Government of Ireland

Policy topics Government of Ireland is active on

What Government of Ireland has said (80)

• 2026-07-14 “So it's on. So Rocky may arrive. Yeah. Alright. I'll continue in Irish. Thank you very much. 1st of all, I would like to pay tribute to our chair of the past 6 months, Maralina. She and her colleagues have guided us ably. Cyprus has made an important contribution to the work of the union, and I thank you, Marilena. The Irish presidency would be guided by the old Irish proverb or strength in unity. Ireland's broad presidency priorities focus on the 3 thematic pillars of competitiveness, values, and security. These will guide us in all council configurations throughout the next 6 months, but I will now lay out my particular priorities for this council. Firstly, on competitiveness, we are committed to delivering on the 1 Europe, 1 market road map. We strongly believe that by taking the measures set out in the road map, we can enhance European competitiveness and prosperity. I see a role for this council in ensuring that we maintain political momentum behind the road map and ensure well prepared and productive discussions on the road map at EU leader level. This is why I am particularly delighted that we will be joined by Enrico Letta later today so that we can reflect on how we collectively can continue to drive forward the competitiveness agenda for the benefit of European citizens and businesses. On simplification, our presidency goal is to maintain the momentum to agree all omnibus packages presented in 2025 by the end of 20 26 and to make early progress on new packages. And welcome to commissioner Dumbrovnus here today. We need to deliver meaningful and ambitious simplification while maintaining high ambition in terms of environmental protections, fundamental rights, and other standards. I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you later this morning on your priorities for simplification and how we can best deliver clear and meaningful results for our citizens. On the next multi annual financial framework, Ireland is committed to agreeing an ambitious budget for the EU, ensuring that we will have the power to transform Europe for the better in the decade ahead for the benefit of citizens and communities in all of our member states. We count on all member states to help us advance with the urgency required. However, this is going to require compromises from everyone around the table as we work towards unanimous agreement. Timely agreement on the MFF will demonstrate to our citizens not only our commitment in delivering on our shared priorities and ambitions, but also the EU's ability to act collectively. I will share with you separately under an AOB how we intend to lead and manage negotiations over the coming months. The 2nd pillar of our presidency is values. These are these are the foundation of our union. Respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. These are the bedrock that make Europe a good place to live, to work, and to do business. In this council, I will work to uphold the rule of law across the EU and in candidate countries. I look forward to our annual dialogue among member states on the rule of law and the next round of country specific discussions in the autumn. Later this morning, I will ask you to approve conclusions on the evaluation of the annual rule of law dialogue. The aim is to seize the political momentum and to strengthen even further the council's commitment to the dialogue and to the rule of law. We will continue efforts to strengthen the resilience of European democracies and the systems underpinning them. We face increased threats from malign influences seeking to sow mistrust and discord between our citizens and governments. I look forward to presenting council conclusions on inclusive democratic participation and community resilience. These will be our contribution to giving the European democracy shield practical and political impetus. Our aim is conclusions that strengthen the resilience of our democratic systems from the ground up, supporting civil society, protecting those active in public life, and reinforcing citizens' trust in democratic institutions and engagement with those institutions. The Irish presidency sees enlargement as a key expression of the values of the union, an investment in peace, freedom, security, stability, and prosperity across Europe. I believe strongly that our fellow Europeans in the candidate and potential candidate countries will benefit from the advantages of EU citizenship, and the union as a whole will be strengthened by the contributions new member states will bring. In particular, Ireland will work towards the completion of accession negotiations with Montenegro, and we seek to make substantial progress in negotiations with Albania. We will also work intensively to progress accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova during our presidency. In this respect, I am delighted that today Montenegro is closing 2 additional chapters, which means more than half of the negotiating chapters have now been closed by Montenegro. I also welcome that Albania has started to close negotiating chapters during the 1st month of our presidency. This is a notable step forward. Finally, I welcome the opening of an additional cluster, cluster 6 on external relations with Ukraine and Moldova. This is another important milestone in the accession processes of Ukraine and Moldova. The 3rd pillar of our presidency program is security. We will advance the security and defense of our union. We will maintain the union's unwavering support for Ukraine, political, military, and financial support in addition to progressing their path to EU accession. As we have learned, particularly in the last number of years, no country acting alone can hope to tackle the existing and emerging challenges that we face amid an increasingly complex geopolitical environment. It has never been more important to strengthen our global engagement and our relationships with key partners. The Irish presidency will therefore promote positive relations between the EU and The UK as well as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. We look forward to what we hope will be a successful 2nd EU UK summit later this year. Throughout the next 6 months, I will work closely with my trio partners, Lithuania and Greece. To conclude, I look forward to your cooperation in the coming months in delivering a positive and ambitious agenda for the work of the council during our presidency. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and I look forward to facilitating this work as chair. Thank you very much. So if there are no comments on that, I might invite commissioner Dombrovskis yet to to speak. Thank you.”
  Size of EU budget
• 2026-07-14 “Thank you very much. I don't see anybody um, indicating would I absolutely accept that's not an indication of, of of interest or otherwise. We're going to have really, really deep discussions in the autumn um in the General Affairs Council. And I will engage with each and every one of you as my ambassador will do so as well in the coming weeks with, with her counterparts. I think the ambition to move the negotiations forward in order to reach a timely and balanced deal is something that we all share. We will come back to this in our next meeting. I will continue to engage with all of you, with the Commission and indeed with Parliament to. And as this concludes today's public session, I would like to. I'd like to ask the Council technicians to end the broadcast.”
  EU political integration
• 2026-07-14 “The task is not for Ireland alone. We will require each and every one of you to be proactively engaged in this process, and I am ready and willing to hear all views around the table. But I urge you and your teams to make use of the months ahead to assess pragmatically and collegially where you can compromise. A final agreement will not be possible without this, and I urge you to help us all to work towards a realistic landing zone. I count on you and your constructive engagement to. In order to deliver a budget that provides for all of Europe and is fit for purpose. Compromise is difficult for all of us, but it has always been possible. I am confident that we can bridge the gaps which now seem far. In order to deliver a budget for the challenges and opportunities ahead. Since this, from an agenda point of view today is an information point. It is not my intention to have a debate now. I believe that we have plenty of time and opportunity to do so. But of course, I won't stop you from intervening if you wish to do so. But I will give the floor to Pyotr for for the commission.”
  Size of EU budget
• 2026-07-14 “The task for our presidency is therefore clear addressing these important issues in an effort to reach consensus and make a revision to the negotiating box, which brings us closer to a timely agreement. Agreement before the end of this year would allow for the adoption of legislative acts next year, which is necessary to ensure that European Union funding reaches beneficiaries, our citizens, our communities, without interruption. In January 2028. In order to do so and to progress work on new own resources as requested by the president of the European Council, we will require the evidence and logic to deliver a sound and robust compromise proposal. We will do so in the coming months through regular discussions at the General Affairs Council and more technical level meetings at official and ambassador level. Building on this in September, I will take the opportunity to meet each of you in the margins of the General Affairs Council meeting scheduled in Dublin and Brussels, or indeed elsewhere, if possible, to elicit your views and reactions on compromises that our presidency will propose in advance of the October European Council. We understand that the revenue and expenditure sides of the equation need to be taken forward together, and these engagements will, of course, be an opportunity to address own resources and wider views on the negotiating box.”
  Own EU resources
• 2026-07-14 “00:44 - 18:03:15): Thank you very much. Today is Super Tuesday. It's the most number, the highest number of enlargement accession conferences held in 1 day since 2002. It is truly a historic day for EU enlargement, and I was delighted to chair the 3rd accession conference with Moldova together with Commissioner for EU enlargement, Martha Koss, and the acting Prime Minister, Eugenio Osmokiescu, to mark continued momentum and progress on Moldova's accession process and on the EU enlargement process in general. We opened Cluster 1 just in June. And today, the council has secured the opening of cluster 6 on external relations with Moldova. This is really significant progress. And when I was in Chisinau in March or when I met Minister Popsy in Antalya maybe 2 months ago, we didn't really imagine. We hoped that this would be possible, but we weren't sure and we didn't imagine that it would really be possible. But Moldova, of course, most importantly, has repeatedly demonstrated its strategic alignment with our union and its value. So Moldova has done the work. The government has made remarkable progress on its EU accession process. They are aligning national legislation with the EU a key across all negotiating chapters. At the same time, Moldovan citizens have chosen to anchor Moldova's EU path in their constitution. Moldova and Moldovan citizens are an example of resilience, courage, and determination that we in the EU can only admire and commend. Your commitment to joining our union is a reminder for all Europeans of the importance of being part of an EU built on the values of freedom and democracy. Over the coming months, we will continue to progress Moldova's candidacy in line with the existing enlargement methodology. The council will advance Moldova's candidacy building on the technical work on front loading successfully advanced by the Danish and Cyprus Presidencies over the past year or so. It is important, of course, that Moldova continues to implement the necessary reforms and maintains the excellent momentum on its accession process. Moldova has a friend in the European Union, and there can be no doubt that Moldova's future and the future of the Moldovan people lie in the European Union. Thank you. I'll next give the floor to the Prime Minister, please. Thank you.”
  EU-Moldova relations
• 2026-07-14 “Thank you. Pyotr. Thank you. Colleagues. This next item is being taken. Taken in public session. The cameras are already on. And dear colleagues, as you will all know, it's almost a year since the European Commission presented a package of proposals on the Multiannual Financial Framework for the period 2028 to 2034. As I mentioned earlier, when sharing our presidency priorities for the next six months, progressing work on the MFF as a central and key objective, and one which I know we can all agree is fundamental for our Union's future and the prosperity of citizens and communities, businesses and stakeholders across Europe. Over the last year, the Danish and Cyprus presidencies have made significant progress to identify and discuss the horizontal and financial elements in the revised negotiating box, and to reach partial mandates on many of the sectoral files. I want to congratulate our colleagues for providing a solid basis for the work ahead and for all around this table who have analyzed, discussed and reached consensus on key issues over the last year. Critical work, however, remains, and that's an understatement. It is evident from reactions at our last meeting and the subsequent discussions amongst leaders at the European Council last month, that a wide range of views were expressed and key elements of the budget, notably on its volume, new own resources and the balance between expenditure priorities.”
  Size of EU budget
• 2026-07-14 “00:22 - 18:00:44): Okay. Hello, everyone, and welcome to this press conference following the EU Moldova intergovernmental conference. We're joined by our Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne the Acting Prime Minister of Moldova, Eugene Osmo Kesko and the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Cos. I will 1st give the floor to Minister Byrne.”
  EU-Moldova relations
• 2026-07-13 “Maudie is for tourism and August is for you. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to this press conference. Following the first meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council under the Irish Presidency, we are joined by the Minister for agriculture, food and the marine, Martin Heydon and Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen. I will first give the floor to Minister Hayden to take us through the outcomes of today's meeting.”
  Agriculture (green)
• 2026-07-13 “34:15 - 10:35:49): Thank you, Christophe. And as you have said previously, 2026 is the year of the island presidencies. So I would like to take the opportunity to thank Maria and Cyprus for the sterling work of the 1st 6 months of this year, for guiding our council, with great passion and diligence. And it was a pleasure to work so closely with you, and we look forward now to taking up the baton that you have passed to us for the 2nd 6 months of this year. So thank you, Maria. ***Livestock strategy and protein plan”
  Agriculture (green)
• 2026-07-13 “17:34 - 12:19:50): Thank you, Christophe, and thank you colleagues again for the valuable contributions. So now let me summarize our discussions as follows. Delegations agreed on the importance of strengthening our strategic autonomy and food security, improving competitiveness, profitability, resilience, and sustainability of the livestock sector, further developing animal health and welfare, including reviewing vaccination requirements and considering the interrelations between livestock, environment, and climate, avoiding avoiding additional administrative burden on livestock farmers, considering the opportunities arising from the bioeconomy, circular economy, supporting generation renewal for the long term economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the sector, respecting the diversity of EU agriculture by maintaining a common legislative framework while also acknowledging the specificities of member states, a diversified protein supply where also Ukraine could play an important role while at the same time encouraging increased protein production across the union, adequate financial support for the implementation of the 2 initiatives through the common agricultural policy and other EU instruments. Before drawing the formal conclusions, let me inform you that the livestock strategy will continue to be discussed over the course of the Irish presidency, including in the special committee on agriculture, most probably in September, with a view to publishing a presidency report by the end of the year. Now let me formally conclude this agenda item as follows. The council held an ex of views. It also took note of the information provided by the commission and by the presidency. ***Emerald ash borer **Ireland @Chair Dear colleagues, our next point on the agenda is an AOB item related to the appearance of the emerald ash borer in Hungary. A background note for this item has been provided in document 1 1 6 1 9 forward slash 2 6. Now let me give the floor to Hungary so they they can present it. Sablas, the floor is yours.”
  EU requirements on animal welfare for farmers
• 2026-07-13 “36:25 - 15:39:10): Thank you, Christophe, and thank you colleagues for your valuable contributions. Let me summarize our discussions as follows. Delegations agreed on the need to promote the participation of women in the agri food sector. It is clear from the discussions that women are essential to the future of the EU agri food sector, not just primary production. Advancing their role will take sustained effort and focus. Many delegations highlighted CAP post 2027 as a key tool to support the number of women farmers across the EU and that it is also necessary to consider non CAP measures as part of a more holistic approach. Delegations also highlighted that increasing the number of women participating in the agri food sector is not enough. It must also be ensured that women are properly represented in the decision making chain, including, for example, at local level in LEADER, local action groups, and chambers of commerce. Many underlined that the issue of involving women in the agri food sector goes beyond the important issue of equal opportunities as it is also about the survival of the farming industry in the EU. The sector needs young female farmers to ensure generation renewal. And it was also pointed out that women farmers often are the drivers of innovation and rural entrepreneurship. The importance of access to basic services, including childcare facilities, infrastructure, advisory services, and broadband, as well as the necessity of farm relief services were highlighted as important factors in increasing the attractiveness of rural areas. All of these factors contribute to play an important part in ensuring that women as well as men will choose to become farmers or in other ways part of the agri food sector. Many colleagues welcomed the Commission's Women in Farming platform and outlined practices that are already in place in their countries to promote and encourage women in agriculture. Exchange of this information is important to ensure structural barriers can be removed. It is clear from the discussion that member states want to recognize the important role women play in agriculture and rural areas. It was demonstrated that member states are keen to ensure that women can do both kids and cows and do not have to make a decision between one or the other. Colleagues, Commissioner, before formally concluding our discussions, let me thank you again for your important contributions on this very worthwhile topic. Let me now formally conclude this agenda item as follows. The Council held an exchange of views on women in agriculture. Now we have come to the end of our public session, and I would like to ask the technicians to switch off the cameras.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion
• 2026-07-13 “31:44 - 12:32:06): Thank you, Christoph, and many thanks to all. Let me formally now conclude the item as follows. The council has taken note of the information provided by Hungary. The council has also taken note of the interventions by other delegations and the reaction of the commission. Now we have come to the end of our public session. I would like to ask the technicians to switch off the cameras.”
