From Bratislava to Rome: The European Council’s role in shaping a common future for EU-27

Please note: Each In-Depth Analysis is assigned a DOI (digital object identifier), which is a safe and long term way of ensuring a hyperlink to the full text of this report. However, when ESO creates this record, on occasion the DOI still has not been activated by the EU Bookshop. If you find the source url hyperlink does not work please use the alternative location hyperlink listed as a related url.The Rome Declaration of 25 March 2017, issued by the Heads of State or Government of the EU-27 on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, marked the end of a process that started after the UK referendum on EU membership on 23 June 2016.

The aim of this In-depth Analysis is to assess the outcomes of the various EU-27 and European Council meetings in the period between the Bratislava summit of 16 September 2016 and the Rome summit of 25 March 2017, in relation to the objectives laid out in the Bratislava Declaration and Roadmap.

The analysis shows that substantial progress has been made on the Bratislava commitments for all three policy priorities listed

+ migration
+ security
+ the economy.

It also reflects on how the Rome Declaration and Bratislava process were shaped by the overall context of the growing concerns of EU citizens and their attitude towards the EU and demonstrates how the views of the different EU institutions and the various Member States have converged during this process, leading to a consensual Rome Declaration.

• Primary Source

European Parliament: Directorate-General for Internal Policies of the Union: Publications available via the EU Bookshop http://bookshop.europa.eu/en/directorate-general-for-internal-policies-of-the-union-cbf.cKABstF7wAAAEjwYYY4e5K/

Council of the European Union: Policies: EU and the UK after the referendum on 23 June 2016 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-uk-after-referendum/

European Parliament: European Parliamentary Research Service: In-Depth Analysis, April 2017: From Bratislava to Rome: The European Council’s role in shaping a common future for EU-27 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2017/598613/EPRS_IDA(2017)598613_EN.pdf

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