By Caroline Hager
On 1 July, Ireland took over the helm of EU decision‑making and will be chairing complex negotiations that shape laws and policy for around 450 million people for the next six months. The presidency of the EU steers the agenda and helps EU member states reach agreement through compromise.
The Irish presidency of the EU comes at a challenging time for the EU, as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues, migration remains politically sensitive, competitiveness is under pressure, and the demand to meet climate targets is intensifying. Its official slogan is “Strength with unity”.
EU-UK relations will benefit from the close Anglo-Irish relationship. The Irish government has consistently advocated a constructive pragmatic relationship between the EU and the UK. It has already signalled that it will be working closely and positively with the new Burnham government and the newly appointed Minister for European relations, Hamish Falconer. At a recent meeting, the Irish minister for European Affairs said: “At a time of geopolitical instability, the UK is a vital likeminded partner. It is in our mutual interests to have a strong and close EU-UK relationship that delivers for our citizens across trade, people-to-people contacts, and a wider foreign and security policy cooperation.”
No date has been fixed for the next EU-UK summit; however, work will continue to build on existing EU-UK agreements, including, very importantly, Northern Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement.
In a further positive step, Ireland will invite the UK as an observer at the informal meetings of the Council of Ministers. Such meetings are held to discuss strategic policy issues and open talks without taking decisions.
We can all hope for this new era to bring urgent progress and agreement on the EU-UK youth experience scheme, the agri-food scheme to ease trade friction and the UK’s integration into the EU’s electricity market.
