Editor's note

The presidency of the Council rotates among the EU member states every 6 months. During this 6-month period, the presidency chairs meetings at every level in the Council, helping to ensure the continuity of the EU's work in the Council.

Since joining the EU in 1995, this is the third time that Austria holds the presidency of the Council of the EU after 1998 and 2006.

Member states holding the presidency work together closely in groups of three states, called 'trios'. This system was introduced by the Lisbon Treaty in 2009. The trio sets long-term goals and prepares a common agenda determining the topics and major issues that will be addressed by the Council over 1,5 years’ period. On the basis of this programme, each of the three countries prepares its own more detailed 6-month programme.

See Austrian Presidency website (in three languages) at: https://www.eu2018.at/

The current trio is made up of the presidencies of the Estonia, Bulgaria and Austria. 

Logo of the EU Council and the Austrian presidency

The country-President: responsibilities and tasks  

The presidency is responsible for driving forward the Council's work on EU legislation, ensuring the continuity of the EU agenda, orderly legislative processes and cooperation among member states. To do this, the presidency must act as an honest and neutral broker.

The Presidency in the Council has two main tasks:

First, chairing meeting of the “sectoral” Ministers’ Councils in different Council’s configurations.  The presidency chairs meetings of the different Council configurations (with the exception of the Foreign Affairs Council) and the Council's preparatory bodies, which include permanent committees such as the Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper), and working parties and committees dealing with very specific subjects.

Second, representing the Council in numerous EU institutions and bodies, particularly with the Commission and the European Parliament. Its role is to try and reach agreement on legislative files through trilogies, informal negotiation meetings and Conciliation Committee meetings. The presidency works in close coordination with the President of the European Council (D. Tusk) and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (F. Mogherini).

Council presidencies up to 2020: Austria: July-December 2018; Romania: January-June 2019; Finland: July-December 2019; Croatia: January-June 2020 and Germany: July-December 2020

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/council-eu/presidency-council-eu/

Trilogies: 18-month programme of the Council, prepared by the Estonian, Bulgarian and Austrian Presidencies for the EU’s future.

See: http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-9934-2017-INIT/en/pdf

Trilogies’ 18-month programme (adopted in June 2017) on 19 pages provides a forward looking agenda revolving around citizens' expectations tackling together European common challenges, strengthening trust in the European Union, bringing it closer to citizens and - respecting the principles of Better Regulation - simplifying life and business by delivering tangible results.

Below are some extracts from the “common program”, i.e. trilogies.

= In the spheres of “Union for jobs, growth & competitiveness”, the priorities are:

- Take the various strands of the Single Market forward focusing on the implementation and enforcement of Single Market rules, including practical measures set out in the compliance package and the enforcement proposal and removing the remaining barriers by completing the various initiatives set out in the services and the goods packages as well as respecting the principle of better regulation, subsidiarity and ensuring the quality of legislation.

- Advance cross-border digital public services by an ambitious implementation of the principles of the EU e-Government Action Plan 2016-2020.

- Intensify the take up of electronic identification and trust services for electronic transaction in the internal market (e-IDAS) in order to accelerate the cross-border and cross-sector use of electronic identification (e-ID), including mobile ID and trust services for digitally enabled businesses as well as in the public sector.

- Take forward the ENISA review and the update of the cyber security strategy.

- Move towards sustainable, fair, competitive and safe transport system (mobility package/road initiatives)

- Fight against tax fraud and ensure fair and efficient taxation (including common consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB), disclosure rules for intermediaries, a definitive VAT regime, VAT on e-commerce and related initiatives).

= In the “Entrepreneurship and job creation”, the priorities are:

- Encourage entrepreneurship and support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups by ensuring access to alternative forms of funding, foster investment in innovations, research and development, facilitating access to intellectual property products that are of particular importance for SMEs and ensuring systematic application of the 'think small first' principle.

- Enhance better skills for all in order to maintain high competitiveness and productivity at the labour market.

