of civilians needs to be ensured at all

times.

26. The European Council reiterates the European Union’s commitment to a

comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution in accordance

with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions where two democratic states, Israel and

Palestine, live side-by-side in peace within secure and recognised borders. It recognises

the important role played by civil society in peacebuilding efforts and in building the

foundations necessary for a negotiated and lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace and in that

context welcomes the holding of a dedicated conference in Paris on 12 June 2026.

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27. Recalling its previous conclusions, the European Council expresses its concern about

the lack of progress by all actors in the implementation of the ceasefire and all other

provisions of UNSCR 2803. It calls on all actors to fully implement them, in line with

relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and international political and legal

principles. The European Council calls for the permanent disarmament of Hamas and

other non-state armed groups, the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip

and the deployment of the temporary International Stabilisation Force, as outlined in the

Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict. The European Union firmly rejects

Israel’s announcement that it intends to control 70 % of Gaza’s territory.

28. The European Council condemns the mistreatment of detainees, including European

citizens, following the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters

and the behaviour of extremist ministers inciting and promoting human rights abuses.

The European Council takes note that the Council will continue examining measures in

this regard.

29. The European Union will continue to work on the implementation of the

Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict in accordance with UNSCR 2803,

including through the European Union Border Assistance Mission for the Rafah

Crossing Point (EU BAM Rafah) and the European Union Police Mission for the

Palestinian Territories (EUPOL COPPS), as well as on the reconstruction and

redevelopment of Gaza, in line with international law. The European Union will

continue to support the Palestinian Authority, including in its reform agenda, so that it

can securely take back effective control of Gaza. The European Council calls again on

Israel to urgently release all withheld clearance revenues and extend the correspondent

banking services between Israeli and Palestinian banks, both being necessary to ensure

the proper functioning of the Palestinian Authority and the delivery of essential services

to the population. The European Council welcomes the recent release of European funds

to the Palestinian Authority, including through the PEGASE mechanism.

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30. The European Council reiterates its condemnation of Israel’s unilateral actions aiming

to expand its presence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which the

International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion of 19 July 2024 declared to be

unlawful. It urges the Government of Israel to reverse the expansion of settlements,

including in the E1 area, which are illegal under international law, to abide by its

obligations under international law and to protect the Palestinian population of the

occupied territories, including Christian communities and other minorities, as well as to

ensure the preservation of and respect for the Status Quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites.

The European Council stresses that businesses should not bid for construction contracts

for E1 or other settlement developments and underlines the legal and reputational

consequences for businesses participating in settlement construction, including the risk

of serious breaches of international law. The European Council condemns the continued

and growing settler violence against Palestinian civilians, calls for accountability and

welcomes the adoption of restrictive measures against extremist settlers and entities and

organisations that support settler violence against Palestinian civilians. It also welcomes

the adoption of further restrictive measures against Hamas. The European Council

condemns Israel’s adoption of the death penalty law, which is discriminatory, and calls

for its immediate repeal. The European Council takes note of the Commission’s

intention to present options before the Council meeting of 13 July 2026, in light of a

further deteriorating situation regarding the illegal settlements.

Lebanon

31. The European Council expresses its serious concern about continued ceasefire

violations and urges all actors to fully implement the ceasefire, to engage constructively

in the ongoing talks, to prevent further civilian casualties and displacement and to reach

a lasting political solution that ensures peace and security for both Lebanon and Israel.

The European Union stands ready to support the implementation of an agreement

between Lebanon and Israel. The European Council calls for a permanent end to

hostilities, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and full respect of

international law, including international humanitarian law.

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32. The European Council strongly condemns Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel and the civilian

population in northern Israel and calls for the full disarmament of Hezbollah. It calls on

Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to withdraw its

forces from Lebanon, in line with UNSCR 1701. It also calls on Israel to refrain from

further escalation. The European Council reaffirms the EU’s support for efforts to

ensure the safety of the Lebanese people and for Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial

integrity. It reiterates the EU’s full support for the Lebanese Government’s efforts to

strengthen the country’s institutions, including the Lebanese Armed Forces in view of

gaining control of the whole Lebanese territory, and to establish the State’s monopoly

on holding weapons. The European Union will continue to support the Lebanese Armed

Forces, including through a possible CSDP mission and through continued and

reinforced support under the European Peace Facility. The European Union will

continue to provide sustained support over the long term, in close coordination with

international partners.

