Prime Minister of Ireland Micheál Martin presents Ireland EU Council Presidency priorities
MEPs discuss the priorities of the Irish Government’s six-month Council of the EU Presidency, which began on 1 July, with the Taoiseach (Prime Minister of Ireland).
Under the theme of “Strength with Unity”, Ireland will focus on three policy pillars: competitiveness, values, and security.
On competitiveness, Ireland aims to strengthen the EU single market, advance trade, support the energy transition, and promote digitalisation and artificial intelligence.
On values and global engagement, the Presidency will prioritise continued EU support for Ukraine, active involvement in the Middle East, and progress on EU enlargement, including negotiations with countries such as Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine.
On security, Ireland will focus on enhancing European defence capabilities, including defence procurement, military mobility, cybersecurity and countering hybrid threats.
A key objective of the Presidency will also be to advance discussions on the EU’s long-term budget for 2028–2034.
