Ireland and the EU Presidency

 
On 1 July 2026 Ireland will take up the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, following Cyprus’s tenure. This will be the eighth time Ireland has held the Presidency, the last being in 2013.

The Presidency of the Council rotates between Member States every six months, so each Member State holds the Presidency every 13.5 years based on the current membership of the EU.

What is the Council of the European Union?

The Council of the European Union, known as ‘the Council’ (and not to be confused with the European Council, which is made up of heads of state), represents the governments of EU countries and is composed of their ministers. Together with the European Parliament, it is the main decision-making body of the EU.

The Council negotiates and adopts EU laws based on proposals from the European Commission and adopts the EU budget. It also co-ordinates policies, concludes international agreements on behalf of the EU and develops the EU’s foreign and security policy.

The Council is one body but ministers meet in 10 groups, known as ‘Council configurations’, organised by policy area. These are:

1. Agriculture and Fisheries
2. Competition
3. Economic and Financial Affairs
4. Environment
5. Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs
6. Education, Youth, Culture and Sport
7. Foreign Affairs
8. General Affairs
9. Justice and Home Affairs
10. Transport, Telecommunications and Energy.

Around 70 to 80 Council meetings take place every year.

What does the presidency do?

The role of the Presidency is to build consensus and move decisions forward. Its key tasks include representing the Council; planning, coordinating and chairing meetings; negotiating with other EU institutions, communicating on its activities and brokering agreements in the Council.

The presidency works closely with:

• the President of the European Council, currently António Costa of Portugal
• the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, currently Kaja Kallas of Estonia (who is also Vice President of the European Commission)

The minister from the Member State holding the Presidency chairs meetings of their Council configuration (except for Foreign Affairs Council meetings, which are chaired by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy).

How does this work?

Holding the Presidency provides a Member State with the opportunity to shine a spotlight on particular policies. As the Presidency arranges meetings and sets the agenda, it can determine which issues will be prioritised. Usually, three successive countries to hold the Presidency work together as a trio. They set long-term goals and a common agenda for topics and issues for Council to address over their 18-month presidency period, as well as their own detailed programmes. During Ireland’s Presidency it will work with Lithuania and Greece, which will hold the Presidency in 2027.

What are Ireland's priorities for the presidency?

Ireland’s priorities for the Presidency are:

• Competitiveness: fostering prosperity and wellbeing

  Ireland’s Presidency will be guided by the five agreed strategic building blocks:

  • Simplifying rules – reducing administrative burdens through prioritisation of the Omnibus simplification packages, and a more coherent regulatory framework
  • A more integrated Single Market – eliminating barriers, making it easier for businesses to scale up through the EU Inc proposal and moving forward on the Savings and Investment Union
  • Championing strong trade – supporting efforts to strengthen economic resilience and supply chain resilience
  • Prioritising energy transition and supporting energy security, concluding the European Grids Package and advancing the Energy Security Package
  • Digital/AI – advancing responsible digital governance and work on digital connectivity, convening an AI Summit, focusing investment on subsea cables, prioritising sectoral work on sustainable farming and fishing, promoting investment in AI, semiconductors, biotechnology and new tech and advancing legislation on biotechnology

•  Values: upholding the indispensable foundation of our union

  The EU is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, and they underpin its competitiveness and security. Ireland’s Presidency will involve:

  • Working towards completing the accession negotiations with Montenegro and progressing those with Albania, Moldova and Ukraine
  • Strengthening the EU’s democratic resilience through support for the European Democracy Shield and the EU Strategy for Civil Society
  • Working towards close cooperation between Member States and the Commission to drive application of the Digital Services Act
  • Strengthening online safety for children and prioritising legislative measures to combat child sexual abuse
  • Championing the full participation of people with disabilities in economic and social life

• Security: protecting our citizens

  Ireland’s Presidency will advance measures that contribute to the strengthening of European security and defence through:
  • Supporting Ukraine in its defence against Russia and in cooperating with Europe and partners
  • Progressing the European Security Strategy
  • Promoting the development of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)
  • Advancing measures to facilitate greater cross-border cooperation in the fight against serious and organised crime, migrant smuggling and firearms trafficking, and focusing on the full implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum

What will the presidency involve in Ireland?

Ireland’s six-month presidency will involve:

• 2 Leaders’ Summits
• 22 informal ministerial meetings (of the 10 different Council configurations)
• 250 additional presidency events

The first confirmed events to take place will be:

• 24 June, Dublin: EU High Level Group on Education and Training
• 2 July Cork: Visit of the College of Commissioners
• 5 July, Mayo: Informal Meeting of Employment and Social Affairs Ministers
• 6 July, Dublin: Meeting of the High-Level Working Party on Tax Questions
• 6 July, Dublin: Meeting of COSI (Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security)

Over 30,000 people are expected to come to Ireland to attend Presidency events during the second half of 2026.

Where can I find more information about Ireland’s presidency?

You can find more information about the presidency on the EU Council’s Presidency website.