  Rule of law in Hungary
• 2026-07-13 “13:49 - 10:31:38): Thank you. In accordance with the applicable rules, we will now continue in open session. For each item, the adopted, the results of the votes will be displayed on the television screens in this room and on the Internet on the video streaming page of the council. Statements will be entered into the minutes of this meeting. We will begin with the adoption of the regulation amending the CAP strategic plans and horizontal regulations as concerns fertilizers. This regulation aims to help European farmers cope with the sharp increase in fertilizer prices caused by the crisis in The Middle East. It gives member states additional tools to support affected farmers. The council should now be able to approve the European Parliament's position as set out in the document 43 2 6 and agree to derogate from the 8 week period provided for in the protocol on the role of national parliaments in the EU. The results of the votes are now displayed. I note that the required qualified majority has been reached and the act is adopted and the derogation agreed. To finish, we are going to adopt the regulation on the air passenger rights or, sorry, to continue with the adoption of the decision empowering Austria to amend its road passenger transport agreement with Switzerland. This decision empowers Austria to amend its existing bilateral road transport agreement with Switzerland with a view to authorizing cabotage operations during the provision of international passenger transport services by coach and bus in the border regions between the 2 countries. The council should now be able to approve the European Parliament's position as set out in the document 37 2 6. The results of the vote are now displayed. I note that the required qualified majority has been reached and that the act is adopted. To finish, we are going to adopt the regulation on air passenger rights. This regulation reinforces passengers' protection while ensuring a fair balance with airlines' operational realities, preserves connectivity across the EU, and maintains a level playing field, for airline companies. It provides a high level of protection of passengers in cases of denied boarding, delays or cancellations, and strengthens their rights to assistance, information, and compensation. The council should now be able to approve the European Parliament's position as set out in document 39 1 2 6, r e v 1. The results of the votes are now displayed. I note that the required qualified majority has been reached and that the act has been adopted. This concludes our legislative items for today. Today, I warmly welcome you to the 1st meeting of the AgriFish Council under the Irish presidency. Before I begin, I would like to open with a short video prepared for Ireland's presidency. Thank you very much. It is great honor to chair this council over the coming 6 months, and I'm very pleased to present you with Ireland's presidency work program for the Agriculture and Fisheries Council. Ireland's presidency will be guided by the principal, strength with unity, at a time when unity is ever more important in the face of rapidly changing and unpredictable global environment. Our work will seek to advance the overall interests and address the needs of the union, its member states, and citizens across Europe. Ireland's 2026 EU presidency will be defined by action and by delivery. On competitiveness, fostering prosperity and well-being, A Europe that is serious about competitiveness must be serious about the viability of farm, food, fisheries, and seafood businesses. On values, upholding the indispensable foundation of our union. A Europe that is serious about rural and coastal communities must ensure that European policy supports the people and places that sustain these communities. On security, protecting our citizens. A Europe that is serious about security must acknowledge that food security is a key component of overall security. Indeed, our experience over recent years has taught us that global food systems and global food supply chains can never be taken for granted. Our core teams are closely interlinked and mutually reinforcing and will guide all aspects of our work as presidency. Pursuing agreement on the new EU budget is an overarching priority for the Irish presidency. Ireland is committed to ensuring that the next multi annual financial framework, the MFF, will have the power to transform Europe for the better for the decades ahead. We are fully committed to acting as an honest broker in negotiation workable compromises to agree an ambitious budget for the EU. Our objectives is that the next MFF will continue to support provide support for our farmers, our fishers, and rural communities, enhance competitiveness, provide opportunities to SMEs, support Erasmus, invest in peace and reconciliation, support economic, social, and territorial cohesion, and continue the significant EU humanitarian and development assistance outside of our borders. Agriculture and fisheries plays a central role in ensuring Europe's food security, in supporting economic competitiveness, and in sustaining rural and coastal communities, while at the same time contributing to the union's climate and environmental objectives. Their place at the heart of European policy must be actively protected and strengthened. Our work at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council will therefore be guided by a clear determination to support farming and fishing families, to protect their incomes, to strengthen competitiveness, to sustain rural and coastal communities, and to strike the right balance between the 3 pillars of sustainability, economic, social, and environmental. A Europe that is serious about sustainability must recognize that economic, social, and environmental sustainability must be balanced and must be advanced together. Our core priority in is ensuring the long term competitiveness and sustainability of the agri food sector. Central to this is progressing discussions on the future of the common agricultural policy post 2027. Enshrined in the treaties, the cap has been 1 of the foundations of the European project and remains essential to food security, farm incomes, rural resilience, and sustainable management of the land across the union. Simplification will be another central priority. Farmers and food businesses need rules that are clear, proportionate, and capable of being implemented effectively underground. Ireland will advance the simplification agenda with a focus on reducing unnecessary administrative burdens while maintaining high standards for food and feed safety, human and animal health, environmental protection, and market surveillance. Generation renewal will also be a major team of our presidency. Europe needs farming to remain an attractive and viable career for young people and new entrants. That requires fair incomes, access to supports, investment, innovation, advisory services, knowledge transfer, and confidence in the future direction of EU policy. During the international year of the woman farmer, Ireland will also place particular emphasis on the role of women in agriculture and rural communities. Women make a vital contribution to the economic and social fabric of rural Ireland, and that contribution must be more visible and better supported. 1 of the key elements during our presidency will be advancing discussions on the role of livestock in the European agriculture, and Ireland welcomes the commission's publication of the EU livestock strategy. Livestock farming remains central to Europe's food production, rural economies, land management, and rural communities. It is also a sector facing major challenges, including market volatility, animal disease risk, climate pressures, and changing societal expectations. Closely linked to this is the EU protein action plan. Strengthening the resilience and sustainability of Europe's protein systems will be important for food security, feed security, and reducing strategic dependencies. Ireland will facilitate consideration by member states of the livestock strategy and the protein plan in a coherent and integrated manner with a view to publishing a presidency report by the end of the year. An overarching aim for fisheries is ensuring that the future of Europe's seafood sector is sustainable and resilient across cash fish catch fisheries, aquaculture, and seafood processing. The common fisheries policy remains the key framework for ensuring the sustainability of Europe's seafood sector by supporting the economic viability of our rural coastal communities and promoting social sustainability, including opportunities for new entrants into the sector. In terms of fisheries, our key priority will be the successful conclusion of discussions on the 20 27 fishing opportunities. Here, we will focus on securing agreement in respect of the fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea, the Atlantic, the North Sea, the Mediterranean and Black Seas so that we can provide certainty for EU fleets in 2027. 3rd country negotiations on stocks of shared interest will be of particular importance to our presidency. We will seek to coordinate member states' positions efficiently and effectively in these negotiations in order to provide for the sustainable management of shared stocks and a level playing field for Europe. Ireland will also proactively contribute to discussions around future funding for fisheries and agriculture with the objective that the next MFF will continue to support our fishermen and women and sustain our rural coastal communities. At the upcoming informal meeting of EU fisheries ministers, we will focus our discussion on enabling generation renewal. As with farming, Europe needs fishing and agriculture to remain an attractive, viable, safe career for young people and new entrants. The Irish presidency strongly believes that enabling generation renewal is the pathway to sustainable future for fisheries and aquaculture in Europe. Underpinning all of our work will be consideration of how the union can sustainably develop its fisheries and aquaculture sectors and ensure that the important role of these sectors is appropriately reflected in decisions taken at the European level, including in the 2040 vision for fisheries and agriculture. At the Special Committee on Agriculture, we intend to progress as far as possible to work on the post 2027 cap regulation and the common market organization regulation with a view to achieving at least a partial a general approach on both files. We will also work to progress the organics amending regulation through trialogues with the European Parliament when the European Parliament has finalized its position on the file. On the nonlegislative side, we will progress the implementation of the commission's vision for agriculture and food. This will include discussions on generation renewal, the participation of women in agriculture, the livestock strategy, the protein action plan, the fertilizer action plan, and farm safety, as well as the regular orientation debates on EU agri food markets and trade. At Corapur, our agriculture legislative work program will focus on the protection of animals during transport, the food and feed omnibus, the environmental omnibus. Our objective is to ensure that Europe maintains our high standards and that the rules are workable in practice and support farmers, food businesses, and competent authorities in delivering on the union's objectives. On the nonlegislative side, we also intend to bring forward council conclusions on 1 Health in agri food systems and on innovative and digital technologies to support plant health. While there are no fisheries items on today's agenda, come the autumn period, we anticipate proposals on amendments to the multi annual plans, regulations, and MFAP regulation. In the interim, as a priority, we also anticipate progressing discussions on conditions for EU support to the CFP with the objective of agreeing on a partial general approach in the autumn. In all of this, Irish presidency's aim is to ensure that the conditions and rules are fit for the challenges ahead and that they are simple to apply for all stakeholders. On the nonlegislative side, as is the case with the 2nd semester presidencies, we anticipate a significant workload from September onwards leading up to the annual fishing opportunities discussions in October, November, and December. We also anticipate the proposal for the autonomous tariff quotas, ATQs regulation. We are also planning for discussions around the commission's forthcoming vision 2040 for fisheries and agriculture, energy transition road map, and the external dimension communication. There will be 5 agricultural and fishery councils meetings during Ireland's presidency. Following today's meeting, we will meet again on the 28th and 29th September, the 26th and 27th of October in Luxembourg, 23rd and 24th of November, and on the 14th and 15th of December. Our councils will be busy, so I would encourage everyone to reserve any other business items for matters that are genuinely, necessary. I will be holding myself to the same standard as chair. Before we meet again in, September in Brussels, I look forward to welcoming you all to Ireland as I said previously. There will be informal meetings of our fisheries ministers in Cork at the end of this month and the informal agriculture, ministers in Dublin and Kildare in early September. Details in front of you there now. Alongside our informal ministerial meetings, we will host a series of senior official led meetings and conferences in Ireland. Key amongst these will be a global bioeconomy summit, which will be held in Dublin on the 20th and 21st of October, which will explore how the bioeconomy can drive innovation, economic growth, and climate action from sustainable food systems and bio based materials to low carbon industry and rural development. I look forward to hearing your views today and to working with you throughout the presidency, Goreb Milamahoeuv Galer. I'll now give the floor over to Commissioner Christoph.”
  Use of fertilisers
• 2026-07-13 “24:57 - 12:26:21): Thank you, Sari. Next up is Romania, followed by Croatia and Estonia. Emil, the floor is yours. **Romania Thank you, chair. For Romania, the food to sanitary risk remains high because of the confirmed presence of the pest in neighboring countries and now also in Hungary, but also because of the climate conditions that allow the pest to establish and develop. Romania has strengthened prevention and surveillance measures. Since 2021, the National Fetal Sanitary Authority has implemented a national monitoring program, and we also have now a national emergency plan with mandatory actions to be taken in case of confirmation. Measures such as delimiting the affected areas, eradication measures, and notification obligations, and we continue to monitor the situation. In 2026, we've placed new pheromone traps in ash tree forest stands along the borders with Ukraine and Hungary. And given the evolution of this pest, we must strengthen cooperation at EU level, and we must exchange, expertise between authorities using the union plant health emergency team. We also, continue to intensify surveillance in risk areas and to continue to support research into innovative monitoring and control methods. Thank you. **Ireland @Chair Thank you, Emil. Next is Croatia followed by Estonia and Austria. Togomir, the floor is yours.”
  Animal diseases prevention and management in the EU
• 2026-07-13 “43:36 - 10:44:04): Thank you, Christoph. Dear colleagues, it's now your turn. I will be very keen to hear your initial views on the strategy and on the plan, including in relation to the level of ambition and or complement, territory. I would also like to hear your views on how you think work should be taken forward to ensure a consistent approach in the follow-up to the publication of these 2 documents. Colleagues, the floor is now yours. May I ask you please to stick to the 3 minutes? And we will start with Poland and Adam. Thank”
  EU political integration
• 2026-07-13 “So dear colleagues, we will continue our public session, to move on to our next agenda item, which concerns the livestock strategy and protein plan. We all know how crucial both livestock and the protein sectors are for EU agriculture, for our rural areas, landscapes, and for the EU economy in general. But we also know that both sectors face important and, in some respects, increasing challenges. The adoption by the commission of its livestock strategy and protein plan last Tuesday, therefore, comes at a very timely moment. You have received 2 commission papers under documents number 1 1 3 7 sixtwenty 6 and 1 1 4 1 0 forward slash 26. I will now ask the commission to present its 2 initiatives. After that, I will invite delegates to share their initial views on them on the basis of the 2 questions that we have suggested to this to steer the discussion in document 1 1 5 2 7 slash 2 6. Christophe, please, you have the floor.”
