Ireland as EU Presidency 2026: competitiveness and global challenges

In particular, Ireland applies a very favorable tax rate to multinationals, many of which have chosen it as their European headquarters, also thanks to the use of the English language and the availability of highly qualified manpower: Alphabet (Google), Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta, among others, have their EU headquarters on the island.

It’s a strategy that he brought wealth to the nationwhich has long surpassed neighboring Great Britain in terms of GDP per capita, even when the multinational effect is removed from the data.

E’ the eighth time that Dublin occupies the rotating presidency of the Union: the last time it held it in 2013 and previously in 1975, 1979, 1984, 1990, 1996 and 2004. The program is based on three pillars: “Competitiveness: promoting prosperity and well-being; values: defending the essential foundation of our Union; security: protecting our citizens”.

More concretely, one of the first tasks of the Irish presidency will be to prepare a new ‘negobox’ for the next Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-34, after the one prepared by the Cypriot presidency was rejected by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who considers it “unbalanced”.

Attempt to reach a agreement on Mff 2028-34 by the end of the year it is clearly a priority for the Irish presidency, which not surprisingly has scheduled two extra European Councils, an informal one in Ireland (preceded by a summit of the European Political Community) and another possible ‘special’ one, both in November, to prepare the ground for a hoped-for agreement in the European Council in December, which is the objective declared by President Antonio Costa. It is not certain that it will be successful: both the Frugal and Mediterranean fronts are in no hurry to reach an agreement.

In foreign policyin addition to support for Ukraine, the Irish presidency wants to strengthen relations with the United Kingdom, the USA and Canada. The presidency of Ireland, a country close to the Palestinian cause for historical reasons, will continue to work towards the implementation of the two-state solution, to alleviate the “massive humanitarian needs” in Gaza to counter the deterioration of the situation in the West Bank.

In the economic-financial fieldpriority will be given to the Savings and Investment Union, the rebranding of the Banking Union, one of the great unfinished things that has been talked about for decades, and to the digital euro, a dossier on which things finally seem to be moving: after the European Parliament has finally reached a negotiating position (it took almost three years), negotiations will now have to start with the Council, under the Irish presidency.

In Internal Affairsthe Presidency will continue to adopt a “fair, firm and rules-based” approach to migration, asylum and returns.

As for the competitivenessa central area in the Council’s work at least from the Letta and Draghi reports onwards, the Presidency promises to advance initiatives aimed at strengthening the internal market and making it a more business- and work-friendly environment, including negotiations on EU Inc. (the 28th regime), the Industrial Accelerator Act, the Chips Act 2.0 and the future EU Product Act.

The Irish presidency, the program reports, “will continue to give priority to the elimination of barriers in the single market, to reduction of regulatory burdenstrade facilitation and accelerating digital transformation, in line with the roadmap.”

In the Environment Councilthe main priorities are the advancement of the review of ETS 1, the review of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, the EU climate tariff and the agreement and finalization of strengthened safeguards for ETS 1 and ETS 2.

Incidentally, this presidency will be Ireland’s first since the Irish, or Gaelicofficially became a working language of the EU in 2022. The promotion of the use of the ancient language, which is experiencing a new flowering in Ireland, also in the Council is officially included among the priorities of the Irish presidency in 2026.