H.E. Mr. Lars Thuesen:

I thank the Cathaoirleach and distinguished members of the committee very much for their kind invitation to give a brief introduction to the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It is the eighth time Denmark assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. For Ireland, it will also be the eighth time next year. As members know, our two countries joined the European Economic Community together in 1973, and our co-operation has widened and intensified since then. After Brexit, it is safe to say that we have never worked more closely on EU matters than we do today. I am sure that we will get all the support we need from Ireland during our Presidency. There is already ongoing and very useful co-operation between our Presidency and the upcoming Irish Presidency on an almost weekly basis.

The Danish Presidency has two overarching priorities under the slogan: “A strong Europe in a changing world”. The first priority is a secure Europe. The second priority is a competitive and green Europe. First, we will strive for a secure Europe capable of meeting urgent, shared challenges. The EU must take responsibility for its own and our Euro-Atlantic security, working closely with NATO. Europe has to be able to defend itself and we need to make it happen by 2030. There is an urgent need for the EU to strengthen Europe’s defence industry and production, which is essential to safeguard our security in the future. This is, of course, without prejudice to the specific character of the security and defence policy of some member states, including Ireland.

Equally, we cannot speak of defence without mentioning Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The EU’s continued support for Ukraine’s fight for peace and freedom will be a key priority. The EU must provide political, economic, civilian and military support to Ukraine. We need more donations, especially to Ukraine’s defence industry. We must be ready to strengthen sanctions on Russia and minimise the risk of circumvention. We also have to move forward on enlargement. It is a geostrategic imperative.

The situation in the Middle East remains marked by war, suffering, tensions and unpredictability. We will continue the EU’s efforts towards de-escalation in the region, including support for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.

Security also relates to migration. We must ensure stability at the EU’s external borders and we must stop dangerous journeys to Europe. Irregular migration must not undermine European cohesion or security. We are facing dangerous situations at the EU’s eastern borders, including attempts to destabilise and undermine the security of the EU. That cannot be tolerated. We will work for new and innovative solutions to manage irregular migration and control the flow of people into the EU. The Presidency will also focus on further implementing the EU pact on migration and asylum.

Strengthening democratic resilience will also be a focus. The EU must regulate tech giants effectively holding them to account in combating misinformation and disinformation and in protecting children and young people online. Current geopolitical developments further underline the need to enlarge the EU. An ambitious, merit-based enlargement will make the EU geopolitically stronger. This especially applies to Ukraine, where the Presidency will prioritise significant progress in the negotiations. Ukraine is the engine for the momentum but we also need to focus on Moldova and the western Balkans. European values and the rule of law are cornerstones of EU co-operation. We must keep it high on the agenda and look at all tools to ensure respect.

Second, the Presidency will also work to make Europe both competitive and green. In a world of sharpened global rivalry, collective action is needed to boost the EU’s competitiveness hand in hand with the green transition. Last year, former ECB President Mario Draghi published a report on the EU’s competitiveness. It made for alarming reading. His analysis painted a bleak picture pointing to excessive regulation, a shrinking workforce and high energy costs. These issues have become a top priority and we are already drawing closer to consensus on the way forward. For example, we must reduce burdens on businesses, citizens and public authorities. We will aim for less red tape for European companies and individuals.

The EU's competitiveness, resilience and global influence are also strengthened through relations with strategic third countries. We will, therefore, also prioritise expanding the EU's network of trade agreements and economic partnerships. Instead of fragmented national capital markets in the EU, we need deeper integration and harmonised financial rules. We will also work to increase the pace of the green transition, including within renewable energy and better infrastructure. Security of supply in the energy market must be strengthened and the EU must be independent of Russian energy.

We will do our best to ensure that the EU continues to demonstrate leadership when it comes to climate action, including through an ambitious 2040 target. There is a lot on the international agenda for the time being but we should not forget the fight against climate change. It is also important because climate action and the green transition support European competitiveness.

During our Presidency, we will help set an ambitious and fiscally responsible course for negotiating the EU’s multi-annual financial framework covering 2028 onwards. It is also going to be a huge task for the upcoming Irish Presidency. The overarching success criterion for the Danish Presidency is that a clear direction is set for EU co-operation and that tangible progress on the ambitious political priorities for the Presidency is ensured, especially including defence and security as well as competitiveness, including the green transition.

We should remember that success is not only a question of finalising files and procedures but also of whether we as a Presidency have acted in an efficient and transparent way. For that reason, the Danish Presidency will be Brussels-based. That means that most Presidency decisions will be taken on the spot by our people in Brussels. All EU Presidencies adhere to the principle of being an honest broker but some are more successful in that role than others. We will definitely do our best and I am convinced that members will see a Presidency fully committed to the European agenda. Our national priorities are very much in line with European ambitions. We are steering from the strategic agenda and the Commission’s work programme. Both are well aligned with Danish priorities in general.

As the committee will know better than most, we obviously live in uncertain times involving geopolitical tensions, war on our continent and in the Middle East, accelerated strategic competition and trade conflicts between close partners. It is impossible to predict what happens next and that will remain the context for the Danish Presidency as well but that only underlines why we need a stronger, more determined Europe that is capable of defending itself and promoting European interests on the global scene. I hope this was useful for the members of the committee and I thank members very much for their time and patience.