European Council 15-16 October, communications from Prime Minister Meloni in the Senate at 9am

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is now holding communications in the Senate in view of the next European Council on 15 and 16 October. After the Prime Minister's speech, approximately 3 hours are expected between the general discussion, the explanations of vote and the final vote on the resolutions presented. Communications to the Chamber are scheduled from 3.15pm. Meloni's speech comes the day after the approval by the Council of Ministers of the Budget Planning Document (Dpb), which must be sent to Brussels by 15 October.

“Council will ask the Commission for measures on energy”

The European Council of 15 and 16 October promises to be a crucial turning point for the coming months: yesterday a senior EU official made it known that "the increase in energy prices is part of the agenda. The debate could be focused on the short term and on possible measures to address" the energy price crisis. "We expect that at the end of the debate the European Council will ask the Commission to put new measures in place."

The letter from Meloni, Merz and De Wever to Costa

The day before yesterday, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, together with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, sent a letter to the President of the European Council António Costa, precisely in view of the European Council of 15 and 16 October. The initiative followed the meeting of the informal group of the "Friends of Competitiveness" last week and which "particular importance is given in the letter to the connection between simplification, high energy prices and industrial competitiveness". The text of the letter invites us to explore three paths: a preferential lane to accelerate investments in priority sectors, starting with energy and digitalisation; a brake against new bureaucratic burdens; a general reduction in EU 'reporting' obligations, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.