Political direction of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU
Published
From 1 January to 30 June 2023, Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The direction of Sweden’s political priorities for the upcoming Presidency was determined during the first half of 2022, following discussions with party representatives in the Riksdag. On 1 June, the general political direction was presented to the Riksdag.
The political direction of the Swedish Presidency can be summarised in five general headings, listed below in no particular order.
- Providing security for EU citizens and strengthening the EU’s role in the world
- Stopping organised crime
- Speeding up the climate transition
- Strengthening the EU’s competitiveness for the jobs of the future
- Safeguarding the EU’s fundamental values
The 2021 Trio Programme determines the general political direction
The three EU Member States holding the Presidency after one another are called the Presidency Trio. The Trio countries work closely together, set long-term goals and prepare an 18-month programme. The current Presidency Trio, comprising France, the Czech Republic and Sweden, presented the ‘Trio Programme’ in December 2021.
More about the Trio Programme on the Council of the European Union’s website
The direction will become a concrete work programme
Each of the three Trio countries produces its own six-month programme for the period of its Presidency. This is referred to as the work programme.
During the second half of 2022, the Government will set the concrete political priorities and the Presidency’s work programme based on the general political direction. These will be presented in December.
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