The EU Council Presidency: Passing the baton from Germany to Portugal
Über die Veranstaltung
Portugal took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on January 1, 2021. The so-called trio presidency, consisting of Germany (2nd half 2020), Portugal (1st half 2021), and Slovenia (2nd half 2021), has defined a number of central themes for its 18-month programme.
During the German presidency, the focus was lying on the conclusion of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) in order to keep the Union financially viable during the Covid-19 pandemic. In December 2020, after several months of negotiations, a consensus was reached on both the MFF for the years 2021-2027 and “EU Next Generation”, a one-off economic recovery fund aiming at absorbing the financial impact of the pandemic.
In addition, progress in digitization, joint solutions in the area of migration, a comprehensive partnership with the United Kingdom and the creation of a climate-neutral and green Europe have been defined as important themes of the trio presidency.
In retrospect and in view of these goals, how should the German EU Council Presidency be assessed? Which topics will Portugal (have to) focus on? What impact will the presidential elections in Portugal on January 24, 2021 have in terms of thematic priorities? What role will Slovenia play in the trio presidency programme?
Mit HE Francisco Ribeiro de Menezes, Moritz Körner MEP und Catarina Maia.
The EU Council Presidency: Passing the baton from Germany to Portugal
In retrospect and in view of these goals, how should the German EU Council Presidency be assessed? Which topics will Portugal (have to) focus on?