33. The European Union remains committed to providing emergency aid to the

over one million displaced people, in addition to the EUR 100 million humanitarian aid

mobilised following the outbreak of hostilities and the humanitarian air bridge

operations coordinated with regional partners.

34. The European Council reiterates its call on all parties to fully implement UNSCR 1701.

It reiterates its condemnation of the unacceptable and unlawful attacks on UNIFIL

personnel and calls for a thorough investigation. The European Council recalls the

importance of a continued UN presence in Lebanon in a post-UNIFIL context and

reaffirms the EU’s readiness to contribute in this regard in 2027.

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III. NEXT MULTIANNUAL FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK

35. Following the work by the Cyprus Presidency and the presentation of the Negotiating

Box with figures, the European Council held an exchange of views on the new

Multiannual Financial Framework.

36. The European Council calls on the Irish Presidency to take the work forward on the

Negotiating Box by the October European Council, with a view to a timely agreement.

An agreement before the end of 2026 would allow for the adoption of legislative acts in

2027, which is necessary to ensure that EU funding reaches beneficiaries without

interruption in January 2028.

IV. COMPETITIVENESS AND GLOBAL ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

37. Against the backdrop of the challenging geoeconomic context, the European Council

discussed ongoing efforts to strengthen EU competitiveness and strategic autonomy,

increase resilience and economic security, promote technological innovation, sustain

Europe’s prosperity and social model and improve living standards.

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38. Recalling the objectives and timelines set out by the European Council in March 2026,

the European Council took stock of progress on the ‘One Europe, One Market’ agenda

and its delivery in line with the interinstitutional Roadmap. It underlines the urgency of

decisive progress on the Single Market, on simplification and reducing administrative

burdens, including on further initiatives to speed up planning and permitting procedures,

on affordable energy prices and the Energy Union 2030, on fostering Europe’s

industrial renewal and innovation and reducing dependencies, and on mobilising

investment, in line with the agreed deadlines. In this context, the European Council

recalls the need to accelerate work on lowering energy prices, on the clean transition

and decarbonisation, taking into account technological neutrality, and on strengthening

our resilience. The European Council takes note of the Commission’s intention to come

forward with a concrete proposal by mid-July 2026 on the review of the ETS system,

including on free allowances, in line with the March 2026 letter by its President, and, at

the same time, to present a separate proposal to address concerns expressed by some

industrial sectors on ETS benchmarks, while preserving the essential role of the ETS in

the climate and energy transition.

39. The European Council held a strategic debate on the issue of global macroeconomic

imbalances.

40. The European Council remains seized of the competitiveness agenda and will return to

it at its meeting in October 2026.

V. EUROPEAN DEFENCE AND SECURITY

41. In the face of serious security threats and challenges and with Russia’s war of

aggression against Ukraine remaining an existential challenge for the European Union,

Europe’s defence readiness must be decisively ramped up by 2030. Building on recent

progress, the European Council calls for efforts to be stepped up, with renewed urgency,

to deliver at pace and at scale on this objective, reduce strategic dependencies and

address critical capability gaps, with a 360° approach.

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42. Following the repeated violations of Member States’ airspace, the European Council

stresses the importance of ensuring the defence of all EU land, air and maritime borders.

In particular, the European Union strongly condemns the grave incident of 29 May 2026

in which a Russian drone carrying explosives crashed into a residential building in

Romania, and recognises the immediate threats on the EU’s Eastern flank. The

European Union expresses its full solidarity with Romania and all Member States

affected by similar incidents. Building on the progress achieved, the European Council

calls for an acceleration of efforts to strengthen protection against such threats,

including the ongoing work on the ‘Eastern Flank Watch’ project and other initiatives

that will contribute to the protection of all EU borders.

43. The European Council also condemns all recent hybrid attacks against the European

Union and its Member States. In light of the persistent hybrid campaigns by hostile

actors, notably Russia and Belarus, the European Council calls for increased and urgent

efforts to strengthen resilience, enhance preparedness, protect critical infrastructure, and

prevent, deter and respond to hybrid attacks. It welcomes in this context the work

conducted in the Council on the Action Plan on Drone and Counter-Drone Security, that

contributes to these objectives and complements ongoing efforts in the field of defence.

