Preparations for the EU Council Presidency

Romania steps up preparations to take over, on January 1, 2019, the rotating presidency of the European Union.

Mihai Pelin, 23.01.2018, 13:38

Bucharest has
hosted a meeting of the representatives of the forthcoming Romanian, Finnish
and Croatian EU Council presidencies, marking the official start of the
dialogue between the three states on the development of a common working
programme. The three delegations agreed on the methodology for putting together
a calendar for the trio and talks have been initiated on the themes to be
included in the common programme. The Romanian, Finnish and Croatian officials
have also agreed that the efforts of the trio would focus on the need to
restart the European project and on the desire to make a substantial
contribution to the European debate on this topic.

The Romanian
Minister for European Affairs, Victor Negrescu, has announced that Romania’s
national priorities for the EU presidency will be approved no later than
September. He promised that there are experts ensuring the continuity of
preparations for the Romanian presidency, in spite of the current political
complications and government reshuffling. The membership of a new government,
formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and
Democrats, is being negotiated these days in Bucharest. Victor Negrescu:

In my opinion,
this is not about one minister or another. It is about the government’s ability
to be consistent. Attending this meeting were colleagues from the Foreign
Ministry, who have the capacity to move this project forward. For us, this was
an important signal, a guarantee that regardless of these changes we are
capable of managing this presidency.

Negrescu also
emphasised the importance of a constant dialogue with Finland and Croatia, and
in this context he mentioned a number of topics of mutual interest, which will
shape the agenda of the three countries’ presidency, such as the completion of
the Brexit talks, the negotiations on the post-2020 multiannual financial
framework, and the 2019 European Parliament elections. According to the
Romanian Minister for European Affairs, Romania must act with professionalism
during its EU presidency, but it must also take this opportunity to improve its
image and strengthen its position in the EU.

Romania will
hold the presidency of the European Union Council between January 1 and June 30
next year, and will be followed by Finland and Croatia. The EU Council is
chaired in a rotation system, by each member state for a six-month term. The
2009 Lisbon Treaty introduced a trio methodology, with 3-country groups working
together to come up with a common agenda of the Council’s priorities for the
ensuing 18 months. Each country also prepares its own, more detailed programme
for its 6-month term.