Priorities of the Portuguese EU Council Presidency
On 1 January 2021, Portugal takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the 4th time. The Presidency rotates every 6 months and will be held by Portugal in the first half of 2021. To ensure coherency, three Presidencies are grouped together – Portugal shares the …
Priorities of the German EU Council Presidency
On 1 July 2020, Germany takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the 13th time since 1957. The Presidency rotates every 6 months and will be held by Germany in the second half of 2020. To ensure coherency, three Presidencies are grouped together – Germany …
Priorities of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the EU
From January to June 2020, Croatia will take over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union. During these months, the Croatian Presidency will focus on four main pillars which have been synthesised in one unique motto: “A Europe that is developing. A Europe that connects. A Europe that …
Priorities of the Romanian EU Council Presidency
On 1 January 2019, Romania takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first time since its accession to the EU in 2007. The Presidency rotates every six months and will be held by Romania in the first half of 2019 and by Finland in …
The Eagle Took Off
Ten years ago, on 13 December 2007, the Heads of State or Government of the Member States of the European Union signed the Lisbon Treaty. They agreed amongst others “on the progressive framing of a common defence policy that might lead to common defence”. It needed however several years before …
Priorities of the Bulgarian EU Council Presidency
Bulgaria will take over the Presidency of the EU Council from Estonia on 1 January 2018 until the end of June 2018. The Presidency rotates every 6 months, and will be held by Austria in the second half of 2018. Bulgaria, which has joined the EU in 2007, will hold …
PESCO: Step by Step Towards a Final Council Decision!
Step by step Without any doubt, the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) will be a significant milestone: Not only because it will bind those member states that join PESCO to a certain number of commitments, but especially because it demonstrates the political will of a majority of member states to get …
PESCO? Soon a Reality?
Permanent Structured Cooperation, better known under its acronym PESCO, is almost something as EUROMILLIONS winners: everybody knows that they exist, but nobody knows where and who they are! PESCO is a tool provided by the Lisbon Treaty to change the current patchwork of bilateral and multilateral military cooperation in Europe …
Priorities of the Estonian EU Council Presidency
Estonia will take over the Presidency of the EU Council from Malta on 1 July 2017 until the end of the year. The Presidency rotates every 6 months, and will be held by Bulgaria and Austria in 2018. Estonia, which has joined the EU in 2004, will hold the Presidency …
Time For Real Action
One cannot deny that it is becoming quite difficult to write something on the current situation that is valid for more than a few days or even hours. Especially the security and defence environment is changing rapidly. New scenarios for the future are discussed at an increased pace. However, two …