44. The European Council recalls that a stronger and more capable European Union in the

field of security and defence will contribute positively to global and transatlantic

security and is complementary to NATO, which remains, for those States that are

members of it, the foundation of their collective defence. The European Council

underlines the importance of working together with like-minded partners, who share the

EU’s foreign and security policy goals.

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45. Recalling its previous conclusions, the European Council:

welcomes the sizeable and ongoing increase in defence expenditure in Member

States, that needs to be accompanied by reinforced efforts to invest better and

faster together;

welcomes progress in all priority capability areas, which have been identified at

EU level in full coherence with NATO, and in particular regarding projects in the

area of drone and counter-drone systems; early-warning, air defence, and deep

precision strike capabilities; and space assets and services. It calls on Member

States to resolutely accelerate work in all capability coalitions. It invites the

European Defence Agency (EDA) to continue supporting Member States in

coordinating the various work strands on capabilities;

reiterates the urgent need to strengthen the European defence technological and

industrial base so that it can supply the required equipment at the necessary speed

and scale, including the priority equipment in support of Ukraine. Further efforts

are needed at all levels to adapt and ramp up production capacities and deliver,

through research, new technologies and innovation, the defence industrial

transformation necessary to meet the defence readiness objective. The European

Council calls on the Member States to strengthen their engagement with the

defence industry to that end and, in particular, to ensure close alignment between

the capability and industrial dimensions in the work of capability coalitions, with

the support of the EDA and, as regards the industrial dimension, the Commission;

reiterates the importance of the proper functioning and further integration of the

European defence market across the Union, including intra-EU cross-border

access to defence supply chains, especially for SMEs and mid-caps. The European

Council recalls that the decision to authorise or deny the export of defence-related

products is at the discretion of each Member State;

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underlines that Europe must continue to draw lessons from Ukraine’s experience

with new technologies, apply them in innovation and capability development

processes, and work with the Ukrainian industry, including in the capability

coalitions. It welcomes the initiatives recently undertaken in that regard;

calls on the Commission, the Council and the Member States to make full use of

available instruments regarding capability development as well as industrial

reinforcement, and to take the further steps needed in the implementation of the

SAFE and European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) instruments as a matter

of urgency. In this regard, the European Council underlines the importance of

rapidly finalising work on the European Defence Projects of Common Interest,

that will contribute to the defence readiness of all Member States;

welcomes the political agreement on the Defence Readiness Omnibus and calls on

the co-legislators to agree by the end of 2026 on:

the Programme for agile and rapid defence innovation; and

ii)

the military mobility proposal;

looks forward to the additional proposals announced by the Commission on

defence and sensitive security procurement;

welcomes the first steps taken in the framework of the EDA to strengthen its

support for Member States in the fields of innovation, capability development,

including through harmonisation of requirements and aggregation of demand, and

common procurement. It invites the EDA and Member States to pursue this work

swiftly;

invites the European Investment Bank to continue to support defence readiness, in

particular by strengthening the European defence industry, including by crowding

in private investment.

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46. The above is without prejudice to the specific character of the security and defence

policy of certain Member States, and takes into account the security and defence

interests of all Member States, in accordance with the Treaties.

47. The European Council will return to these issues in October 2026, including on the

basis of the annual defence readiness report, to be prepared by the EDA with the support

of the Commission and the High Representative.

VI. MIGRATION

48. The European Council took stock of progress in the legislative agenda and in the

implementation of its previous conclusions. In the light of the recent letter from the

President of the Commission, the European Council calls for the intensified work to

continue on all strands, including on the external dimension and comprehensive

partnerships, in line with EU and international law.

49. The European Council will hold a strategic discussion on migration at its meeting in

October 2026.

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VII. ILLICIT DRUGS

50. To respond to the growing health, social and security challenges linked to the use and

trafficking of illicit drugs, the European Council underlines the importance of addressing

all aspects of the drugs phenomenon in a comprehensive, whole-of-government and whole

of-society approach based on evidence, with a coordinated effort across local, regional,

national, EU and international levels. This includes enhancing preparedness, protecting

public health, strengthening security, preventing drug-related harm, and fostering European

and international partnerships and cooperation initiatives, such as the European Coalition

Against Drugs, as well as law enforcement cooperation with third countries. The European

Council underlines the critical role of prevention, access to treatment and social reintegration

measures. It stresses the importance of a globally harmonised and effectively enforced

framework for maritime and port security and resilience and calls for coherent action

towards third countries that harbour drug traffickers and fail to comply with their

obligations under international law. The European Council takes note of the intention of

the Commission and the High Representative to present a proposal for a new horizontal

sanctions regime targeting transnational organised crime groups. Such a regime should

not be prejudicial to law enforcement and judicial procedures and cooperation.