  Agriculture (green)
• 2026-07-13 “14:19 - 14:16:00): Let us continue with the next item which concerns women in agriculture. The United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer, and this item will give us the possibility to discuss and reflect on the role and importance of women farmers across the EU. The increased participation of women is essential for the future of farming in the EU. It is not only a matter of equal opportunities. Research confirms that women in farming bring new perspectives in terms of developing new income streams and adopting new approaches to sustainable farming practices for their farm enterprises. If we want to obtain generation renewal and lively rural communities, then we must ensure that everyone is included. During today's debate, we will be able to share and learn from our experiences on how to promote the participation of women in the agri food sector. To assist in your preparation, the presidency has issued a note including 2 guiding questions, which was shared with you under number 1 1 3 3 4 forward slash 1 forward slash 2 6 rev 1. I look forward to receiving your views on those questions. How can we build on existing progress to advance women's participation, visibility, and formal recognition in the agri food sector? And what specific practical steps or alternative pathways could be introduced to promote equal access and opportunity for women farmers when it comes to purchasing, inheriting, or establishing a farm enterprise. But before opening the floor for our discussion, let me invite commissioner Hanssen to share his reflections on this topic. Christophe, the floor is yours.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion
• 2026-07-10 “Okay. Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to this press conference, following the Ekofin Council meeting. We're joined by our Tonniste, Minister for Finance, Simon Harris and by the European Commissioner for Economy Productivity, Implementation, Simplification, Mr. Valdis Dombrowskas. I'll 1st give the floor to the Tonister, who will take you through the outcomes of today's meeting.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• 2026-07-10 “08:35 - 10:14:32): And in addition to the speaker, anyone else in the room may appear on the screens during the public session. So look attentive. Okay. We're on. Well, as we say in Ireland, Kate Middafalcha. Welcome. Welcome to the viewers joining us now for the adoption of our legislative a item, which is included in document 1 1 2 0 7 26. And for the item, we will adopt the results of the votes will be displayed on the screens in this room and on the Internet via via the video streaming page of the council, and possible statements will be entered into the minutes of this meeting. We will proceed to the adoption of the council regulation access of EPO and OLAF to fast information at EU level. This regulation will strengthen the cooperation between the European Public Prosecutor's Office, the European Anti Fraud Office and member states. This will be of key importance to step up the fight against that and against customs fraud. The council reached a general approach on the regulation in May. In the meantime, the European parliament has issued its opinion on the regulation, and the test has been finalized by our lawyer lawyer linguists. The council should now be in a position to adopt the legislative text set out in document 8 8 8 7 26, and the results of the vote are now displayed. I noticed that the required unanimity has been reached with all delegations voting in favor, and the regulation is consequently adopted. So I conclude the legislative a item set out in document 1 1 2 0 7 26 has now been adopted. We will now, colleagues, turn to the next item on our agenda, which is the presentation of our presidency's work program in the field of economic and financial affairs, and we continue in public session. I have a few brief slides, if I can have the 1st slide on the screen. The next slide, please. For the next 6 months, Ireland looks forward to playing a central role together with our European partners in taking forward the ambitions, of the European Union. We do so at a time when the EU faces significant challenges, amidst a geopolitical landscape that has truly been transformed. We now need to pay heed to how Europe can both defend and promote our competitiveness, our security, and our values. And these are the 3 pillars, that will define our presidency priorities. Under each, we've set out clear plans and ambitions for the next 6 months. As a small open economy, it's in Ireland's DNA to build bridges to seek consensus in order to make progress, and that's why the motto of our presidency is strength with unity. We look forward to working with everyone because nobody can make progress alone. And next slide is it's precisely in that spirit of unity that we will work to ensure the union's ongoing support, for Ukraine. This is a top priority for us as the people of Ukraine continue to fight for their freedom. Of the Irish presidency's 3 policy themes, competitiveness will be my major focus here, at Echofen. We will invest significant efforts to strengthen the foundations of the single market and of Europe's competitiveness. And I think the task before us is to deliver on the commitments that we've already made to strengthen our European foundations, our economic foundations, and to ensure that the European Union is equipped to meet current challenges, but also to prepare for future shocks. This means we have to advance work on the savings and investment union, an agenda that translates in practical terms, deepening Europe's capital markets, strengthening our banking system to improve access to finance for businesses, ensuring that investments and scale, within Europe. Europe already has strong fundamentals with innovation, talent, and capital, but we need to better connect them. We look forward to driving forward the council's work to implement the commitments made by the European Council, the commission, and the parliament in 1 Europe, 1 market road map, and we want to make decisive progress together in 2026. In this respect, my primary focus will be the market integration and supervision package, which is among the most significant pieces of single market legislation in recent years. We've already all committed to this through the 1 Europe, 1 market road map. It commits us to reaching political agreement on the file by the end of the year. And I want to assure you that we will use the Irish presidency to make every effort to deliver on that shared firm and clear commitment. We also aim to achieve political agreement with the European Parliament on the Digital Europe on the securitization, framework review and the supplementary pensions package. I think achieving political agreement on these files will also advance other key commitments, in the road map, which we've agreed. I know a shared priority for all of us is reducing regulatory burdens on European businesses. The commission has made a strong start by simplifying existing rules, and I want to continue the initiative of the Danish presidency to ensure that new proposals do not create unnecessary burdens into the future. We'd also prioritize a number of tax files, including the tobacco tax directive, the carbon border adjustment mechanism, the directive on administrative cooperation, and the tax simplification omnibus. And last but not least, another important process that we will be achieving agreement on together is the annual EU budget, which will be the last in the current MFF cycle. And I look forward to leading the annual budget negotiations, on behalf of the council. 3rd slide. Finally, I wanna say a brief word about our informal Echofin that will take place, after the summer break in Dublin on the 18th and 19th, of September. We look forward to seeing you all in Ireland. The overall theme is how the EU can harness technological change to drive productivity, to strengthen competitiveness, and to shape the future of finance. We'll discuss the competitiveness of Europe's banking sector, the opportunities and challenges arising from financial innovation and how AI can help boost growth, reduce barriers in the single market and support Europe's long term economic resilience in an increasingly disruptive geopolitical and technological landscape. So colleagues, as I said at the outset, our success will be collective, and I look forward to our intense work and cooperation, over the next 6 months. And now I give the floor to the commission. Valdes, would you like to add anything, please?”
  EU law enforcement cooperation in criminal matters
• 2026-07-10 “So we now move on to the any other business section on financial services regulation. We remain in public session. Obviously just had a detailed discussion on the market integration and supervision package, so no need to say anything further on that file here. But let me take this opportunity to sincerely thank the Cyprus presidency for achieving so much during their term. All the progress on the financial services files during the last semester is going to greatly facilitate the work throughout the rest of this year. We've picked up on the work on the securitization package immediately. Earlier this week, on July 7, we had a positive second trilogue with the European Parliament, and we'll continue with those regular trilogues on this important file. And we'd like to reach political agreement before the end of this year. On the digital euro package, the first trilogue is planned for July 13, and the presidency ambition is to reach political agreement also on this extremely important file by the end of the year. The Cyprus presidency has worked hard throughout the month of June on the pensions package, including the review of the regulation on pan-European personal pension products and the directive on institutions on occupational retirement pensions, with the approvals of council mandates in corporate on the 24th and 26th of June. And we're now waiting on parliament to agree on its mandates, and we're ready to start those trilogues as soon as possible and, again, hope to reach a political agreement by the end of the year. And I know the Cyprus presidency also reached agreement on the council mandate on the sustainable finance disclosure regulation in corporate on June 24. And again, the council stands ready to start trilogues of this file as soon as the parliament will be ready. And again, we hope to reach political agreement by the end of our term. So that's a brief summary from me, and I now give the floor to the commission. Please, Marie Louise.”
  Financial regulation
• 2026-07-10 “45:17 - 11:49:34): Thank you very much. I've lost track of how many football analogies we've had today, but thank God for the World Cup. Thank you very much, Mary Louisa, and thank you very much to colleagues for all of their contributions and constructive comments today. In summarizing what I think I've heard from colleagues today is a really strong desire to get this done, to reach an ambitious compromise and to reach a deal by October. And I fully agree with the commissioner. I think if we can do this, this sends a very strong message to the markets, to participants, to our businesses, to our innovators, to our citizens, and indeed to our competitors, that Europe is getting its act together, that we're extremely serious about this too. So I do really sense a good spirit to take this forward. I thank you for that. We would, of course, reflect in all that we've heard today, but we're very clear in leaving today that we will work towards achieving a council mandate in October. We all recognize these are challenging timelines. If we didn't like challenges, we do different jobs, but this is what we must do. And we'll all work hard to achieve that. We need to deliver. It's in our hands. We can't fail. And we also need to direct and remind our teams and all of the system around us that now is the time to find agreement. This is the most ambitious package in financial services. It can and will have real impact. We want to get it settled in October, and we need our teams now, as they will do, to really work intensively, to be ready to compromise and to find those solutions so that when we're back here at this table or indeed, an equivalent table, that we will be in a position to reach an agreement on that package in October. As a presidency, we're fully prepared and ready to do our utmost to sustain the momentum. And at a technical level, we've put forward a very ambitious calendar, I think, 16 working party meetings between now and October to iron out all the operational details to build those necessary compromises. But a technical schedule alone won't be enough. It has to be coupled with that political leadership that I think we're giving here in this room today. And that collaborative spirit that we don't have our views as member states, and that's fine and that's proper. But there's a big prize here, and it's a prize that will benefit all of us. It will benefit all of our member states. It will benefit everybody right across the European Union, and it's really a transformative package we can deliver for the European single market. So thank you for that, very useful discussion and that very clear direction and mandate in terms of next steps. ***Current financial services legislative proposals”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• 2026-07-10 “16:33 - 10:20:24): I like that. Thank you very much. Thank you for the support. I don't see any colleagues indicating. So if not, I will, thank you, for allowing me outline that presidency priority program and look forward to working with you all on it, in the time ahead. ***Market integration and supervision package”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• 2026-07-10 “22:52 - 11:23:11): Thank you, Paula, and thank you for the the very clear answers to the very clear questions. And I should note at this stage with so many contributions, everybody who has spoken has so far agreed for the benefit of our teams that we are working to agree a general approach at the echo in October. So just to note that progress at this interim moment. So Harold and then Florian.”
  EU political integration
• 2026-07-10 “So colleagues, I will turn to our next item, which is the market integration and supervision package, MISP. We have a real opportunity here to decisively advance the saving and investment union. We all know that deeper and better integrated European capital markets are a fundamental prerequisite for Europe's long term prosperity and economic competitiveness. And this package needs to be seen as a strategic opportunity, to strengthen the single market in our collective interest to enable our citizens to access a broader range of well regulation saving products while helping European entrepreneurs and startups tap into a deeper, more diversified source of funding. The 1 Europe, 1 market road map commits us to getting an agreement on market integration by the end of this year. We've already made that commitment. We've all signed up, and it is our job as a council. It is our job as finance ministers in each member state to take the mandates that leaders have given us, in the European Council. It is an ambitious timeline, but it is a necessary timeline, and I believe we must achieve it together. I want to really acknowledge the substantial progress made under the Cyprus presidency, and I want to thank Cyprus and you, Maccys, for and all of your officials and teams for your intense work on the progress made. The file has now matured as a result of that work to the point where we can have a genuine discussion on the package as a whole. We are now approaching a decisive moment, and we've got to shift our momentum, up a gear or 2. We've got to move beyond our established positions, and we've got to focus on the landing zone, that will allow us to get this over the line. If not now, when? There has never been a more important time to get this done. My presidency ambition is clear. I wanna create the conditions for the council to reach an agreement on the package in October. And that way, we should be ready to engage with the European Parliament later this year and maintain the momentum on 1 of the key building blocks of the Saving and Investment Union. So to guide our policy debate today, colleagues, we've prepared and shared with you a steering note. It builds on the substantial work already carried out at a technical level. And its purpose is is simple, to provide us all with a common understanding of the package as a whole because I think it's important to look at this as a package to identify the key outstanding issues that require further work, and to secure a shared political commitment to the October timeline. So with that in mind, the steering note puts 2 straightforward but important questions, to the room, and I would ask that in our contributions, we each, endeavor to answer those questions. Firstly, are you committed to reaching agreement by October? And will you empower your team to work towards those ambitious compromises or landing zones that are needed to achieve that? And secondly, have all of the key issues now been identified, in the paper in front of us? And if there are any additional issues, now is the time to raise them because I think it would be a good day's work if we could leave here knowing that these are the issues, these are no more, and that we have a shared political agreement mandate and instruction to our teams, to work between now and October to resolve any of those open issues as well. So as presidency, we will, of course, listen listen to perspectives, push for compromise and landing zones. And I would encourage all of us, to approach this conversation on the weeks ahead in that vein because our heads of state and heads of government believe we need to get this over the line. They've told us to get this over the line. And so with that in mind, I hand over to the commission, Marie Louise. The floor is yours.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• 2026-07-10 “56:11 - 11:56:29): Thank you very much, Marie Louise. If I don't see anybody offering at this stage, I will note that the council has taken note of the information on the state of play of the financial services legislative files, and this now completes the public session of our meeting. And I'll ask the council secretariat to end the broadcast.”
  Discharge of EU institutions and agencies
• 2026-06-29 “Labour mobility is not only a core part of our citizens, but also has a key role to play in relation to EU competitiveness agenda. But it needs to be fair. While we need our workers to be mobile, we also need to ensure their rights are protected. At the same time, we need to support businesses And reduce excessive administrative burdens. The revised regulation 803 is an important step in this regard. I would like to congratulate Cyprus on their work in successfully closing this file, and I look forward to continuing this work with the Fair Labour Mobility package, which will be a key priority for me during the Irish Presidency. The Fair Labour Mobility package aims to promote a more efficient EU labour market through enhanced worker mobility by promoting better worker rights and a level playing field across member states. Proposals to develop a digital European Social Security pass and to strengthen the mandate of the European Labour Authority. Ella will make it easier for workers to exercise their social security rights in another member state, and also to ensure that member states can better enforce fair working conditions, while at the same time helping business and the competitiveness agenda. I welcome the increased focus now on initiatives to improve activation control and job placement measures. Measures, and I believe making use of existing systems such as the SSI and as well as new initiatives such as proposals relating to S and the European Labour Authority, will be key to making progress in this area. Regular and easier exchange of information between competent institutions, as well as standardised reporting, is both essential and necessary to ensure the successful implementation of these proposed initiatives. I very much welcome the Commission's commitment to advance work in this area, and I also look forward to working with you all during the Irish presidency on this very important topic. Thank you.”
