EU Council Presidency Archives

With France set to take over the rotating EU Council Presidency in the first half of 2022, European Affairs Minister Clément Beaune last week launched two committees: a monitoring committee and a reflection committee. EURACTIV France reports.

The President of the European Foundation for Progressive Studies, Maria João Rodrigues, has said the Porto Social Summit pushed forward by Portugal’s EU Presidency, can be a "historic moment" of Europe's commitment to social rights.

The action plan for a European Pillar of Social Rights will mark the next decade of European policies, European Commission advisor on social rights José António Vieira da Silva has said.

The European Parliament said on Thursday (4 March) it expected negotiations to start "very soon" with Portugal's EU Presidency on a new EU directive to make multinationals publish information on where they make profits and pay taxes.

The Portuguese Foreign Minister has said that the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union is working with Mercosur countries on "additional clarification" on environmental standards in the trade agreement negotiated with the EU.

Portugal's secretary of state for European affairs acknowledged on Tuesday that vaccines not certified by the EMA but are already circulating in Europe might be included in the EU digital vaccination certificate due to be presented soon by the Commission.

The European Union's Conference on the Future of Europe could this week finally get the green light, when member states and the European Parliament give their verdict on the joint declaration negotiated under the aegis of Portugal's presidency of the Council of the EU.

Portugal's foreign minister Augusto Santos Silva said the first discussion among EU member states over the European Union's future trade policy was "an excellent starting point," although tough debates on trade and climate policy have yet to be addressed.

Portugal's minister of economy and digital transition on told an informal meeting of European Union ministers with responsibility for tourism that, as holder of the EU Council presidency, the country would propose measures to "resume as soon as possible movement" between EU member states.

Portugal will "immediately follow up" on the proposal for further clarification of the EU-Mercosur agreement that the European Commission presents, the foreign minister said on Monday, reiterating that he "strongly" expects progress on this matter during the Portuguese presidency.

A proposal for an EU-wide vaccination certificate, due to be presented this month by the European Commission, will allow “resuming normality” in the daily lives of European citizens in the best possible conditions, Portugal's health minister Marta Temido has said.

Europe's current economic model "has no future" and does not respond to "major environmental challenges", Portugal's prime minister António Costa said on Friday, calling for the adoption of new models such as the circular economy and sustainable bioeconomy.

Portugal’s EU Presidency is working to have a meeting with the US President during the first half of the year, the secretary of state for European affairs has said.

Portugal's minister of planning, Nelson de Souza, said on Wednesday (26 February) that member states that have their recovery and resilience plans approved by April should receive the first funds by June.

Not all EU countries will recover from the economic losses of 2020 at the same pace, the European Commission said on Monday (22 February), calling for a “strong joint response” from all 27 EU member states.

The European Union should create “broad structures of partnership” with the United Kingdom on defence and security policy, Portuguese defence minister João Gomes Cravinho said on Friday (19 February).

The European Commission said on Thursday (18 February) that it wants to "explore options" for expanding the EU’s trade and investment with India, notably ahead of the summit scheduled for May in Porto as part of Portugal's presidency of the Council of the EU.

The Council of the European Union on Monday (16 February) adopted temporary measures to help the transport sector, which has been heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the relaxation of rules regarding airport slots and the extension of the validity of driving licences.

Portugal’s secretary of state for internationalisation, Eurico Brilhante Dias, defended the importance of the EU-Mercosur agreement, not only in the field of trade, but also at "geopolitical and geostrategic" level.

The European Commission wants to promote a "strong social dimension" at the May summit in Porto, as part of the Portuguese EU Council presidency, advocating a focus on young people who are facing a "difficult period" due to the COVID-19 crisis​​​​​​​.

Portugal's foreign minister Augusto Santos Silva said on Tuesday (10 February) that China is no substitute for the United States, emphasising that Beijing is an economic partner while Washington is an ally.

Eight EU member states have yet to submit their national recovery and resilience plans to the European Commission to access EU post-crisis funds for COVID-19, while 19 countries have already done so, including Portugal. Asked on Tuesday by EURACTIV's media partner …

France "will not sign at this stage" the trade liberalisation agreement between the EU and Mercosur, the French foreign trade minister said on Thursday (4 February), adding he "expects guarantees" from the South American bloc on "environment and health standards.

Portugal will organise a meeting with the board of directors and the executive director of Frontex to ensure "European law" and "established rules" are respected, Eduardo Cabrita, Portugal's minister for internal administration, said on Thursday (4 February).