The two days of the summit were productive. The 27 were united in reiterating the need to address the appointments of the coming months with a univocal approach on the crucial issues of international politics, Brexit and immigration. And even if in the background there is the difficult situation of Catalonia, with the Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy supported by his colleagues in the search for the "restoration of legality", the ambitious agenda proposed by the President of the European Council Donald Tusk for the coming months has achieved the unanimous consensus of the leaders, as well as the decisions on how to cope with the next phase of negotiations with the UK for Brexit. Especially on this front, the EU leaders wanted to show an unthinkable optimism when, just a few days ago, the chief negotiator Michel Barnier spoke of a "deadlock" for the talks.
Before leaving Brussels and the other heads of state and government to discuss the issue, British Prime Minister Theresa May was also more determined to try to reach an agreement so as to be able to proceed, possibly from next December, with the second phase of the negotiation, that on future relations. On foreign policy, the "glue" is the "isolationist" policy of US President Donald Trump, who, in the words of French President Emmanuel Macron, "reinforced the need to be united as Europeans" on international fronts. On Iran, the leaders have therefore adopted the “Mogherini line”, which a week ago reacted harshly to Trump's decision to de-certify the nuclear deal. One of the next concrete steps will be, in the coming months, the realization of the first “structured permanent cooperation (Pesco) in the security and defense sector.
As for immigration, the Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni received the support of the partners, with a lot of explicit recognition in the text of conclusions to the "significant contribution made by Italy on the Central Mediterranean route". Ours, explained the premier, is considered "a country that has given an exemplary response to human traffickers and that must be supported politically and financially". On the subject, the differences of views between countries will emerge later, on the occasion of the discussions for the reform of the Dublin regulation on the right to asylum, which should take place in the first half of next year. The battle for the assignment of the continental offices of Eba and Ema, the two European agencies of banks and medicines that must leave London, is still long, even if there is only a month to go until the final decision. "Milan has good cards to play and comes out well - said Gentiloni referring to the EMA - we are doing a notable diplomatic pressure, also because our pharmaceutical industry has its own strength".
The issue was not discussed in formal meetings, in which the Estonian premier who holds the current presidency was limited to an "information" on the situation. Finally, one of the priorities of the Estonian semester, the digital agenda, is proceeding but the question of the web tax, the fair taxation of the internet giants considered crucial by countries such as Italy and France, risks creating divisions with countries such as the 'Ireland and Luxembourg. The appointment is at the Ecofin in December, which aims to find a common political position, while in the spring of next year the Commission will present its legislative proposal.