  EU regulation of cross-border and posted workers
• 2026-06-29 “Labib. The presidency also are gathered people in charge of policy making and experts for people with disability and disabled persons with expertise and experiences. How to enhance autonomy in the empowerment. Social inclusion participation and high quality of integration services at community level. On the very first day, there was hosted a meeting of the platform on disability that was carried out for the very first time outside Brussels, during which you had a debate on the content of the enhanced European strategy, on the rights of people with disabilities through to 2030, including the supported decision making, accessibility, independent life making, and the use of supportive technologies. Despite the fact that the enhancement of the strategy was warmly supported by the parties present, there was expressed the request for a higher ambition and improvement of financing in the domain of children welfare. The meeting of coordinators for children took place on the 19th of May in Nicosia, during which there were discussed best practices and experiences on how the European guarantee on children is implemented, then discusses on or focused on how to enhance social support for children, access to quality services, enhancing the mechanisms of governance and follow up, and how to combat child poverty and social exclusion. Following there was the high level conference on the No Child Left Behind promoting Child Well-Being and Combating Child Poverty, which was co-financed by the European Commission and was hosted on the 20th and 21st of May in Nicosia.”
  Child poverty policy
• 2026-06-29 “Let me also inform you on an event in the matter of gender equality. Now, I'm referring to the high Level Conference on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Girls that took place in Nicosia on the 18th and 19th of May. We addressed the growing issue of cyber violence against girls, Pointing out its multidimensional and intersectional nature. The discussion highlighted the links between online and offline violence, and participants explored the educational process on how men and boys can be involved in emerging technological challenges, and the need for further support and protection of mechanisms. The last event I would like to talk about today is the informal ministerial meeting on housing that took place in Nicosia on the 11th and 12th of May 2026, under the theme of unlocking Housing Potential, Simplification, innovation and Mobilising Investments. That meeting involved European ministers in the matter of housing, with participation of the European Commission on Housing, the chairperson of the Committee and Committee of the Parliament and high level officials of the European Social and Economic Committee. The Committee of the regions, European banking institutions and other stakeholders, including civil society organisations. The debates focused on unlocking housing potential through a comprehensive approach combining simplification, innovation, and investment for decent housing through a truly holistic and multi dimensional dimensional approach. Mrs. Manzato, the floor goes to you. And provided of course you so wish.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion
• 2026-06-29 “Thank you. And I'd like to begin by thanking the Cyprus presidency for leading the work on these council conclusions. They address and provide meaningful calls for action in a really serious and urgent area. As Minister in Ireland with responsibility for both gender equality and children's rights, I particularly welcome the adoption of this text. As clear noted, we cannot and must not and indeed will not accept cyber violence. To deliver the well lit village square, we must live up to the commitments we are making, empowering and protecting our children, including in the online world, is absolutely a critical part of progressing gender equality, which more than ever is a priority that we must keep at the top of our agendas as the baton is passed on from Cyprus to Ireland. Now, I can assure colleagues that Ireland will continue to keep gender equality, the rights of children and online safety forefront of our collective agenda. Thank you.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion
• 2026-06-29 “The strategy outlines practical measures to address affordability, supply and viability whilst ensuring future demand is met without additional pressure on the private rental market. The Irish Government has also introduced increased protections for those living in the rental sector by providing rent controls on a national basis, introducing legislation to provide stronger protections for tenants, strengthening the regulation of the private rental sector, publishing a rent price Register and increased regulation of the short term letting sector. This robust legal and policy rental framework will support increased investment in the rental market to increase supply, choice and protections for renters. We've also focused on delivering mixed tenure developments, which have created good opportunities for both public and private investment, whilst ensuring an appropriate mix of social, affordable and private housing delivery. At the EU level, we see the pan-European investment platform as set out in the European Affordable Housing Plan as an opportunity to provide a framework for leveraging private capital capital for housing investment at scale, particularly to enable crowding in of investment opportunities. Thank you.”
  EU policy on urban development
• 2026-06-29 “And a recently published national poverty reduction strategy, the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 26 to 30. Ireland was the first EU member state to put a poverty strategy in place in 1997. A roadmap has an ambitious target to reduce national consistent poverty to 2% or less by 2030, to decrease income inequality, and to make Ireland one of the most socially inclusive member states of the European Union. The roadmap also includes the target to reduce child poverty to 3% or less by the end of 2030. The roadmap contains 63 cross-government actions, focusing on groups most impacted by poverty in Ireland, on children, on lone parents on people with disabilities and unemployed, on older people, and on marginalised communities. In line with the anti-poverty strategy, which emphasises the need for a multidimensional approach to poverty. The 63 actions span key areas such as income support, employment and employment supports, housing, health care, child care, education, transport and public services. In recent years we have seen a reduction in Ireland in the rate of the EU measurement at risk of poverty or social exclusion, in line with the EU poverty target for 2030. With the rate for children also decreasing, Ireland remains one of the best countries in the EU for reducing our risk of poverty rates through social transfers. Looking to the second question, Chair Ireland's roadmap for social inclusion has specific actions on increasing awareness of eligible supports. Department of Social Protection places significant resources towards raising public awareness of our schemes through targeted and evidence based communication campaigns across every platform. Recent campaigns have included promoting our new automatic enrollment retirement savings system, the Working Family Payment for those on low income, the work and access scheme for people with disabilities. Our website, gov.ie and the Citizens Information Board are trusted sources for information on supports and services. We look forward to working with EU colleagues to deliver on the new strategy and to enhancing its strategy with our experience. Thank you.”
  Child poverty policy
• 2026-06-29 “On the 20th and 21st May, we also held the Senior Labour Inspectors Committee meeting and thematic day in Nicosia. The core message was the importance of European cooperation in protecting workers and improving working conditions, especially at a time of emerging challenges for the world of work such as climate change. On the 11th of June in Nicosia, the presidency convened a high level conference on occupational safety and health entitled The Positive Safety Culture Towards Vision Zero. It was a very good opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to fostering a positive health and safety culture and eliminating workplace accidents and diseases. Experts noted that despite EU progress, workplace accidents and diseases continue to incur a significant social and economic costs, necessitating continued preventive action. The 25th board meeting of the European Network of Public Employment Services took place in Nicosia on the 18th and 19th of June, under the banner of Strengthening Enterprise Competitiveness through a Union of Skills. The meeting focused on aligning education and training with labour market demands, especially for SMEs, and explored how public employment services can assist businesses with skills, anticipation, talent acquisition and workforce development. Let me now move to the social policy front and the events organized by the Cyprus presidency in this field. On the 7th of May 2026, we met in Limassol for a high level conference on the inclusion of persons with disabilities. For a community for all. The main theme was. These supported are decision making for disabilities. Presenting for the first time the recently adopted Enhanced European Strategy on the Rights of People with disabilities through to 2030 by the Commissioner, Mr.”
  EU policy on disability inclusion & accessibility
• 2026-06-29 “Thank you. The Irish government has introduced a range of policy measures to address housing affordability challenges in recent years. Our national housing plan, Delivering Homes Building Communities is aimed at making homes accessible and affordable, particularly for those who are most at risk of homelessness or are on housing waiting lists. It focuses on tackling homelessness and precarious living conditions, increasing social and affordable housing output, and improving rental security. In recent years, the Irish government has introduced several schemes to help middle income households to buy or rent homes, and these ensure that first time buyers and those struggling to meet rising rents receive the supports they need. Each scheme has provided tailored support to assist with a particular need, whether it be assistance to put together a deposit for a home or a bridge to meet the gap between the mortgage and the cost of a first home. The Irish government is committed to building on these measures by delivering an average of 15,000 affordable housing supports each year to 2030. For students, I should note that in March of 26, the Irish government launched the National Student Accommodation Strategy, setting out a focused plan to support the delivery of 43,000 student beds by 2035.”
  EU policy on urban development
• 2026-06-29 “Thank you very much, Norma. So in conclusion, the council took into account the note of the information provided by the presidency of the Council Directive on implementing the principle of equal Treatment. Dear colleagues, let us now move to the next item. The point of information on the events hosted by the Cyprus Presidency and starting with some events in the matter of employment from the 5th to the 7th of May. We hosted the Euro Guidance Network in Larnaca. It was a productive meeting focused on coordinating career guidance efforts across member states. A key takeaway was the discussion around AI and how to harness its potential while navigating the challenges in the context of career guidance services. On the 12th of May 2026. There was a yearly event of the Ella in the amount of declared employment hosted in Larnaca on the occasion of the 10th anniversary to fight this phenomenon. This conference took place in Larnaca. The event highlighted the need for stronger European cooperation to protect workers dignity and ensure zero workers exploitation. The US coordination Group meeting in Larnaca from the 19th through to the 21st of May, provided a valuable platform for dialogue on how to strengthen the US network and promote fair labour mobility across Europe. We discussed the US 2030 strategy and new initiatives from the Commission and the Ela, as well as the ongoing developments of the US portal. In addition, views were exchanged on several strategically important issues, including synergies with Europass the EU talent pool and policies for a more inclusive mobility for people with disabilities.”
  Artificial Intelligence
• 2026-06-29 “Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to thank you and the Cyprus presidency for your impressive work on progressing and finalising these conclusions on housing which we in Ireland can support. We welcome the acknowledgment in these conclusions that housing is a cross-cutting issue, and that ensuring access to affordable and adequate housing plays a key role in cohesion and social inclusion. From Ireland's point of view, it is important that the priorities as set out in these Council conclusions are addressed through the continued implementation of the European Affordable Housing Plan. Whilst housing is of course a national competence, we support continued cooperation at an EU level as we address our respective national housing challenges. Thank you all.”
  EU housing policy
• 2026-06-29 “In that conference, there were present high level delegates from member States and the European institutions, organizations of the academia, experts and children themselves. A special reference was, amongst others, made to the need for access to man centred quality services, strong governance, sustainable investment and cross-sectorial cooperation. The message was clear. Every child deserves that opportunity to to thrive and reach their full potential. The Cyprus presidency organized two side events within the context of the 19th session of the Conference of States Parties to the convention of the Rights of Persons with disabilities. Cosp 19. Hosted in New York on the 9th of June. The main theme was the supportive decision making for people with disabilities. This kind of decision making for people with disabilities was acknowledged as a fundamental human right, and there were presented best practices in the matter of legislative reform and the provision of support services and the national level. The participants also underscored the importance of accessible information and individualized support, so that there is a possibility for people with disabilities to freely and well documented decisions to be made. Moreover, in cooperation with the permanent representation of the UN. We had a working breakfast with all delegates of member States of the European Union, representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee, and civil society organisations. In that context. You had the possibility to exchange views in the matter of enhanced strategy of the European Union on the rights of people with disabilities, with special emphasis on the strengthening of access to social integration services, the support of autonomy and the supported decision making going into the matter of equality.”
  EU policy on disability inclusion & accessibility
• 2026-06-26 “39:16 - 11:40:08): Thank you very much, chair. And look, I've listened intently to the contributions, here this afternoon, and, again, to commend you and the commission, for moving this forward and for being able to to, secure compromise across the board. It's a critical, regulation for us. It'll underpin our grid networks and interconnection at scale, which will drive competitiveness and affordability across the union. So we fully recognize the importance of this. It can assure member states that we will afford this the and the negotiations with the parliament, the due priority that this absolutely deserves. And as I said, we've listened intently to contributions here this this afternoon and to, again, commend you, chair and the Cypriot team for the work that you've done in conjunction with with our commissioner, Dan. Thank you. Thank you. So, before I conclude the floor back to the commission.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• 2026-06-26 “37:07 - 10:37:53): Thank you very much, chair. And accelerating the permitting processes is essential for, us in building out our grid networks interconnection, to achieve our goals of lowering consumer prices, driving affordability, reinforcing our energy security, and and accelerating decarbonize decarbonization. So, look, Ireland supports the general approach of the permitting. We want to thank yourself, chair, and the Cypriot presidency for your leadership on the proposal for a permitting directive during these negotiations. And the compromise text, I believe, addresses many of the concerns that were raised by member states, and Ireland looks forward to entering into negotiations with the European Parliament during the course of our presidency. But thank you again. So thank you very much. So, I'll give the floor back to the commission.”
  EU policy on permitting for renewable energy projects
• 2026-06-25 “Thank you indeed, Madam President Maria. And let me first just thank you and congratulate you on the work that you've done heretofore over the course of the presidency, but particularly on this very important file. And can I pass my warmest regards to our friends in Slovenia on their National Day. I've listened with interest, and I just want to assure colleagues that Ireland understands the absolute importance of this file, particularly for those with automotive manufacturers who should be supported in the face of a very competitive global trading landscape, but also for all member states, for the achievement of the union's medium and long term climate goals, competitiveness in particular, and EU strategic independence. As Presidency Ireland will aim to achieve a general approach on this file, if at all possible, at the December Environment Council. And I believe this timing actually allows for progress on the Linked Industrial Accelerator Act, which has been mentioned by colleagues this morning. We will look to engage. I can assure people constructively and pragmatically with each Member State in the months ahead to reach an outcome that supports the competitiveness of the EU automotive sector and with the continued ambition for the file's contribution to our very important EU climate goals. Thank you.”
  Climate policy
• 2026-06-25 “And right the way through, those that are highlighted there on the screen, domestic events that we'll be hosting in Ireland, two in particular, the Global Bioeconomy summit, which is on the 20th and 21st of October in Dublin. The annual forum of the UN Mission on Climate Adaptation on the 24th of November. Just in conclusion, colleagues told me to go live. Galera leonardini. I'm really looking forward to working together for the good of our people right the way across the European Union. We are very proud and honoured to take up this role, and particularly to follow in your footsteps, Maria, and just to thank everyone for their kind wishes and wish you all the very best and looking forward to working with you over the period of six months. And could I say to to Vovka as well, someone that I got to know over my 18 months in this new role that I have to thank you and your team for everything that you have done for us. Really looking forward to working to working with you. Vovka in the, in the manner in which we have, we've been able to do so over the last 18 months. And I know this is an important time for us here in the Commission. We won't be found wanting, and we're looking forward to working with all of you in a very collegial and constructive manner. Thank you very much.”
