How Will the Bulgarians Ground their EU Presidency?
Contributing Authors| Coordinator: Emanuele Manigrassi
Written By: Viktor Borecky, Luis Cervilla, Stéphanie Chauvet, Laurent Chokoualé Datou, Nils Dressel, Christiaan Gevers Deynoot, Romina Giovannetti, Katie LaZelle, Jenna Luchman, Méabh Maguire, Daniela Negri, Małgosia Rybak, Karen Schober, Júlia Schvarcová, Christopher Spillane, Béatrice Spinette, Mónica Vicente Cristina, Caroline Walczak, Ursula Woodburn
From January 1st to June 30th 2018, Bulgaria will hold the six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union. This will be the country’s first time at the helm as it marks this year 10 years of EU membership. Their chosen Presidency motto of “United we stand strong” reflects this important milestone and the tangible difference that a decade of European integration has made for this Balkan nation which sits at the crossroads of Greek, Slavic, Ottoman, and Persian heritage.
Coming between the Estonian and Austrian Presidencies, the country will be responsible for handling the last new initiatives of the Juncker Commission and negotiating several controversial political dossiers that will have significant impact on the future of the Union. We hope our Bulgarian Presidency Guide proves helpful in guiding your advocacy for the next six months.
With so many potential avenues of discussion, the Bulgarians plan to ground their Presidency on the following three main principles:
· Building consensus on the most politically sensitive issues, including security and migration, the future of the Western Balkans in the EU, promoting the rule of law, and delivering fairer justice systems;
· Further developing a competitive single market based on digitalisation, fairer and more efficient taxation, and the removal of trade barriers to enhance cross-border services. This will go alongside discussions on the aforementioned long-term industrial strategy, aimed at allowing EU businesses to compete globally;
· Promoting a more cohesive Europe by initiating a debate on the future EU cohesion policy, the reformed Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) post-2020, and the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Cultural diplomacy will also feature significantly in a new plan for culture to become an additional tool for the Union’s foreign policy.
In terms of concrete policy priorities, the incoming Presidency will focus on:
1. The future of Europe and young people, with a focus on economic growth and social cohesion;
2. A European perspective for the Western Balkans;
3. Security and stability in a strong and united Europe;
4. Digital economy and skills for the future.
Overall, Bulgaria will face three major challenges: starting discussions on the current Commission’s final proposals, integrating a forward-looking “2025 perspective” into all negotiations, and rallying the other institutions to reach a deal on the most sensitive dossiers before the 2019 EU election. The debate on the political priorities of the future MFF will also be heated, given the need to do more with less post-Brexit, the drive to simplify EU funding programmes, and the necessity of adjusting EU finances in line with new challenges in the realm of security, defence and globalisation.
Our Analysis includes an in-depth look by some of the best public affairs specialists in the following areas:
· Banking, Capital Markets and Taxation
· Navigating Brexit
· Digital Economy and Society
· Energy
· Climate
· Transport
· Environment
· Trade
· Foreign Affairs, Migration and Security
· Social Policy and Labour Mobility
· Health
· Agriculture
For the full report, click HERE.
For further information on these issues:
LAURENT CHOKOUALÉ DATOU, Chairman, EU Public Affairs lchokouale@webershandwick.com
MÓNICA VICENTE CRISTINA, Managing Director, Corporate and Public Affairs, mvicentecristina@webershandwick.com
For New Business inquiries with Weber Shandwick:
Jeff Zeizel | jzeizel@webershandwick.com | Senior New Business Consultant, International
Pete Jacob | PJacob@webershandwick.com | EMEA New Business Director
