Ireland takes EU Council presidency, pledges focus on competitiveness, values, security and enlargement

From 1 July 2026 Ireland assumed the six‑month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Irish government outlined a three‑pillar programme – boosting EU competitiveness through innovation, trade and a greener digital economy; defending core European values and the rule of law; and strengthening security amid the war in Ukraine and wider geopolitical instability.

The presidency will steer the EU’s multi‑annual budget for 2028‑34, the introduction of a digital euro, child‑online‑safety measures and reforms of the EU emissions‑trading system. It will also push ahead with a major package of reforms slated for 15 July, covering carbon‑emission limits, electrification of transport and industry, and a banking‑sector overhaul to reduce external financial dependence.

European enlargement is a central priority. Irish officials and the EU delegation in Serbia stressed that the momentum created by the war in Ukraine has heightened the need to expand the Union, with Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia‑and‑Herzegovina and Moldova all highlighted as candidates. Ambassadors from Ireland and Cyprus, speaking in Belgrade, described the enlargement process as essential for the EU’s security, economic strength and democratic values. Ireland’s neutral, small‑state perspective was noted as helpful for advancing negotiations with Moldova and other aspirant countries. The presidency therefore aims to keep the enlargement agenda on the EU’s agenda while pursuing its broader economic and security objectives.