  Climate policy
• 2026-06-25 “We will strive to uphold the indispensable foundation of our union, and on security, we will place the protection of our citizens, our economy, our society and our environment at the centre of all our work. Finally, friends, our leaders have endorsed the One Europe One Market roadmap and we will prioritise these files and strive to meet the deadlines within it. In relation to the priorities of the Environment Council, we will strive to develop and implement policies and measures which drive economic and social progress, whilst improving and securing our natural environment for the future through greater policy integration to strengthen resilience across biodiversity, climate and water. Our legislative priorities. All of you will be familiar, but as we approach 2030, accelerated and enhanced climate action is urgently needed while safeguarding Europe's competitiveness. Our presidency will work effectively with our fellow member states and the Commission to focus on the delivery of key, timely objectives. We will prioritise the progression of the review of the ETS. One directive, the work of the CO2 standards for cars and vans, which will be a good discussion on today, and to that aim we will aim to reach a general approach on both files in December and we do count and will need your support to do this. We will commence discussions on the implementation package of the EU wide 2030 emissions reduction target. The post 2030 Framework and Progress work on the European Climate Resilience and Risk Management Integrated Framework, of which we had a very good discussion at the lunch hosted by Maria.”
  Climate policy
• 2026-06-25 “Maria. Thank you Maria. And could I just firstly congratulate you and the Cypriot presidency on a wonderful job and you've put so much work into it. You've been so positive, so constructive, and the amount of work that you got through with colleagues and the fair manner in which you chaired debates and allowed time into that. But I've worked through some really significant pieces of work. I really want to commend you on behalf of the Irish government. I'm sure, on behalf of colleagues. So thank you so much. We have big shoes to fill as as they would say. So it's greatly appreciated. Um, could I just say Look, um, colleagues, uh, I'm aware of time, uh, Martin Bergman, so it's late, so I will be quick, um, privileged, I guess. Uh, no more in UK and Europe then up to or. I mean, it's a great pleasure and an honor for us here in Ireland to assume the role of the presidency for the eighth time. And it came on a. Toss it down any more do. And. I think climate change, as we've discussed, is the biggest issue facing our world. And we all have to work together to do our level best to improve the situation and indeed to resolve it. And we are honoured to take up the presidency of the Council of the European Union. As I said, for the eighth time, um we do so at a critical time for the EU colleagues with greater uncertainty and unpredictability in the world.”
  Climate policy
• 2026-06-25 “Thank you very much, chair. The loss of biodiversity is not only an environmental issue, it is an economic risk in terms of crop failure, soil degradation, flooding and storm damage. Nature underpins our long term competitiveness, resilience and strategic autonomy in the EU. A nature positive approach to business can unlock new economic opportunities in areas such as nature based solutions, sustainable agri food systems and ecosystem restoration, supporting jobs, innovation and regional development. Ireland's National Biodiversity Action Plan is built on a whole of government approach. Whole of society approach. We recognise that protecting and restoring these ecosystem services requires coordinated action across all sectors public bodies, business communities and land managers. An effective enabling framework should focus on scaling up restoration, supporting farmers as key partners in a sustainable economy and engaging business to integrate biodiversity into core operations and investment decisions. Ireland's National Nature Restoration Plan will provide long term, stable policy framework for nature restoration, thus giving business increased certainty for their investment decisions. Thank you.”
  Nature protection and restoration in the EU
• 2026-06-25 “The presidency will therefore seek to ensure that the EU remains a global leader in international climate, biodiversity and water forms and negotiations, and we will focus on strategic planning and engagement with international partners throughout the presidency term. We will be well prepared with your help. We want to approach this in a very efficient and effective and focused way, and we and we intend to do that in relation to colleagues. Just to bear with me With our calendar for this this year, I do look forward to welcoming you to Dublin in late July for the informal meeting of the Environment and Climate Ministers during the Irish Presidency. The meeting will take place in the historic Dublin Castle, right at the centre of our capital city. Invites have been issued to all of your ministries and I really look forward to to meeting you there and where we can have fulsome discussions in relation to our priorities. The first formal Environment Council under our presidency will take place in Luxembourg on the 12th of October, and we will reconvene in Brussels on the 11th of December to conclude the work under our presidency. And welcome in our Lithuanian colleagues. Just in conclusion, we will note at the high level events that we have that are listed there on the screen. Obviously, the the meetings in Nairobi and Cop17 indeed.”
  Climate policy
• 2026-06-25 “But we approach this presidency with a clear sense of responsibility, of purpose and indeed of of excitement. I am really honored to work with you as chair of the Environment Council for the next six months, and I very much look forward to welcoming you to Ireland next month to Dublin for the informal. Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union will be guided by our overall presidency principle, which is which in English is strength with unity. So working closely together, friends with our fellow member States and with European institutions, we can achieve this goal in all areas of work. We will build on the excellent progress achieved by the Cypriot presidency. We, in turn, will seek to lay strong foundations for further progress in important areas of policy during the presidency. Terms of our trio partners, both Lithuania and Greece. Just if I could touch on the overall priority of the presidencies, we have consulted extensively with partners and stakeholders to shape a presidency agenda, which reflects a shared understanding of the issues that are important to Europe and, most importantly, to our people. Placing the citizen at the center of everything we do. Reflecting on this, Ireland's presidency will focus on three core pillars, which are competitiveness, values and security and competitiveness. We will focus on fostering the prosperity and well-being of the Union and indeed all its citizens and values.”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2026-06-25 “This afternoon. The Irish Presidency is committed to accelerating the transition towards developing, implementing and advancing effective and pragmatic policies necessary to achieve a circular economy. We look forward to the publication of the Circular Economy Act by the Commission later this year. We will strive to both protect our marine and freshwater resources as we drive forward work on the Water Framework Directive, and very much welcome the proposal by the Commission of the European Ocean Act on Nonlegislative priorities. We will steer preparations on the Council for both Cop 31 and Cop 17, and we will provide reports back for each of these meetings, along with other key international events later this year. And I think we had a very good discussion on that. And Maria, again, I want to thank you and indeed, Commissioner Hoekstra and Vodka for the work that has been done in this regard. And I think we are very well placed to enter. Enter Cop 31 and indeed the cops that that that we will be managing on your behalf in a very positive way. And I thank you for the work that you've done there in relation to international negotiations. We recognize that we take the role of the presidency at a time when multilateralism, particularly in relation to climate and environment, continues to face sustained and significant challenges.”
  Circular economy
• 2026-06-22 “Thanks, Maria. And just to join with other colleagues in welcoming the new members to the Council today. And thanks to Costas for setting out his agenda at the start. Just to thank you, Maria, and your team for the effort that you've made during your term, um, on this particular issue and indeed on many issues from an Irish perspective, we stand ready to continue to support you on the progress towards the conclusion of this important issue. Thank you.”
  EU-Ukraine relations
• 2026-06-22 “And thanks to Costas for setting out his presentation. Ireland welcomes this opportunity to discuss in greater detail the next steps following on the Commission's evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy Regulation. It is important that we acknowledge the progress and positive change that the CFP has made possible. Now we have the opportunity, and I guess, the duty to build on this progress. We must ensure that the Common Fisheries policy remains fit for purpose in order to support future generations of fishermen and women and the coastal communities reliant on them. The first step in this process is to recognise that the world in which our fisheries sector operates has changed profoundly since the current CFP regulation came into force over a decade ago. The UK's withdrawal from the EU has fundamentally altered the way we manage our fisheries in the Atlantic and North Sea. We must take. We must take stock of this change, the impact it has had on both member States, fishing opportunities and the functioning of the CFP, and understand it fully in order to adapt. Once we understand our current circumstances, we need to look to the future. Generational renewal is a concern for many economic sectors, and the seafood sector is no different. By continuing our focus on environmental sustainability, we can ensure that fish stocks are protected for future generations. We need practical approaches. We do not create unnecessary administrative or regulatory burdens to manage and protect our fish stocks. The increasing geopolitical volatility in recent years underlines the importance of a framework that facilitates rapid responses to emerging challenges. The current fuel crisis has once again highlighted the sector's resilience and fossil fuels, and the urgent need to expedite the energy transition. In order to deliver on these ambitions, we will need to appropriately funded support framework as well as sufficient modernized and agile legislative frameworks. Fisheries is a key element of the union's food security, and the seafood sector is the cornerstone of the social and economic life of our many coastal communities. We now have the opportunity to reinforce the progress we've already made and help to build a sustainable future for the sector for generations to come. Thank you very much.”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries
• 2026-06-22 “Thanks very much, Maria, and thank you for setting the agenda for us as we come to the end of your presidency. Maria, I would like to congratulate you on what you have achieved a very significant amount you and your team. So thank you. We have large boots to fill as we take on the mantle later this month. As reflected in the commission's communication over the past 20 years, we've seen very significant overall improvement in the state of the EU fish stocks. This progress would not have been possible without the commitment of member states and most importantly, the contribution of all stakeholders and without the dedicated efforts of our fishermen and women, none of this would have been possible. While it is important to recognise how far we have come, we cannot afford to become complacent. Unfortunately, a number of our key fish stocks, such as mackerel as well as whitefish stocks in the Celtic Sea, remain in a vulnerable state. This has very serious implications for the economic sustainability of the fleets of the processing sector and indeed the coastal communities which they rely on for these stocks. We must also recognise that fishing is not the only pressure on fish stocks. Rising sea temperatures, as others have indicated, and pollution can undermine our efforts to protect and rebuild our stocks in addition to climate and environmental issues. Spatial squeeze from other marine activities, including the disturbance of spawning grounds, further challenges stock regeneration. Cooperation with third countries and ensuring a level playing field for the EU fleet is also a key consideration in how we manage our fisheries. Our seafood sector is a key economic driver for our rural and coastal communities, and plays an essential role in supporting the EU's food security. In order to continue this role in the future, an appropriate and well resourced support framework is essential. This framework must be accompanied by a positive approach to agile and appropriate measures to support generational renewal and the energy transition. Ireland looks forward to working closely with the Commission and our fellow member states on finding practical solutions to these challenging issues. Thank you very much.”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries
• 2026-06-16 “Thank you Marilena, and I want to thank you and all your team for all the work you've done in advancing the negotiations on the Multiannual Financial framework. These negotiations are tricky, they're difficult, and there are many views around the table. But somebody has to do the job of presidency. And we all know that a timely agreement on the MFF is essential. It's not only as a symbol of our commitment to our priorities and ambitions, but it's also speaks to our ability to act collectively and sends a message out to the wider world about Europe, about Europe Inc.. There are many views around this table. We've all heard them. A compromise is is always reachable. It always has been in the past. And I think now as the work moves on after today, we all have to consider where we are able to make those compromises. This is absolutely essential for us all to do if we are to illustrate our commitment and ambition to our people in delivering an ambitious and a timely budget. Thank you very much.”
  Size of EU budget
• 2026-06-16 “27:27 – 16:31:24): Thank you, very much, Maralena. On behalf of the incoming trio of Ireland, Lithuania, and Greece, I have the honor to present the 18 month program of the council for the period of the 07/01/2026 to the 12/31/2027 and to invite you as the council, to endorse the program. The program document is the product of many months of work and deliberation, and I want to, sincerely thank Sigitas and Alexandra and to their teams for the excellent cooperation around that process. I note in particular that this might be Alexandra's last council before, she changes roles, and I wanna pay tribute to her, and the Greek the incoming Greek presidency next year for all the work that's been done by their ministry. Alexandra tells me she'll still be heavily involved in the ministry. We're also grateful to the council secretariat for their support and assistance as we develop the program. Our aim in the document is to provide a high level orientation for the work of the council through the period of our 3 upcoming presidencies to ensure the coherence of our approach over the next 18 months. In formulating the program, we have drawn to a significant extent on the strategic agenda for 24 to 29, while acknowledging too that we live in a volatile world and the context for the work of the union is constantly evolving. The program builds on the 3 pillars of the strategic agenda. Working on the 1st of these pillars, is a free and democratic Europe, the trio will work to safeguard and uphold our shared European values, the foundation on which our union is built. We will work to strengthen our democratic resilience and advance social cohesion. On the strong and secure Europe pillar, we will seek to drive ambitious progress on the enlargement of our union and work to strengthen the European Union's role as a global actor, supporting the international order based on international law. We will actively support the advancement of key European Union security and defense initiatives. We will work to ensure a fully and effective functioning common asylum and migration system, and we will work to enhance energy security and resilience. In the face of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, we will reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine in all dimensions, including political, economic, military, energy, financial, and humanitarian support. In advancing work on a prosperous and competitive union, we will take forward the 1 Europe, 1 market agenda, support connectivity in the digital, energy, and transportation sectors, and work to make the success of the green and digital transitions. We will promote research and innovation to deliver both scientific and societal benefits, and we will reinforce the social and a quality focused dimensions of EU policies. We will all also finalize work on a multi annual financial framework that meets the needs of the union for the years ahead. We have much work to do collectively over the next 18 months, building on the excellent work of the outgoing trio of Poland, Denmark, and Cyprus whose substantial achievements I would like to recognize. We look forward to the cooperation of colleagues in delivering on a positive and ambitious agenda for the work of the council in the period to the end of 20 27. I will set out in more detail our Irish presidency priorities at the next meeting in Brussels, which is taking place, by the way, on the 14th 14th of July. I look forward to seeing you all there. I'm looking straight across at the the empty seat there to the right of the commissioner. And when I 1st became European affairs minister, that was my seat. And I never thought I'd actually circulate around to this seat to be about to take the presidency. But here we are, and I've learned a lot in the meantime. But, Maralena, I've learned a lot from you as well in terms of the work that you have done over the last 6 months or so. It's been incredible. And as I said in Irish, I hope there's work left for us to do after the July 1. So thanks very much.”
