Just the Facts | Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU

On 10 June, the Irish government launched the programme and priorities for its Presidency of the Council of the EU, which will begin on 1 July and end on 31 December 2026. The programme is entitled “Ní neart go cur le chéile – Strength with unity”. The priorities are centred around three distinct pillars: competitiveness, values and security. This Just the Facts provides an overview of these three priority areas, along with additional points of interest from the Presidency programme.

Background

Ahead of assuming the Presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 July 2026, the Irish government launched its Presidency programme on 10 June. During the Presidency, Ireland will be responsible for chairing the Council of the European Union (EU), which is the voice of EU member state governments and where ministers meet to negotiate and adopt EU laws, agreements, budgets and policies proposed by the European Commission.

Unlike the European Commission and the European Parliament, the Council does not have an elected president. Instead, the presidency rotates among the member states, with each taking on a six-month term chairing the Council and preparatory bodies and steering negotiations on key EU policy files. Presidencies are organised into ‘trios’, in which member states work to ensure consistency across their presidencies.

In July, Ireland will take over the Presidency of the Council of the EU for the eighth time, having last held the Presidency in 2013. This marks the beginning of a new trio with Lithuania and Greece, following the previous trio of Poland, Denmark and Cyprus, which held the Presidency for the first half of 2026. Read more about the Council of the EU, its role and how it interacts with other institutions here.

Presidency priorities

The three overarching priorities of Ireland’s EU Council Presidency – spanning all Council formations – are competitiveness, security and values. These are outlined below.

On a visit to Ireland on 23 June 2026, President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola praised the Irish EU Presidency’s focus on economic prosperity, fundamental values and shared security as being precisely what Europe needs at this moment.

1. European competitiveness

The central aim of this pillar is to continue boosting EU competitiveness and ensure the EU does not continue to lag behind its global rivals in the area of investment and innovation. The Irish Presidency will seek to advance integration within the Single Market by focusing on simplifying rules to reduce barriers and burdens; eliminating barriers to the Single Market; boosting trade within the EU; accelerating the clean energy transition; and driving the digital transformation.

Ireland aims to remove barriers to trade and services in the Single Market and sees this as key to Europe’s competitiveness. To this purpose, it seeks to progress many of the initiatives set out in the One Europe, One Market Roadmap. A key focus in this area will be the Savings and Investment Union, tying in with the launch of Ireland’s own State Savings Scheme. In terms of simplification, the Irish government is tasked with completing approximately 20 targets set by the Commission, including Omnibus packages for digitalisation, environment and food safety.

Across the Presidency programme – spanning areas from employment, justice and public health to industry, climate and agriculture – competitiveness is framed as a means to boost Europe’s prosperity and socio-economic resilience. It is aligned with fair and equitable economic growth, security and sustainability.

2. European values

Ireland’s Presidency will seek to protect and promote the EU’s founding values outlined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU): respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.

The main priorities envisaged in this pillar include continued support for Ukraine, while also actively promoting peace in the Middle East and addressing the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the deteriorating situation in the West Bank. There is also a focus on advancing EU enlargement, with Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine as the key targets.

The Irish Presidency also intends to strengthen EU democracy through the application of the European Democracy Shield and the EU Strategy for Civil Society. Further, Ireland will support the enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA) as a means to bolster democratic resilience. The Irish government anticipates an EU-wide position on the protection of children online in the early weeks of the Presidency.

3. European security

Ireland’s Presidency coincides with a push by the EU to achieve further security independence and construct a 360-degree view of security threats from outside the EU. A key priority is the development of a new European Security Strategy, which includes a focus on maritime security to protect critical underwater data and energy infrastructure. Ireland will also advance a White Paper for European Defence, the Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030, military mobility, defence procurement and closing critical capability gaps. Moreover, the government will support ongoing EU efforts to strengthen cybersecurity, counter hybrid threats and international counterterrorism. The Irish Presidency will seek to promote cooperation on security and defence with like-minded non-EU states, the UN, OSCE and NATO.

Ireland also remains unequivocal in its solidarity with Ukraine, prioritising support loans, sanctions and the country’s EU accession path.

Overall, security is framed broadly in the Presidency programme, with climate action and biodiversity explicitly framed as security issues. Similarly, under the security pillar, the Irish Presidency aims to advance policy files around the economy, health, food, environmental security and migration, specifically the full implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.

Other notable aspects of the Presidency programme

On other key policy areas, Ireland’s Presidency programme sets out the following positions:

Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF):

Negotiations on the EU’s long-term budget for 2028–2034 are expected to be one of the most demanding tasks of the Irish Presidency. Ireland aims to progress the MFF for 2028–2034 to a point where EU leaders can take the necessary decisions in 2026. There is ambition to reach agreement on a final figure for the MFF by the end of the Presidency, although considerable work remains to balance traditional cohesion funding with new security and industrial investments. The Presidency programme aims to ensure that the MFF promotes and protects EU values, including through new instruments such as the Competitiveness Fund and the Global Europe Instrument.