- Enhance better skills for all in order to maintain high competitiveness and productivity at the labour market.

- Sufficiently prepare young people to become active on the labour market by offering them the best education and training and ensure productive and quality employment for European citizens by fully exploiting the opportunities of the Single Market.

In the “Environmental sustainability” sphere the priority area includes: the circular economy focusing on eco-innovative initiatives aimed at efficient use of resources, reducing environmental impacts in production and consumption, and conducting actions towards a non-toxic environment.

= In “Investing in the future” sector the priorities include:

- Multiannual Financial Framework post-2020, if the Commission's proposal is published and conditions are appropriate to start a genuine debate.

- MFF mid-term sectoral review (including reviews of Horizon 2020, Erasmus+, Connecting Europe Facility, Creative Europe, the proposal to simplify the financial rules) ensuring predictability and flexibility in implementing EU policies and priorities.

- Focus on investment in growth and jobs, including research and innovation, cross-border infrastructure, connectivity and education (Erasmus+, Connecting Europe Facility, Horizon 2020 as well as preparing the 9th Framework Programme, review of the ERA, in particular governance, the research window of the European Defence Action Plan, EURATOM Framework Programme).

- Cohesion policy post 2020 working towards simpler and more proportionate rules for the European Structural and Investment Funds and strengthening complementarity between EU funds.

- Simplification and modernisation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) including in view of preparing the inter-institutional negotiations on the future parameters post 2020. In order to be able to react to global developments, climate change or extreme weather conditions and to ensure food security in Europe, the CAP has to ensure stable production conditions for European farmers, as well as to contribute to market stability, efficient risk management measures and the vitality of rural areas.

- A strong European industrial base is of vital importance for the EU economy. The three Presidencies will pursue a broad, holistic and coherent approach to ensure that all EU industries can fully benefit from digital innovation.

- Where appropriate, the EU will benefit from the potential of Macro-regional Strategies.

In the sphere of “Economic and Monetary Union”, the priorities are the following:

- Advancing the debate on deepening the EMU, while maintaining the integrity of the EU and the Single Market.

- Addressing remaining vulnerabilities in the banking sector and completing and consolidating the Banking Union, including the banking reform package.

- Implementing the measures set out in the Action Plan to Build a Capital Markets Union (to be reviewed in 2017) to complement the banking sector and to provide a broader mix of financing sources to the real economy.  

= n the sector “Union that empowers & protects all its citizens” (which is the motto of the Austrian Presidency), the priorities are:

- Equal treatment and non-discrimination, promotion of social justice, fight against poverty and social exclusion, including a focus on reducing child poverty, promotion of gender equality and gender mainstreaming and accessibility.

- Empowering young people and increasing youth participation, including by taking forward the European Solidarity Corps offering opportunities to gain experience in a real working environment, to develop competences and make a contribution to society, etc. 

= In the EU-Global relations the priorities are:

- Implementation of the EU's Global Strategy in the five priority areas identified in the Global Strategy: 1. The Security of our Union, 2. State and Societal Resilience, 3. An Integrated Approach to Conflicts and Crises, 4. Cooperative Regional Orders and 5. Global Governance for the 21st Century.

- The Sustainable Development Goals will be another cross- cutting theme for the follow up work. The EU will also enhance its strategic communication, investing in and joining up public diplomacy in order to connect to EU citizens and better communicate to the European partners.

- Development: Policy and Cooperation: are central elements of EU-External Action and will concentrate on implementing the 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in line with the new European consensus for development.

- Trade: Rising anti-globalisation sentiment, emanating from across the political spectrum both within and outside the EU, is making it all the more difficult for governments to demonstrate to citizens, workers and consumers the benefits of open and rules-based trade. The three Presidencies will reinforce the message that trade can contribute to maintaining the high living standards that EU citizens enjoy today and confirm the EU's commitment to an ambitious and progressive trade and investment agenda, promoting inclusive and sustainable growth and development.

Source: http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-9934-2017-INIT/en/pdf