  EU-Ukraine relations · EU political integration
• 2026-06-16 “24:42 – 16:26:07): I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate the presidency to congratulate you, Marlene, the presidency of Cyprus for the excellent progress that you've made on the simplification agenda during your presidency and the very best for the last, part of your presidency. And I'm sure we'll have quite some work to do as well. The direction from EU leaders is clear. We need to see continued momentum and ambition. That is why driving an ambitious and meaningful simplification agenda will be 1 of the top priorities for Ireland's EU presidency. Our aim is to agree all outstanding omnibus packages by the end of the year, in line with the commitments set out in the 1 Europe, 1 market road map and to make early progress on new packages. We are aware of the high level of ambition, and we will spare no effort to deliver progress on this critically important agenda during our presidency. We count on all member states to help us advance with the urgency required and to support our engagement with the European Parliament. Thank you.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• 2026-06-16 “I welcome all the valuable contributions that colleagues have made here today, and indeed, the pragmatic approach that Member States have shown throughout the negotiations, both here at the GAC, the General Affairs Council and indeed at official level. There is significant progress made on the PNR, the European Competitiveness Fund and the Global Europe instrument under the stewardship of both Denmark and Cyprus. Since the publication of the MFF proposal last summer. Ireland can support the presidency ambition to reach an agreement on all three regulations today, which will provide a strong basis to take forward the work of the MFF. And again, thank you for your leadership and that of Cyprus.”
  Size of EU budget
• 2026-06-16 “(17:15:55 – 17:24:02): Thank you very much, and good afternoon, everyone. It's a great pleasure, to be here, with you, Maralena. And can I begin by congratulating you and all of your colleagues in the Cyprus presidency on your achievements over the last six months? Knowing you and your personality and that of your team, you will squeeze the last drop of progress that is available, until midnight on this night, two weeks' time. So you're not finished yet, but I do want to acknowledge, the enormous commitment that has been demonstrated by you personally and by the whole team. It requires a remarkable amount of hard work, to lead a presidency, and you have done so at a critical juncture for the European Union. And I think without hesitation, I can say it has been done, to a very high standard. So thank you for all of your work, and thank you personally for your leadership and for managing to maintain a warm personality and smile despite the pressures and the hard work that you had to do and the complexity of the tasks, that had to be undertaken over the last six months. But a lot of progress has been made on many priorities that we share, and I'm delighted to acknowledge that at this afternoon. I was pleased to be present for many of the agenda items today at the General Affairs Council, and I will provide a brief update from the Commission's perspective on the different issues. Starting with my own portfolio, the rule of law is one of the founding values of the European Union and is a prerequisite for strong and resilient democracies that respect and protect fundamental rights. It is what ensures that rights and freedoms are protected, that power is exercised within limits, and that citizens can have trust in their institutions. And this is why the European Commission has a rule of law toolbox to prevent problems from emerging in the first place or from deepening when they do and to respond decisively to serious and persistent challenges. And the Article 7 procedure is one such tool, and today, I updated ministers on this procedure in respect of Hungary. I welcomed Hungary's clear commitment to restoring the rule of law and its determination to deliver on the promises made, to the Hungarian people. This is a message I passed to the new government when I visited Budapest, two weeks ago. But as President von der Leyen has rightly stated, we will not take any shortcuts in this process. We will work hand in hand to address all of the issues for the good of Hungary, its people, and of the European Union. Since Hungary's new government took office last month, important progress has already been made. The so-called state of danger that allowed the government to override acts of parliament expired on May 13. Pressure on independent media and civil society organizations has been alleviated. On May 29, a political agreement was reached under reforms needed to strengthen the anticorruption framework. These reforms will enter into force by August 31 this year. And just yesterday, the Hungarian National Assembly adopted an amendment to the fundamental law. This paves the way for the abolition of the Sovereignty Protection Office, the object of a long standing infringement procedure, before the Court of Justice. Today, I also welcomed Hungary's notification that it intends to join the European Public Prosecutor's Office. This will allow the EPO to investigate and prosecute offenses against the Union's financial interests, from June 2021. The Commission will continue to monitor progress in the weeks and months ahead, and Hungary can count on our support as it works to restore the rule of law, for the good of the people of Hungary. I'd like to turn to our discussions on the EU's next long term budget, the multi-annual financial framework. Under the Cyprus presidency, three partial general approaches have been reached, forming the main building blocks of the next MFF on the Global Europe Fund, the Europe Competitiveness Fund, and the National and Regional Partnership Plans Regulation. As President von der Leyen underlined last Sunday, this demonstrates the member states' support for a simpler and more modern EU budget that invests in Europe's competitiveness, security, and cohesion as well as the EU's global role. On the so-called negotiating box, we know that negotiations of this scale will lead to compromises that might not satisfy all parties, but the Cyprus presidency has heard a wide range of views and has identified some points of convergence. The Commission will maintain the ambition of its proposal, especially on competitiveness, security and flexibility. Reaching an agreement by the end of this year, in our view, remains essential. And the Commission stands ready to deliver this through close cooperation with the member states and the European Parliament. As Marilena has said today, we also discussed simplification and the status of the omnibus packages, which are central to this Commission's competitiveness drive. The 10 omnibus proposals that have already been tabled are expected to deliver at least €15,000,000,000 in annual administrative savings, but we must now make progress in line with the ambition of the original proposals and the speed agreed in the One Europe, One Market roadmap. The Commission also welcomes the Council's approval of the presidency horizontal note on the European Semester country specific recommendations. This follows the presentation of the recommendations as part of the Commission's European Semester spring package earlier this month. The strong emphasis the note places on competitiveness is especially welcome as this is a priority of the current semester cycle. Finally, today also saw an exchange of views on the preparations for the European Council that will take place on Thursday and Friday of this week. Discussions covered a wide range of topics, in particular, the EU support for Ukraine, including through the 21st sanctions package and Ukraine support loan, the opening of accession negotiations on cluster 1 for Ukraine and Moldova, aid for Palestine and Lebanon, European defense and security, and last week's entry into force of the pact on migration and asylum. And as you know, at the beginning of the proceedings today, we had a very good discussion on European Democracy Shield, the need to ensure the resilience of our shared democracy, not just in the European Union, but also in our neighborhood. And it was a great honor to be present and contribute to that discussion alongside representatives from candidate countries and potential candidate countries as we work together, under the auspices of the overall democracy shield and as we give effect now to the mandate of the European Center for Democratic Resilience and as we move to onboard in line with the wishes of the member states, the candidate and potential candidate countries. Finally, I would like to wrap up by welcoming the program of the incoming presidency trio, Ireland, Lithuania, and Greece. You can count on the Commission's full support in your efforts to conclude the negotiations of the next MFF as swiftly as possible and to advance the implementation of the One Europe, One Market roadmap among a host of other priorities. We look forward to working with the incoming trio. But as I said, there's two weeks to go and no doubt a lot of work yet to do. But once again, my congratulations to Marilena and the whole team in the Cyprus presidency, for the excellent job of work, that they have done. Thank you very much.”
  Rule of law in Hungary
• “Thank you chair, and our thanks to Italy for highlighting this issue. Ireland supports the AOB and shares the concerns in the context of equal access to the single market. Smooth functioning of the European livestock market and international trade and proportionality to the actual benefits for animal welfare. Ireland is strongly committed to improving animal welfare standards during transport, and we support the revision of the EU regulation for this sector. We demand the highest standards of animal welfare at every stage of the animal's life, including during transport, with measures often going beyond the current legislative requirements. We are of the view that the new regulation should be based on strong technical and scientific knowledge, as well as drawing on the experiences and good practices of Member States in implementing and enforcing the current regulation. We believe this revision should be based on scientific evidence and should draw upon the practical experience of Member States. We are anxious to ensure that the new rules ensure equal access to the single market for all Member States, taking account of their geography. Thank you. Chair”
  EU requirements on animal welfare for farmers
• “Thank you Theresa. To answer your two questions, Ireland can live with the latest version of the text. But if there's one. Your second question. [00:21:00] Is there something in particular that we think is important? I believe it's very important that we maintain and develop an interconnected electricity market in Europe for the benefit of all of our citizens. In that regard, I'd be supportive of the proposal coming from the German government, and I'll explain why later. But if I can just first of all, set out what I see as the key to this issue, which is how we keep ourselves competitive in a global sense, as also with each other. And we have a real [00:21:30] challenge because we know America can use cheap frack gas for low electricity or energy prices, but they cannot do that for long if climate change is to be addressed. And similarly, we know China can build new coal, cheap coal. But again, that's similarly has to stop. If we're going to stop the world burning, the future is going to be in electrification and in my mind, particularly renewable power. Yes, there will be some people will have new nuclear. But I remember talking to a colleague from this table last week saying, [00:22:00] well, we could put in new nuclear if we can get it for under 100MW, €100 a megawatt hour. [00:22:05] I don't think that's going to happen, but I know renewables is going to be that sort of price or below. And it's ubiquitous. It belongs everywhere. So our advantage is in developing this clean electricity economy. We are good at it. We can be competitive and better than America. Who are they going to win because of their tax breaks? Their Congress can't agree whether it's Tuesday and Wednesday or Wednesday any day. Whereas I think we have shown in our [00:22:30] ability to deliver the fit for 55 legislation that we can set in place the regulations that will be optimal for this new industrial revolution. And similarly, China can do things with great centralized control. They have incredible manufacturing capability in solar PV. But can they connect it? Can they balance it? Can they use it in the way that we can in Europe, in terms of new power systems that are agile and flexible and in that way competitive now [00:23:00] at the interconnection is key. I am very glad that we have a new French connection. We're going to be building interconnection with France, and I think it actually benefits both sides. It makes power cheaper on both sides of that Celtic Sea, because when the wind is blowing, we can sell it to the French, and when it's not we can import the lower cost nuclear. [00:23:19] And I think it's the same right across our union. We have diverse energy supplies in hydro, in wind, solar, in nuclear. But it's the balancing capability [00:23:30] which is really key. And that's why I think the legislation here is important. It's important that we do protect the single market. And that's why I think the German amendment makes eminent sense. I mean, it's kind of the starting block of our European Union treaty for the functioning of the European Union. The Commission will monitor and oversee what that we have a fair market. Lastly, can I just offer my condolences? I forgot to do the start for my Belgian and Swedish colleagues. [00:24:00] In this terror, we have a responsibility to show strength and decisiveness and purpose. Theresa, yesterday you said you were keeping the translators until 12:00, but we didn't need them until that late. We were able to get agreement at the Environmental Council in a really good way, like Cinderella tonight. I don't think you need to be waiting until 12:00 for us to get agreement. Surely the basic principles here are not divisive. We can agree on. We need a single market. We need balancing capability. We need to be good at this new electricity [00:24:30] revolution, which we will be, and we get agreement on that. Text Theresa, with your guidance long before that hour strikes tonight.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• “We suggest that we need a higher level of ambition than the Connecting Europe facility is currently providing. It's been very good, but I think we need the next order of magnitude of the investment. We need new cables, which will provide for redundancy and resilience in a time of war. We also need a fast fixing crew, so we need some kind of force that can repair the cables because they are going to continue to be broken. And lastly, on the green objectives, um, we agree with Minister Caroline from, from Denmark that resource efficiency is very important. But at the same time, we also need to think about our adaptation for when these disastrous events happen. So I'm thinking of the floods in Valencia, and we also had floods in Ireland that directly affected communications infrastructure. And when I talked to the communications companies, they had not been putting that design criteria in when they were putting in their communications networks. They're not thinking about about climatic disasters. So really that's that's something that we need to recommend or to, to legislate for with communications companies is that they are climate resilient and that they are thinking about extreme weather events. Thank you.”
  Climate efforts
• “Thank you. Fernando. Good morning colleagues. I just want to start also very mindful of what has happened in recent days, to start by expressing my sympathy and indeed my solidarity with my Swedish, Belgian and French colleagues in [00:09:00] the wake of what has happened in recent days and recent weeks, and to say that we stand with you and support you. Absolutely. I want to thank the presidency, in particular, Ylva, for your hard work and all of your team's hard work on this particular issue. It is such an important file. And to say at the outset, Ireland is a strong supporter of this regulation. And I have to say, as a union and as colleagues around the table, we should be at the fore when it comes to combating child sexual [00:09:30] abuse online and offline. And it is hugely frustrating in the absence of European legislation, that we rely on the US to send us reports, reports containing information about abusers and victims, many of whom are our own citizens. So it is absolutely vital that we have our own new comprehensive European rules for online service providers and an EU centre that can provide these reports and support our law enforcement agencies, as we've heard from Ylva. [00:10:00] Many of the tens of millions of child sexual abuse images, material, videos that are reported every year are showing children who are being abused, who are being raped. And as we sit here and as we speak, there are children who are being abused and who are being raped. And we have an opportunity here to do something for them. These images, whether they're new, whether they're unknown, images, are not just evidence of a crime, but they are an opportunity for us to do something and to protect these children. [00:10:29] And this is not theoretical [00:10:30] in my own country, in Ireland alone, in the last two years, over 100 child victims have been protected, have been supported, have been identified because of these reports that have been provided. So we're talking about real children here. We're talking about real lives. So I really do regret the intention to reduce the scope of the ambition of what we are talking about here. I think we need to be as ambitious as we can, but I do understand the need to respond to concerns that some colleagues do have here, and to try and find a compromise so we can support, [00:11:00] of course, in principle, the solutions that would foresee the extension of detection to new child sexual abuse material in grooming in the future based on specific evidence, and looking at technology and technical expertise. But for such solutions to work, it would be absolutely essential that the current regime of voluntary detection, as well as the new child sexual abuse material in grooming that they are maintained in the interim. So I do look forward to seeing this progress. It is absolutely vital that this is [00:11:30] agreed as a file before the end of this legislative term. And I would just echo Elva's sentiments when we look at this, and I know it's important that we protect people's privacy, people's rights, but preventing abuse and rape of children on a daily, hourly basis should be at the fore of our minds when we are looking at this issue overall. And I would ask colleagues to please take that into consideration, as I know you do when we're looking at this particular issue. It is so important [00:12:00] that we agree this file before the end of the legislative term. Thank you.”
