site.btaPriorities of EU Council Swedish Presidency Presented in Sofia

Priorities of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU, which started on  January 1, 2023, were presented by Swedish Ambassador Katarina Rangnitt in a video address to the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) on Wednesday.

The main priorities during the presidency are security, competitiveness, environmental and energy transition, democratic values and the rule of law.

The challenges at the start of the Swedish presidency are historic for the member states and the Union as a whole. The war in Ukraine is a threat to European security, with severe consequences for migration as well as for global food and energy supplies.

In terms of security, the Swedish Presidency will prioritize continued economic and military support for Ukraine, as well as support for Ukraine's path towards the EU. This will require additional efforts at both national and European level. Further steps are needed for reconstruction and reform towards EU integration.

The Swedish Presidency will put efforts into tackling high and volatile energy prices, while taking a long-term reform of the energy market along the path of an environmental and energy transition.

Czech Ambassador Lukasz Kautsky gave an overview of the results achieved by the Czech presidency of the EU Council. Czechia has worked to provide support to Ukraine in the framework of the war, as well as to solve the Community's energy problems. In the second half of last year, the EU supported Ukraine in various areas. A consensus has been reached at EU level on the future of the Eastern Partnership and its relations with Europe. In addition, on the subject of enlargement, a number of talks have been held on the future accession of countries in the Balkan region, Kautsky said.