Ireland will advance negotiations based on the “negotiating box” presented by Cyprus on 11 June 2026, which proposes a 2% cut to the Commission’s MFF budget. However, with significant divisions among member states, negotiations are not expected to be straightforward. At a summit in Brussels on 19 June 2026, EU leaders asked Ireland, as Council President, to propose new sources of funding for the EU budget for 2028–2034 by October 2026. This remains a source of tension between net contributors and beneficiary countries.

Enlargement:

The Presidency programme frames enlargement as a key expression of European values and a “geostrategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity” across Europe. The Irish Presidency will seek to maintain momentum for candidate countries, aiming to conclude accession negotiations with Montenegro while progressing as many remaining negotiating clusters as possible with Albania, Moldova, and Ukraine. Ireland supports a fast-moving accession process but is cautious about creating “waiting rooms” or “associated memberships” where candidate countries could become stalled.

Gaza and the Middle East:

Ireland reaffirms the EU’s commitment to peace in the Middle East based on a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions. The Presidency programme also commits to addressing the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and the West Bank. Ireland will also support EU efforts to promote peace, security, and stability in Lebanon, Syria, and the Gulf region.

Housing:

The Presidency programme commits to prioritising efforts that support the delivery of affordable housing, including reducing unnecessary administrative burdens through the Omnibus packages. The Irish Presidency will progress the Commission’s proposal for a Council Recommendation on combating housing exclusion, with a particular focus on homelessness. The programme identifies access to affordable housing as a key component of a competitive European economy. Ireland also intends to advance the European Affordable Housing Plan, including the Affordable Housing Act and the Construction Services Act, during its Presidency.

Civil society:

The Presidency programme acknowledges the shrinking of civic space and commits to countering this while promoting human rights and democracy. It pledges to oppose attempts to weaken international commitments and human rights standards, including those relating to women’s rights, gender equality, and the rights of LGBTIQ+ people. This includes supporting the negotiation and adoption of a new EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy. The programme also commits to supporting the EU Strategy for Civil Society and ensuring that EU policymaking is informed by citizens and civil society.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the main body representing organised civil society at EU level, will also play an important role during Ireland’s Presidency. The Irish government has asked the EESC to contribute to a number of shared priorities and prepare eight exploratory opinions covering Democratic Participation and Civil Society, Equality and Competitiveness, the EU Livestock Strategy, Intergenerational Poverty, Simplification, the Single Market Strategy, the Digital Fairness Act, and Affordable Housing Construction. The aim is to ensure that the perspectives and expertise of civil society, employers, and workers are reflected in EU policymaking during Ireland’s Council Presidency. This is also the first time that the EESC has had an Irish President, Séamus Boland, during an Irish Council Presidency.

Disinformation:

The Presidency programme addresses disinformation in the context of European values and digital safety, with the Digital Services Act (DSA) identified as a key enforcement tool. The Irish Presidency will support initiatives that strengthen democratic resilience and protect citizens online through cooperation on tackling disinformation, online crime, and child safety. Disinformation is also highlighted in the context of EU enlargement, particularly regarding destabilising external influences in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Neighbourhood.

External relations:

Ireland seeks to strengthen the transatlantic relationship with the United States during its Presidency. The programme identifies implementation of the EU–US Trade and Investment agenda as a priority, with opportunities for deeper cooperation on supply chains, critical sectors, and emerging technologies.

Regarding the United Kingdom, described as a “vital partner” for the EU, Ireland aims to move beyond past tensions by making tangible progress on student mobility, emissions trading, and data sharing. The Irish Presidency will also oversee the continued implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Windsor Framework, and the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Although China is not mentioned directly in the Presidency programme, Ireland commits to maintaining an active trade policy that balances de-risking with continued innovation. It supports a “Made with Europe” rather than a “Made in Europe” approach to industrial policy and aims to advance trade negotiations with Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.

As Council President, Ireland will coordinate EU positions and represent the EU at a range of international forums, including the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) and the UN International Telecommunication Union Plenipotentiary Conference, both taking place in November 2026.

Irish language:

The 2026 Presidency is Ireland’s first since Irish became a fully operational working language of the EU in January 2022. The Presidency programme promises to demonstrate the EU’s commitment to linguistic diversity by integrating Irish into Council business, official communications, and cultural events. However, practical challenges remain. For example, as of June 2026 it was not possible for journalists to register for accreditation through Irish.