Belgium takes over EU Council Presidency

From 1 January to 30 June, Belgium will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. During its Presidency, Belgium will be responsible for coordinating the activities of the Council and promoting cooperation between the Member States. All this will be done under the Presidency's motto "Protect, Strengthen and Prepare".

At the beginning of the new year, Belgium took over the Presidency of the Council of the EU from Spain. It will be replaced by Hungary in the middle of the year. Together with the two countries, Belgium has defined a trio programme for the so-called trio presidency, which sets out binding guidelines for its work. Among other things, the programme lists EU cooperation in the field of research and innovation as a priority means of overcoming existing challenges.

Belgium has drawn up its own programme for its EU Council Presidency in line with the objectives of the Trio Presidency. In this programme, research and innovation play a central role in achieving the EU's overarching goals and in tackling pressing social, global and economic challenges. The Belgian Presidency plans to prioritise research and innovation as the most important catalyst for achieving strategic autonomy. This includes, for example, strengthening the resilience and competitiveness of key EU value chains. In addition, the valorisation of research results and the role of research and innovation in society are to be strengthened. One focus here is on space activities.
The Belgian Presidency also plans to strengthen the European Education Area, improve the quality of education and promote lifelong learning. It aims to facilitate the mobility of learners and teachers throughout Europe and to initiate discussions on the forthcoming higher education package.

Source: EU Commission