Poland will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union on January 1, 2025. With a six-month mandate, it would run the Council till June beneath the motto: “Safety, Europe!”
The priorities that Warsaw needs to imprint on its mandate all revolve across the idea of safety, in each sense of the phrase: exterior, inside, data, financial, vitality, meals and well being safety.
Polish Prime Minister and former President of the European Council Donald Tusk mentioned that Warsaw can be presiding over the 27 EU member states in a difficult interval. On this context, he notably recalled the crises in Ukraine, the Center East and the developments in Georgia.
Upon presenting the presidency’s priorities final week, the pinnacle of the Everlasting Illustration of Poland to the EU, Agnieszka Bartol, defined that the presidency additionally intends to give attention to strengthening the competitiveness of European firms, notably in areas reminiscent of vitality costs, with a give attention to vitality safety and the discount of pink tape.
The top of the Worldwide Vitality Company (IEA), Fatih Birol, mentioned earlier this month that the EU made three errors in terms of the financial system and vitality: it grew to become depending on Russia, it gave up on nuclear vitality and it allowed itself to be overtaken by China within the area of inexperienced applied sciences.
Birol pointed to the clear trade technique being ready by the European Fee, which is anticipated to be offered inside the first 100 days of its new time period. Which means that the dialogue on it would happen through the Polish presidency.
On enlargement, Ambassador Bartol mentioned that the presidency intends to take a balanced method – notably on the Western Balkans – including that it’s a geopolitical precedence for Poland.
Tusk’s Ukraine peace talks within the making
As Warsaw gears as much as take over the EU presidency, it has been discussing the scenario in Ukraine with varied overseas officers.
Prime Minister Tusk mentioned on Thursday (December 12) that he mentioned with French President Emmanuel Macron the potential for stationing overseas troops in Ukraine in case of a ceasefire, however that Warsaw was not presently “planning any such actions.”
Tusk mentioned final week that Ukraine peace talks may start “within the winter of this 12 months.”
“Our (EU) presidency will notably be co-responsible for what the political panorama will appear like, maybe how the scenario will look throughout (peace) negotiations,” he mentioned.
Poland, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Group (NATO) – a 32-nation navy alliance – is a staunch backer of neighbouring Ukraine and serves as an important logistics hub for Western navy support to Kyiv.
EU overseas coverage chief Kaja Kallas just lately mentioned “we’d like peace in Ukraine with the intention to have peacekeeping missions” and added: “For that we’d like Russia to cease shelling, which they don’t seem to be doing.”
“Earlier than that, we’ve got nothing to speak about. And naturally, it’s to each single European nation to make their choice whether or not they’re utilizing their troops wherein processes,” the previous Estonian prime minister added.
It’s anticipated that Poland may play a big function within the occasions surrounding Ukraine. In February, will probably be three years because the begin of the Russian aggression, and the plan is to undertake the sixteenth bundle of sanctions right now, which must be very robust on Moscow and considerably hit Russia.
Particular person EU member states are additionally making efforts to spice up Ukraine – however not with out inside political battle.
Caretaker Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev approached the nation’s Nationwide Meeting for an specific mandate to his authorities to signal a Safety Cooperation Settlement with Ukraine, as authorised by Bulgaria’s Council of Ministers on October 4.
Nevertheless, the response in Parliament on December 18 was principally damaging, with some events objecting to the process of looking for the mandate, whereas others objected to Bulgaria sharing armaments and assets with Ukraine.
Glavchev mentioned on December 18 that he’ll signal a safety cooperation settlement with Ukraine provided that he receives approval from the Nationwide Meeting.
Ukraine’s EU membership on the horizon?
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EU’s enlargement efforts gained momentum, with Ukraine making speedy progress ever since.
Beneath the Belgian EU presidency within the first half of 2024, the EU agreed on the official begin of accession talks with Ukraine. Subsequently, the so-called screening started, a course of between the European Fee and the candidate state in query, throughout which nationwide laws is assessed and areas of convergence with EU laws – the so-called acquis – are recognized.
Screening is a obligatory prerequisite for opening the so-called clusters, which at all times embrace a number of accession chapters. It’s attainable that this screening will likely be accomplished through the Polish presidency.
Subsequent steps for Poland on the helm of the Council
The Polish EU presidency’s emblem, the Polish flag mixed with the letters ‘E’ and ‘U’, represents Poland’s dedication to the European Union, its 20 years of membership, its involvement in European affairs, and its ambition to set new instructions for EU insurance policies, specifically with regard to the continent’s safety.
The emblem was designed by the well-known Polish artist Jerzy Janiszewski, who additionally created the brand of the Solidarność (Solidarity) commerce union motion based in 1980.
The Council of the European Union, sometimes called the Council, is without doubt one of the EU’s primary decision-making our bodies. It represents the governments of the 27 EU member states and is made up of ministers from every nation, assembly in several configurations relying on the coverage space being mentioned.
The Council of the EU is to not be confused with the European Council, which brings collectively EU heads of state or authorities to set the EU’s total political course and priorities.
Each six months, an EU member state takes the helm of the Council to guide the coverage discussions. Whereas 2024 noticed Belgium and Hungary preside over the Council, Poland and Denmark will achieve this in 2025.
The Polish presidency will likely be inaugurated with a live performance in Warsaw on January 3, 2025. Conferences of ministers inside the Council may also be organised within the capital – 23 casual conferences are to be held within the Warsaw Citadel. The second place for official conferences would be the Nationwide Stadium.
Editorial word: the paragraphs on Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s statements on peace negotiations with Ukraine have been up to date.
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