Taoiseach Simon Harris concludes meeting of the European Council

• Important discussion on the situation in the Middle East, Ukraine and on EU-Türkiye relations
• Strong commitments to reinvigorating the EU's Single Market and boosting Europe's competitiveness

Taoiseach Simon Harris attended his first meeting of the European Council in Brussels on 17-18 April. The leaders discussed the situations in the Middle East and Ukraine as well as EU-Türkiye relations. There was a particular focus on Europe's competitiveness with former Italian Prime Minister, Enrico Letta, presenting his report on the future of the EU's Single Market.

Speaking after the meeting, the Taoiseach said:

"The meeting of the European Council, my first, dealt with a number of challenging issues, not least the gravely concerning situation in the Middle East. I joined with EU leaders in strongly condemning Iran's attack on Israel and urged all parties to show constraint in the interest of de-escalating a very dangerous situation. We agreed to impose further sanctions on Iran, sending a strong message that their actions are completely unacceptable and a threat to international peace and security.

"We also discussed the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. I welcome that the European Council is now calling for an immediate ceasefire and that it reiterated its call for the release of all remaining hostages as well as a need for a huge surge in humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and do so unhindered. We reaffirmed the EU's commitment to the two-state solution and I set out Ireland's intention to recognise the State of Palestine, wishing to work with other likeminded EU countries, adding that the time for this in coming closer if we are to demonstrate tangible support for reviving a credible peace process.

"The leaders also committed to work to support Lebanon, where there are over 300 Irish troops serving with UNIFIL, as it works to manage regional tensions, to host a significant population of refugees and to overcome a challenging economic situation.

"The situation in Ukraine also remains deeply concerning. The leaders reiterated our full unwavering support to Ukraine and we agreed to intensify the provision of support to help the people of Ukraine to defend its independence and sovereignty. I also joined others in calling for the negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU to begin as soon as possible. This will send a very strong message to the people of Ukraine, but also to President Putin, that Ukraine belongs in the EU family."

"I welcome agreement to enhance the EU's strategic relationship with Türkiye - an important partner which significant influence in its region. We agreed to support efforts to make progress on a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus in partnership with the UN.

"There was also a very important discussion on the EU's competitiveness and the Single Market. I thanked Enrico Letta for his report on the future of the Single Market which contains good ideas that deserve careful consideration. The leaders agreed on the need to reinvigorate the Single Market as the key driver of European competitiveness and I welcome our intention to bring forward a new horizontal Single Market Strategy by June 2025 that should contain concrete steps to improve conditions for investment and entrepreneurship in the decades ahead. There will be a particular focus on SMEs and the need to reduce red-tape and removing barriers so that all companies are well positioned to benefit from the completion of the Single Market, especially for services, as well as the opportunities provided by the green and digital transitions. Financing will be crucial to achieving this and the leaders agreed on moves to deepen the Capital Markets Union."

ENDS