The Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU – Retrospective in FIVE QUESTIONS

After six months, we were able to successfully conclude the Belgian presidency on 30 June 2024. Let us look back with a retrospective in five questions.

1. Overall, how has the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU gone?
2. Were we able to live up to our role as an honest broker?
3. How did other Member States and the European Commission view our presidency?
4. Which five results are definitely worth mentioning and why?
5. Belgium worked as a trio with Spain and Hungary, the preceding and subsequent presidencies, respectively. How did this collaboration go?
    

1. Overall, how has the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU gone?

We can look back on a productive presidency. More than 100 legislative agreements were concluded under Belgium's leadership, and with that, we have completely fulfilled our ambitions. We showed that the Belgian art of compromise can propel the European project forward.

Our success is largely due to the thorough preparation that preceded our presidency: the competent service of our FPS – the Task Force EU2024 – had already started budgetary, logistical and political preparations two and a half years ago.

But the experience and skill of Belgian officials and diplomats were also crucial to achieving legislative agreements, addressing crises, and preparing the future of the EU – the three core missions of our presidency.

It was extremely important to accomplish these missions, especially given the specific timing of our presidency: at the end of the European legislature and coinciding with the federal, regional and European elections. Thus, the considerable number of agreements concluded and the smooth conduct of these elections across the EU were of particular interest to our presidency.

2. Were we able to live up to our role as an honest broker?

Absolutely. That is one of the core functions of a presidency. In order to act as a credible bridge-builder within the Council of the EU – and thus reach the necessary agreements there – it is essential for the presidency to remain impartial.

Our presidency has always worked hard, and successfully, to get all possible dossiers still on the EU's negotiating table completed in time. We did not make choices based on political preference, but we worked consistently and honestly to reach agreement on as many current dossiers as possible. And we succeeded for a very large number of dossiers.
 

3. How did other Member States and the European Commission view our presidency?

Both the press and European partners praised the Belgian presidency. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called our presidency "exceptionally successful" and thanked us for our excellent cooperation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky even called the Belgian presidency "historic". So both we and our partners are pleased with the course of our presidency.

4. Which five results are definitely worth mentioning and why?

It is difficult to choose a limited number of achievements from the more than 100 agreements and more than 500 events that fell under the Belgian presidency. But at the top of the list we can certainly mention the final approval of the Migration Pact. This was a priority of the Belgian presidency – of great importance to all European citizens – and seeks to address a challenge the EU has faced for years.

The revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework – the EU's multi-year budget, including 50 billion euros in aid to Ukraine – was also a resounding success. In doing so, we demonstrated that the EU is continuing to invest in order to address crucial challenges. We also continue to resolutely support Ukraine against Russian aggression for as long as it takes.

Furthermore, the Belgian presidency confirmed the EU's leadership on climate issues. For example, we successfully concluded a whole series of important agreements as part of the Green Deal: new emission standards for heavy vehicles, high standards for air quality, stricter rules around packaging and packaging waste, to name a few. We even reached an agreement on more efficient air traffic control with a view to shortening flight paths and reducing pollution from aircraft.

At the same time, the Belgian presidency listened to the demands from Europe's farmers. The Council was quick to reform and simplify the EU rules around the Common Agricultural Policy to respond to those demands.

Fourthly, the Belgian presidency took steps to move the enlargement process forward, where relevant and on the merit of each candidate country. For example, the Belgian presidency organised no less than two intergovernmental conferences with Montenegro, to formally take note of the tough but successful reforms undertaken by that country.

Enlargement negotiations with both Ukraine and Moldova were also formally launched. Moreover, for the first time, the Belgian presidency invited all ten countries with hopes to join the EU to an informal Council of the Ministers for European Affairs. In doing so, Belgium reaffirmed its broad view of the EU and its focus on these ten countries.

Finally, the Belgian presidency contributed to reflection on the future of the EU, presenting a number of progress reports. One was on the future of Europe, to prepare future EU work on internal reforms. This took into account the three-fold challenge of (1) strengthening the EU's internal functioning and decisiveness, (2) adapting the EU to the new geopolitical realities of the world, and (3) preparing it for enlargement.

Another progress report dealt with competitiveness; this summarises the initiatives and proposals of the Belgian presidency to make the European market more resilient and robust.
 

5. Belgium worked as a trio with Spain and Hungary, the preceding and subsequent presidencies, respectively. How did this collaboration go?

Cooperation with these other countries has been constructive so far. We maintain good contacts with our Spanish and Hungarian colleagues, as their cooperation is crucial to reaching important agreements within the Council. Moreover, the Presidency Trio is also important to ensure sufficient continuity in Council matters, for example, to ensure that legislative dossiers are consistently followed up by successive presidencies.

Therefore, within this Trio, we agreed on a set of common priorities that play into this continuity and are in line with the Belgian programme items. Thus, the importance of respect for the rule of law is emphasised in both the Trio and Belgian programmes.