  Privacy & detection of online child abuse
• “Thank you, Istvan, and thank you to Portugal for the paper. Ireland agrees that it is important to consider the potential role that drones could play in enabling the targeted application of plant protection products as part of integrated pest management. It is also important that there are appropriate, harmonised risk assessment and risk management procedures within the existing regulatory framework for plant protection products, so that conditions for safe and effective use can be clearly identified by the Member State competent authorities. Therefore, we support the proposal and Ireland will work closely with other Member States and the Commission in this regard. Thank you.”
  Digital and precision farming
• “Ireland can understand and support the request from Slovakia for a solution which averts the loss of funds to farmers. A broader point is made by Romania is that the Rural Development Programme will end at the end of 2025, and many member states are then likely to require some flexibility in order to fully implement the Rural Development Programme measures and exhaust their allocations. Thank you.”
  Agricultural funding
• “President and I speak on behalf of myself and my Danish colleague and I want to thank the presidency and indeed the commission for their tremendous hard work on this really sensitive and important file. It is a matter of great disappointment that we've not been able to reach agreement and council on a robust position that would enable us to negotiate with the parliament from a position of strength in order to adopt a regulation that will make a real difference to victims of child sexual abuse. And I'd like to thank the commissioner today for the way that she has illustrated in a very human way what it is we're actually talking about and trying to address. We still hope that we can reach such an agreement, but if not, it is vital that we have a temporary regulation and therefore we welcome that the commission has come forward with this temporary proposal. But we would encourage the presidency, the commission, and all the colleagues to continue to work on this to ensure, as I say, that we land on a robust position to protect victims of child sexual abuse. Thank you.”
  Privacy & detection of online child abuse
• “Thank you. Maria Ireland fully supports the AOB tabled by Latvia. Many of the other member states and suggests that the Commission consider a review of current practices in order to bring real simplification to cap for our farmers and administrators alike.”
  Agriculture (green)
• “Thank you very thank you very much, Vasilek, for the opportunity to have this ministerial exchange of views on the next EU work plan for culture. And thank you to everyone for the extremely interesting input to today's discussion. As the incoming presidency, Ireland is preparing to bring the EU work plan for culture 2027 to 2030 forward as a council resolution at our next ministerial meeting on the November 20. Ireland has engaged bilaterally on this matter over recent months with ministries of culture, European institutions, and sectoral stakeholders, and we will continue to do so over the coming months through both oral and written consultations. The political direction provided today will be invaluable in shaping these further consultations and provide a strong basis for development of the work plan. It is clear from today's debate that there are a wide number of pressing issues facing our sector and also some clear alignment on priority topics to be addressed in the next work plan, including, for example, culture's role in in crisis preparedness and social cohesion, strengthening the creative economy, the protection of sustainable careers and culture, and access and increasing participation in culture. We also recognize the need for flexibility and the ability to adapt to rapidly changing context. We also note the various comments on the alignment between the work plan and culture compass. Ireland is committed to delivering an impactful work plan for culture that improves and benefits our collective creative and cultural sectors. Our door will remain open to all of you to discuss this further at any time.”
  EU and national cultural identities
• “Thank you, Allan. I agree with Steffi that this decision is about maintaining and building trust in our union for if we do not adopt the law today, how would you negotiate any future text? How would you rego to a compromise if you expect to? Well, this could be changed after an agreement is made. It would fundamentally undermine the institutional arrangements of our union. So for that issue of trust, I believe we do have to approve the law today. I also agree with Teresa, there is no feud security in the world where nature is destroyed. The compromise that has been reached more than anything else was attentive to the concerns of our farming community, which are valid. This is a voluntary law in the sense of the measures that may have to be taken will not be a forced or imposed on any farmer or forester. And in my mind, it is a real opportunity to answer what the farmers are protesting about, particularly the most marginal farmers in our union, that they need a fair income for protecting nature. And for that second reason, I believe we should approve the law here today. This will also be critical in adapting to our climate challenge. We know that in each of our countries, nature-based solutions are going to be the lowest cost, the most beneficial measures we can take in reducing emissions and also in discussing adaptation, which we will today. We know that again, nature-based solutions to protect against flooding, to protect against excessive heat, drought, as well as excessive rains is again the best lowest cost solution for our union. This is a politically divisive issue. We know that, but I believe the public are with us regardless of the grouping. One is in, I believe actually there is a fundamental reason why we should support this law. I'm a conservative, I'm a green, but I'm conservative in the sense that I want to conserve our natural systems. I want to protect creation. We are not separate from it. We are part of nature and we destroy nature. We undermine our very own health and security. And the wonder of living in this world, restoring nature, restores soils, it improves water quality, it improves air quality, it improves our health, and that's why we should support it here today. Lastly, if I can ly in aura, she said we need a future orientated decision today, which is why she is voting in favour. And I think she's absolutely right. This vote would give hope for the future. A sense that our political systems can restore confidence and hope and collaboration in the same way that nature does. When we give it space to come back, it comes back strong. A future vote today would strengthen our union, our political system, as well as the natural world. Thank you.”
  Nature protection and restoration in the EU
• “Thank you, Pascal. And looking forward to working very closely with you in your presidency and you can be absolutely assured of our cooperation. A significant portion of the additional spending proposed in the mid-term revision relates to the support to Ukraine. I welcome that the Commission is viewing these in a multiannual terms aligned with the current EU budget, which runs to 2027. Ireland fully supports Ukraine and will continue to contribute to meeting its financial needs. [00:33:30] The Commission's proposal also includes measures aimed at responding to inflation and higher interest rates on the EU's own borrowings. We must scrutinise these very closely from a value for money perspective. Our starting point in all possible flexibilities in the existing EU budget should be used to full before any funding is sought. Our strong preference is also to keep the MFF mid-term revision draft budget 2024 and the new own resources [00:34:00] proposals completely separate. Finally, we note a lot of detail analysis will be required, such as the predictability of the annual Member State contribution contributions. Thank you.”
  Size of EU budget
• “Thank you very much, Louise, for placing this item on the agenda. And I very much appreciate the efforts made by your presidency and keeping an ongoing focus on the implementation of strategic plans. This is valuable work and should continue. And I also want to thank Jonas and all the [00:15:00] commission for your for the comprehensive assessment of the first year of the strategic plans. On question one, the first year of CSP implementation in Ireland indicates that adequately supporting environmental actions leads to a high level of uptake. It is clear that farmers are willing to play their part in contributing to the achievement of the objectives of the Cap, provided that adequate support is available to them. Ireland agrees that [00:15:30] the resources within the Cap cannot be the only instrument of response to the needs of the Union, and that other sources of funding must be mobilised to support this work. The increased complexity of the Cap programme and the challenges it presents for farmers and administrations must be acknowledged. There has been much discussion on these challenges during the Spanish presidency, and that has been very welcome and important. It is not surprising that changes in systems of this magnitude have placed additional burdens [00:16:00] on Member States and the commission alike. The limitations of the amendment process is still a concern, so it is important that this work to simplify matters continues. On question two, Ireland would like to highlight the important roles that the EU and national Cap networks can play in supporting the exchange of information within and between Member States. As we move towards the challenge of evaluating the impacts of our interventions. We must provide the latest information to our farmers [00:16:30] and inform our citizens about the good work that farmers are doing. The polarisation of the argument between food security and sustainability is not helpful. We must promote what we are doing and continue to improve the sustainability of the sector. To conclude, we must remember that the plans are strategic in nature. We must allow time for the measures programmed to be implemented and for farmers and administrations to adjust. Ireland agrees with the need for a period of bedding down and [00:17:00] stability, and additionally, the evaluation plans must report on all elements of sustainability, economic, environmental and social, including the key role of the cap and supporting food security. This work will be vital to inform the strategic dialogue on the Cap post 2027. Thank you Jesus, and thank you, Luis.”
  Agricultural funding
• “I thank you David and thank you Jacob, and you have Ireland's full support. Simplifying the existing regulatory regime and making it more innovation friendly is necessary for a more resilient and competitive Europe. Europe needs an attractive regulatory environment to commercialise research and innovations in biotechnology, possess strong technical expertise while minimising the administrative burden. We must ensure that farmers have access to effective biological plant protection products while achieving a more sustainable use of chemical pesticides. Innovative ideas should be brought into a regulatory framework. New genomic techniques have potential to address many of our current challenges, including food security, climate change, and biodiversity pressures while delivering benefits to farmers, consumers in the environment. A coherent approach is needed between guaranteeing food security, facilitating simplification and innovation, and ensuring a very high level of protection for human animal and plant health, innovation and technology in the agricultural sector. A sector can help find that balance. Thank you, Debbie.”
  New Genomic Techniques
• “Thank you. Chair. Um, we're just in relation to Cstd. We have been consistently supportive of the objectives of the proposed directive. We have always sought to ensure that the proposal was ambitious, whilst striking the right balance of providing effective protections for stakeholders and ensuring that the measures to be met by companies are clear, they're proportionate and enforceable. Any actions in this area will be effective by taking on an EU wide basis. We had, however, a greater ambition for this proposal. We want to put that on the record at this meeting. That said, the current scaled back compromise for which we thank you for your work and thank the commission, will still be groundbreaking. It will still create legally binding obligations on the In-scope companies in respect of adverse impacts on human rights and on the environment. We consider the current text offers the best hope of securing agreement on this file. We will be supporting the text, but we do want to record our disappointment at the dilution of the ambition.”
  Due diligence in supply chains (environmental and human rights)
• “Thanks very much, chair. And on the first question of the key. The Commission's work programme puts in place a structured mechanism for reviewing the A key and for proposing further omnibus proposals in future years. We note that the aim is to ultimately review the entire acquis to capture cumulative cumulative impacts, identify inconsistencies and simplify it. And we welcome this review and look forward to further clarity on the methodology being used to guide that process on the omnibus itself. Firstly, we think it's important that we don't lose sight of the objectives of the CS triple D, which aims to promote responsible business conduct. And just to say that we want we're highly supportive of this agenda. We want better regulation, not deregulation, in the context of optimizing the competitiveness of the EU companies in the evolving global trading environment, and ensuring proportionality of the CS triple G framework. Ireland is supportive in principle of initiatives to simplify the reporting requirements and reduce costs on European companies, and most especially for SMEs. We are supportive of the early adoption of the proposals contained in the omnibus, and noting that not all member states have transposed the CS or D, and for us, this means that Irish companies and those in Member States who have already transposed the legislation remain at a competitive disadvantage until the new proposal is agreed. Turning to taxonomy. While the texts remain under consideration, we can broadly endorse the initiatives aimed at refining the regulation, particularly those that that offer substantive relief to SMEs by alleviating their administrative obligations.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “I thank you, David, and I welcome the opportunity to speak today on this critical issue. To achieve an effective dialogue, this Council must be closely engaged throughout the process, as most e.g. agri, who have a vital role to play, must also see a well planned [00:13:00] and ongoing consultation needed combined with. Good communication regarding the process to stakeholders. The process should be based on evidence based assessment of issues, combined with a realistic understanding of how matters actually operate on farm. And above all, we need a recognition that those who will do the work to achieve the outcomes are at the centre. Particularly over the time ahead. I believe the focus of all of us here needs to be on the farming. Considering question one a strong [00:13:30] cap that supports sustainable farming and an effective single market, combined with a rules based trading system, remains the bedrock to support farming. European food security has to be at the heart of this debate. Our food security and ongoing transition to greater sustainability needs to be supported with a robust cap budget that acknowledges that we are asking farmers what we are asking farmers to do and compensates them adequately. Ireland has always recognised the need for [00:14:00] the European budget to include an effective Cap budget. Furthermore, greater focus on the provision of public goods points to the need for additional resourcing outside of the cap. Farmers need greater certainty. The new approach introduced in the current cap needs time to bed down. We should simplify procedures going into the next cap, but we must also allow farmers time to get used to these changes. Regarding question two, [00:14:30] we should acknowledge the achievements made in transforming the structure of the Cap to support sustainability. Polarized debates happen because there is little understanding of the extent of these changes and what farmers are achieving. We need to communicate this better. However, I accept that it will be difficult to see the full impact at these early stages. Ireland supports a food system approach which emphasizes the three pillars of sustainability economic, [00:15:00] environmental and social. Recognizing the importance of achieving balance in these different elements must be a theme of the strategic dialogue. We need to build more resilient farming practices that are adapted better to managing the already present impacts of climate change. To be a farmer today requires a developing skill set, so knowledge transfer and research must be a key focus. The theme of more equitable distribution of value [00:15:30] in the food system with improved price, price transparency should also be included. Regarding question three, Ireland would like to see an outcome that assesses the impact of forthcoming climate, environmental and regulatory changes and the geopolitical situation on markets for the agriculture sector that develops an appropriate balance between competitiveness and environmental sustainability, and then builds a shared consensus on how best to address these. [00:16:00] Thank you David.”
  Agricultural funding
• “Thank you. Maria Ireland welcomes the review of the UTP directive, while noting that it has only been in operation for a short while. I believe that as far as possible, we should try to have a harmonised EU approach to UTP measures. We also need to avoid adding huge complexity to trade arrangements in Ireland. We established a new agency with a dual mandate to enforce UTP rules and to increase transparency in the agri food supply chain. The work of that agency has been very valuable in raising awareness among farmers and small food producers about their rights, and equally in ensuring that buyers, retailers and larger food businesses are aware of their responsibilities, particularly the need for transparency about the conditions attached to supply agreements. I believe that better communication to raise awareness and reduce the fear factor among producers is a really practical step we could take in a coordinated way at an EU level. Ireland also welcomes new measures to strengthen cross-border cooperation measures as an important development in strengthening the protection for those with less bargaining power in the food supply chain. In the review of any legislation, we need to keep simplification as our guiding principle. We look forward to engaging in that spirit in the Commission's upcoming workshop with Member States and UTP enforcement authorities, and in further steps leading to the intended targeted revision proposal. Thank you.”