51. The European Council calls for the effective implementation of the EU Drugs Strategy, in

line with the implementation framework agreed by the Council. To this end, the European

Council urges the Council, the Commission, Member States and relevant EU agencies

to strengthen coordination across all relevant policy fields.

52. The European Council will return to this issue as appropriate to assess progress.

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VIII. ENLARGEMENT AND REFORMS

53. In light of the new impetus in the enlargement process, and recalling the Granada

Declaration, the European Council will hold a strategic discussion on enlargement and

reforms at its meeting in October 2026.

IX. REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

54. The European Council welcomes the holding of the Intergovernmental Conference on

the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union and the opening of the

fundamentals cluster on 15 June 2026, and looks forward to the opening of the other

clusters, in line with the merit-based approach. The European Council also looks

forward to the EU-Republic of Moldova Summit on 22 June 2026.

X. WESTERN BALKANS

55. The European Council welcomes the holding of the EU-Western Balkans Summit in

Tivat, Montenegro, on 5 June 2026, which contributed to the new impetus in the

enlargement process. Recalling its previous conclusions, the European Council

reiterates that the European Union will continue to work closely with the Western

Balkans and support their reform efforts on their paths towards EU membership.

The European Council remains committed to advancing the gradual integration between

the European Union and the region during the enlargement process itself in a merit

based and reversible manner.

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XI. OTHER ITEMS

Ebola

56. The European Council expresses its concern regarding the spread of Ebola virus disease

in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. It welcomes the swift release of

emergency funds by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international and

European partners enabling an immediate response, which includes epidemiological

surveillance, contact tracing, clinical preparedness and an increase in laboratory

capacity. The European Union has activated financial and logistical assistance, as in

previous outbreaks, to support the work of the WHO, the Africa Centres for Disease

Control and Prevention and other first-line humanitarian and health responders in the

coordination and delivery of urgent containment and response measures.

57. The European Council calls on the Council and the Commission to monitor the situation

and its evolution, and as appropriate define and coordinate the related operational

priorities.

58. Recent health crises, including the hantavirus crisis, underline the importance of strong

global health governance and coordinated responses, including through the WHO.

The European Council also stresses the added value of EU coordination instruments.

The European Union and its Member States support the WHO in fulfilling its mandate

to strengthen global emergency prevention, preparedness and response.

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Armenia

59. The European Council commends the authorities of Armenia for having effectively

safeguarded the integrity of the electoral process in line with democratic standards.

In this regard, it condemns the sustained attempts by Russia to undermine democratic

institutions and societal cohesion in Armenia through economic coercion, pressure,

information manipulation and interference and persistent hybrid activities.

The European Council reaffirms the European Union’s commitment to strengthening its

partnership with Armenia and supporting the country’s sovereignty, resilience,

democratic institutions, economy and comprehensive reform agenda. The European

Council welcomes the first ever EU-Armenia Summit held in Yerevan on 5 May 2026,

and the signing of the EU-Armenia Connectivity Partnership. The deepening of EU

Armenia bilateral relations is an investment in peace, stability and prosperity in the

South Caucasus and beyond.

Upholding international law

60. Recalling its March 2026 conclusions, the European Council reaffirms the European

Union’s support for the institutions upholding international law, including by effectively

protecting international courts and their officials from any threats or sanctions, and in

this regard underlines the importance of unimpeded access to financial and other

services.

Islands and coastal communities

61. The European Council takes note of the Commission Communications on an

‘EU strategy for islands’ and on an ‘EU strategy on resilient, prosperous and liveable

coastal communities’.

EUCO 8/26

Conclusions – 18 and 19 June 2026

European Semester

62. The European Council discussed the integrated country-specific recommendations on

the basis of a horizontal note, thus allowing the conclusion of the 2026 European

Semester.

Önder Özar Diplomasi Sevgisi

Friday, June 19, 2026

European Council Brussels, 19 June 2026 - European Council meeting (18 and 19 June 2026) – Conclusions

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