Ireland's EU Presidency: Economy and Ukraine in focus/ Very difficult negotiations expected for the trillion-euro European budget
For the eighth time since its accession in 1973, Ireland took over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 1.
Prime Minister Micheál Martin stressed during the ceremony in Dublin that the Irish people owe a lot to their membership of the EU. According to him, Ireland's transformation into a modern and open economy and society is closely linked to membership of the European Union.
For the next six months, Ireland will chair the meetings of the Council of the EU – the legislative body of the European Union where the 27 member states are represented. Its motto is: There is no strength without unity.
Ireland aims to make a mark, particularly in the areas of competitiveness, protection of EU values and security. Top of the list of priorities are: banning the use of social media for young people under the age of 16, advancing discussions on the EU budget after 2028 and promoting the Capital Markets Union. Support for Ukraine also remains a key objective of the Irish presidency. As a special sign of solidarity, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi was invited to the opening ceremony in Dublin.
To strengthen competitiveness, the Irish government aims to advance the EU's "One Europe, One Market" strategy. Under this slogan, the European Union has set the objective of completing the common market by the end of 2027.
A political agreement on the next EU budget is also expected by the end of the year. According to Micheál Martin, the current positions of the member states, which cover the bulk of the budget with their contributions, are still very far apart.
The budget must be finalized by the end of 2027, as it will cover the period 2028–2035. For political reasons, such as the upcoming elections in France, there is a broad consensus in Brussels that the negotiations should be concluded within this year.
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