  EU policy on farmer–buyer relations in the agri-food supply chain
• “Thank you. And we thank the presidency for placing the industrial action plans on the agenda. It is timely for the council to discuss them and agree measures which should be prioritised. Achieving affordable and competitive electricity prices must be central to our efforts to ensure strong industrial future for Europe. This applies not only to the steel and metals, chemicals and automotive sectors, but also for semiconductors, cement, biotech, pharma and space. A whole of EU market solution is needed to fund grid and network expansion without increasing consumer energy costs. Private investment is essential for grid decarbonisation and renewable energy deployment. Targeted public funds should support, not replace, private capital. As Europe transitions to green energy, it must avoid losing existing manufacturing leadership to jurisdictions with cheaper energy or faster transitions. A whole of EU market solution is needed to fund grid and network expansion without increasing consumer energy costs. Private investment is essential for decarbonization and renewable development and deployment. Targeted public funds are critical for this. For the steel and metal sector, we support the commission efforts to stabilize the market through the raw materials mechanism, including demand aggregation and joint purchasing. However, we are cautious about export restrictions on aluminium scrap, which could disadvantage small member states. The forthcoming Circular Economy Act will be vital to create viable and robust single market for recycling and valuable materials. On chemicals, Ireland supports establishing the basic regulation for European Chemicals Agency to ensure it can meet expanding responsibilities and provide industry with certainty on future chemicals legislation.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “A ring fence and a robust cap with adequate funding is required. Retaining the full toolbox of measures. This must be guaranteed, and we don't believe that the allocation currently ring fenced for the cap is sufficient to achieve these ends, and there will be particular importance as well for the Peace Plus programme to make sure that there's assurance and proper financing, which is an essential contribution to peace and prosperity on the island of Ireland. We need to protect the cap to make sure that, uh, we can support farm incomes, food security and rural resilience with predictability for farmers and fishers.”
  Agricultural funding
• “And could I thank Austria too, for your AOB point? And in looking at that, I would say that the future of the Cap is vital in safeguarding the continued viability of our farmers and rural communities, and we welcome the opportunity to continue to engage on this important topic. I acknowledge the Commission's continued commitment to the Cap, and in particular, its efforts to ring fence income support within our new framework. I see this as a very good starting point. However, to be clear, I consider the cap must be fully funded. The loss of ring fenced funding for eco schemes is particularly disappointing. Ireland shares the concerns of other member states too, around the new framework and how this would function in practice. The requirements of the new framework need to be proportionate and discussed in the appropriate forum. Any proposed changes to the Cap structures must preserve the caps ability to secure farm incomes, food security and rural resilience, and must do so with predictability and fairness for our farmers. It is important that the visibility and the specifics of the cap are provided for in the next MFF, and that the cap is robust and adequately funded. Thank you very much.”
  Agricultural funding
• “Thank you. Look, we very much support this initiative by the Commission to reduce regulatory burden, to simplify EU laws. And that's very welcome. Um, I just want to raise one matter in relation to the energy performance of buildings directive that we've we've written to the Commission in relation to we've done well in Ireland. We've phased out fossil fuel boilers. Over 70% of our buildings now have energy performance certificates. But I just raised this in the context of cost and the housing challenges we have right the way across Europe. So just seek the further engagement with the Commission in that regard in relation to the Energy Performance of Buildings directive, to thank them for their engagement so far, but to seek flexibility with like minded member states as well, just to ensure that we're not adding additional costs to particularly to new build homes and affordable homes. Thank you.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “Thank you very much. Uh, Mary, I will speak in Irish at the very end. Briefly. Uh, just to let the interpreters know. And thank you, Mary, and the Danish Presidency, for the progress you've already made on the MFF since July. Thank you, Peter, as well, for your engagement at all times on the MFF, on the horizontal principles which you asked us to discuss today. Ireland supports the objectives of simplification, flexibility and proportionality. That said, we are yet to be convinced that the current proposal delivers true simplification for all involved and we are open to modernising the structures of the MFF. But we are concerned as to how the proposed structures will work in practice, in particular on the delivery of the Common Agricultural Policy for Ireland. The structure must provide for the appropriate visibility and the specificities of the Common Agricultural Policy, ensuring that it is robust and adequately funded across the budget. It will be critical that flexibility is not at the cost of strong and robust governance. We need a budget which is fit for purpose and provides for transparency, respect for fundamental freedoms and the rule of law. And I agree with Xavier. The clear and active role of member States in decision making must be central to the MFF and applied across all headings and mechanisms.”
  Agricultural funding
• “Thank you and thank you. Dan Ireland supports the partial general approach of the CF three proposal. Ireland. Thanks to presidency for their constructive leadership during the negotiations. The well balanced text, which takes geographical specificities into account, aligns with our funding priorities for cross-border transport and energy infrastructure until 2034. The CF Transport Ireland welcomes the inclusion of the European Maritime Space Ten-t ports and their hinterland connections, as well as the Dublin Belfast Link, which will pave the way for improved cross-border rail connectivity with Northern Ireland into the future. Regarding the military mobility aspects of the file, Ireland appreciates the CF proposal's emphasis on member state sovereignty and national decision making in respect of the identification and development of these dual use projects. So for CF Energy Ireland welcomes recognition of the specific characteristics characteristics faced by island member states. As an island on the periphery of Europe, Ireland faces inherent and enduring challenges to build cross-border energy infrastructure projects. However, connecting this significant generation potential of Ireland's offshore wind to areas of high demand will unlock benefits across the European market and build a genuine energy union. Ireland remains a consistent and strong supporter of European funding for renewable energy and indeed to achieve our decarbonisation targets. The funding provided by the Connecting Europe facility is essential for the continued development of renewable energy. Ireland expresses our disappointment at the late amendment to energy program objectives, which reduced the focus on renewable energy. We see this as a dilution of our ambitions for renewable energy. However, in the spirit of compromise, we will accept the language as it currently stands. And again with thanks again to the presidency for their work on this file. Ireland is hopeful that the CEF will help to equitably deliver a decarbonised, sustainable and resilient transport and energy network across all Member States. Thank you.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “Thank you. Ellen. Um, I raised this issue earlier [00:12:30] when we were discussing our long time, our 2040 climate ambitions. And some people could say, well, what's the connection? But as the commissioner said, they're inextricably connected. We will need to protect nature and restore climate at the same time. And one complements the other. And if we don't do the nature bit, we won't be able to do the climate bit and we won't be able to protect our people from the climate change. We know that is already coming, and I would like to agree with the commissioner. I think this is a fundamental decision now for the European [00:13:00] institutional structures, because for some ten years, as I understand, after we agreed the Lisbon treaty, we didn't have this process where you would go through a trilogue negotiations with the Parliament, and then after it you would introduce a new a new layer, a new level, a new process where we say, well, we've changed our mind in the council, we're going to look at it again. And if we are to accept that, and that only became a pattern in recent months, particularly around some of the Green New Deal. But this is the most important example [00:13:30] because this is really significant. And if we're to say here as a council, we've changed our mind, we enter into negotiations. We agreed with the Parliament and the commission, but now we think differently. How would any future trilogue negotiations have any real confidence? How could any parliamentarian say or compromise here, I'll take a risk. I'll expose myself because I'll get a deal and then we'll have a deal done. If we don't agree to what we've already negotiated, we undermine the entire European legislative process. And that [00:14:00] is what is at stake here in my mind, as well as the need for protection of nature and addressing climate change. And I think for those in our country, this is very sensitive. Agriculture accounts for most of our emissions. But if you really look at this, this is the way we can actually create income for our farmers, particularly smaller farmers, particularly more marginal farmers. We can start paying them for the protection of the restoration of nature. And that's the opportunity we would be throwing away. We'd [00:14:30] basically be abandoning that possibility. I remember the words I was lucky to meet him and Noam Hermann Scheer, that great German parliamentarian, SPD parliamentarian. What was his book about solar economy back 25, 30 years ago, where he looking forward, he saw farmers as the front line in restoring nature and tackling climate because of their knowledge and expertise in managing land and managing water as well as food production. So if we abandon nature restoration, in my mind we are abandoning [00:15:00] the farmers of our in our continent. And that would be the real crying shame. And I'd have to say, Ireland. We're in a difficult position. You're in a difficult position because it's clear that we may not have agreement here today. So we can't agree here today. But that is not, as you say, the end of the matter. We still have a number of other council meetings where this could be approved. It doesn't need, in my mind, to be extensively debated, because we've done that for the last year and a half or five years as, as Commissioner Sinkovic has said. So we have to look at further other councils, be it foreign [00:15:30] affairs or whichever ones. But to allow this go now means we're going into a European elections where we say the European system is not working, we do not protect nature, we do not take climate seriously. That would be an absolute shame. And I know there are voices of concern. I read comments, I think, from your own Prime Minister last May when he said maybe in relation to the nature restoration law, perhaps it was time to hit the pause button, he said. It was quoted in Politico let us not lose this momentum by [00:16:00] overburdening ourselves with challenges that are not as life threatening as climate change. The destruction of nature is life threatening. The destruction of nature is inextricably linked to a climate change. This is not the time to hit the pause button. Doing so I'd hate to see what leave a mark on the Belgian presidency that would be known as one which. Left down or gave up on nature. Gave up on the protection of nature. How could that could be an outcome that we would seek going into the next European elections? It would [00:16:30] be a disgrace. We have to avoid that at all costs.”
  Nature protection and restoration in the EU
• “Firstly, I'm pleased to inform my colleagues that the Irish Parliament approved participation in this instrument earlier this week. In answer to question one, Ireland supports the proposal in the recast directive. Extending periods can be necessary for victims to be able to seek justice that they deserve. This proposal recognises that by the nature of sexual abuse and in particular child sexual abuse, the victim is often unable to speak about the abuse, let alone bring a legal action in respect of it for many years. Child victims should be permitted at the time to reach the sufficient maturity and awareness to report these crimes. There is evidence that a relatively long limitation period is needed to allow for this. The serious scarring effects of sexual abuse can leave victims with both short term and long term psychological consequences, such as PTSD and depression. We agree with the position of the presidency that this poses problems for victims in seeking justice, both in terms of their willingness to come forward and report the crime and the time it may take for them to do so. We should not support a situation where victims are denied from seeking justice due to overly restrictive criminal limitation periods. Regarding the second question posed by the presidency, we consider that an AI generated sexual child sexual abuse material should be treated as part of the offence pertaining to child sexual abuse material. In our view, it should be treated identically to other child sexual abuse material under law. It is very difficult, sometimes verging on the impossible, to tell, whether child sexual abuse material is real or AI generated AI child sexual abuse material is already presenting a serious problem for law enforcement, because of the need to discern whether or not the children depicted therein are real victims in need of rescuing. From a practical perspective, making the distinction between AI and real in terms of sanction will require law enforcement to analyze whether child sexual abuse material is real or not in every case. This would be heavily resource intensive. A lesser sanction for AI csam would encourage its creation, which will increase the difficulties for law enforcement. It will also lead to no doubt to perpetrators claiming that they taught anti child sexual abuse material, and the possession was AI generated. There are a number of other reasons for prints of principle. While AI child sexual abuse materials should be treated the same as normal child sexual abuse material in order to create child sexual abuse material. I too need to be fed on existing child sexual abuse material, which creates demand for real child sex abuse material and encourages the illegal possession and transmission of same. It also, as the presidency paper states, means that victims of child sexual abuse are revictimized. This is obviously the case where a child sexual abuse material is based on real abuse of the victim, but it is the case that the circulation of any child sexual abuse revictimize children who have suffered abuse in general, and I think most importantly, studies have shown that the offenders who took who look at child sexual abuse material are more likely to move to actual abusing children like Sweden and others. Ireland supports the inclusion in directive of provisions setting out the importance of consent in the context of offence of rape. Thank you.”
  Criminal-law harmonisation of child sexual abuse offences (CSAM Directive recast)
• “On a more negative note, it is very disappointing that the full impact of the Brexit on the functioning of the Common Fisheries policy, particularly with regard to relative quota shares, was not considered in any detail in the Commission's report. The departure of the UK has been the single biggest change to the Common Fisheries policy since it began [00:47:30] and its impact has been effectively been ignored. Not only does the report not address the impact of Brexit to date, it makes no reference to the additional challenges that will be posted by it in the years to come. Most notably in 2026, when reciprocal access to each other's waters will be negotiated on an annual basis. The vast majority of EU fishing opportunities are now and will continue to be determined by annual negotiations with third parties, and the report fails to address this new reality. I [00:48:00] believe that there should have been a detailed consideration of the impact of Brexit on EU fleets to date in the context of the Common Fisheries Policy. We need to develop a comprehensive and integrated North-East Atlantic Fisheries Strategy for future external fishery agreements that protects the interests of our coastal communities and the quotas on which they depend. This strategy should take into account where appropriate access to the EU Single [00:48:30] market. [00:48:32] With regard to the Action Plan on biodiversity, we are still examining what this will mean in practice. We will also need to consider this in the context of the nature restoration law discussions that are ongoing. I will go into more detail on that in the next point. On the action plan itself, I will confine myself to preliminary comments only. I fully support the introduction of management measures to achieve the conservation objectives set out for marine protected areas, including [00:49:00] where justified supporting limiting the use of bottom trawling. However, I do not support a blanket ban on the use of mobile fishing gear in all MPAs, as there is no objective basis for this type of approach. In addition, like others, we have concerns regarding the legal framework and how this plan fits in within the Common Fisheries Policy. We look forward to working closely with the Commission and fellow Member States on these very challenging issues. Ireland will continue to play a constructive [00:49:30] part throughout these discussions. However, I do feel strongly that this was a missed opportunity. The world in 2023 is a very different one than in 2013, and I cannot share the view that the current common fishery policy remains fit for purpose and should be reviewed to take account of the new realities and challenges. Thank you, Chair.”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries