Priorities of the Czech Republic during their Presidency
As of today, July 1st, the Czech Republic holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU). The Presidency is rotating every 6 months between the Member States and for Czechia it is the 2nd time they hold the Presidency after their accession to the EU 18 years ago. On June 20, Minister of Agriculture in the Netherlands, mr Henk Staghouwer, visited his counterpart mr Nekula in Prague to discuss the priorities of the Czech Republic during the Presidency.
Priorities for the agrifood sector
The Czech Republic identified the following priorities to be discussed during the monthly Agrifish Councils – the monthly meeting of the EU Ministers of Agriculture:
• Sustainable use of plant protection products
• Implementation of the new CAP - approval by the European Commission (EC) of the National Strategic Plans of the Member States as soon as possible.
• Geographical indications
• Market situation – monthly updates from the EC and the Member States due to uncertainties related to the war in Ukraine, the post-BREXIT transitional period, the consequences of COVID-19, the increase in energy and inputs costs, changes in weather conditions and the effects of other trade restrictive measures.
• Trade-related agricultural issues
• Current challenges of the EU Forestry sector
• Priorities in Fisheries: Council Conclusions on Aquaculture, Fishing Opportunities for 2023, Regulation on access to waters
• There are cross-policy issues related to the ENVI Council:
o Revision of the Industrial Emission Directive
o Proposal on a Regulation on EU nature restoration targets
o Regulation on Deforestation
You can find the dates and the agenda for the AgriFish Councils here: Agriculture and Fisheries Council configuration (AGRIFISH) - Consilium (europa.eu)
The position of the Netherlands for every Council is being sent to the Dutch parliament prior to the Council. If you wish to receive them (in Dutch) you can subscribe here Ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit | Rijksoverheid.nl
Visit Minister Staghouwer
On June 20 Minister of Agriculture, mr Henk Staghouwer visited the Czech Republic for a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Agriculture for the Czech Republic, mr Nekula. For Minister Staghouwer it was his first bilateral visit since his inauguration and he was also the first Minister of Agriculture to visit Prague in view of the upcoming Presidency. They talked about the upcoming Presidency of the Czech Republic of the EU and the priorities, incl the sustainable use of pesticides and the use of organic manure as replacer of chemical fertilizers.
At the Residence of the Ambassador of the Netherlands mr Daan Huisinga, Minister Staghouwer spoke to Dutch farmers and representatives of the agrifood chain about doing business in the Czech Republic.
As a tasty end of the visit, the Ministers visited together Vranany Farm Hanc where with a lot of passion, strawberries and other fruits & vegetables are grown. They work closely together with Dutch entrepreneurs. Minister Staghouwer was especially impressed how they set up their own sales and attract consumers in their farm shop on site. He is looking forward coming back to Czechia soon for the Informal Council in September.
Visit Minister Staghouwer
Priorities in general
During its presidency, the Czech Republic will focus overall on five priority areas:
1) Managing the refugee crisis and Ukraine’s post-war recovery
2) Energy security
3) Strengthening Europe’s defence capabilities and cyberspace security
4) Strategic resilience of the European economy
5) Resilience of democratic institutions
Energy security
The Czech Presidency will put emphasis on the EU’s energy security issues and on the accelerated implementation of REPowerEU, an important part of which is diversification of sources including logistics, energy savings and acceleration of the transition to low-emission and renewable energy sources.
The decarbonisation of the EU industry and the transition from natural gas to hydrogen represents an important goal requiring the implementation of an ambitious plan for the development of hydrogen infrastructure, storage and terminals. Fit for 55 creates the basis for decarbonisation. However, the Czech Presidency will focus especially on thorough implementation of the main short-term objective, i.e. remove dependence on Russian fossil fuels. The Czech Presidency will also deal with energy efficiency (EED) and the use of renewable energy.
Strategic resilience of the European Economy
In order to strengthen strategic resilience, targeted support for technological competitiveness based on own production capacities, together with the deepening of free trade with democratic nations in the world, is essential.
From food, medicines to semiconductor chips, supply chains and their vulnerability need to be understood in detail and their resilience must consequently be strengthened. The availability of strategic raw materials and components must be secured for European firms.
The Czech Presidency will work on accelerating the process of concluding trade agreements with democratic states and on deepening transatlantic cooperation in the framework of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC) with a focus on strategic cooperation, including joint measures for supply chain resilience.
Accelerating the digitalisation and automation of European industry is also essential, enabling the expansion of competitive production in the EU, with a particular emphasis on strategic sectors. A more efficient circular economy will contribute to reducing the need for imports of primary materials.
Green and digital transitions must be implemented in such a way as to promote convergence towards the most advanced regions. At the same time, there is a need to support the development of the skills of Europeans to adapt to changing circumstances, which is a prerequisite for the global competitiveness of the EU. Support through EU investment policies, in particular cohesion policy, will play a crucial role in all these areas.
Finally, the internal market needs to be further deepened, especially in services and the digital economy, while improving the business environment, including support for science, research and innovation, which will lead to increased competitiveness of European firms.
Priorities and program
You can read more in detail about the priorities, the agenda and news around the Presidency of the Czech Republic for the Council of the European Union here: Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union (europa.eu)