28 Jun 2024
Hungary takes over Council Presidency
On 1 July, Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union for the scond half of 2024.
The official motto of the Hungarian Presidency is "Make Europe Great Again" with the Rubik's cube featuring prominently in its logo. The Rubik's Cube is made up of 27 elements, the same number as the EU member states, and refers to Hungarian ingenuity and problem-solving skills, as well as the complexity of European affairs.
The Hungarian Presidency defined seven overarching priorities for its term:
- Improving the competitiveness of the EU (New European Competitiveness Deal)
- Strenghtening defense policy at EU level
- Consistent and merit-based enpargement policy
- Restricting illegal migration
- Shaping the future of cohesion policy
- Farmer-oriented European agriculture
- Adressing demographic challenges
Within the field of R&I, the Hungarian Presidency seeks to strenghten the EU's competitiveness through:
- Adressing the fragmentation of the European Research and Innovation Area
- Reducing the innovation gap
- Reinforcing R&I cooperation
While there are no legislative dossiers foreseen, the presidency plans to adopt three Council Conclusions:
- Council Conclusions on strenghtening the competitivevess of the EU and overcoming the fragmentation of the European Research Area based on the experiences of the implementation of the ERA Policy Agenda (2022-2024)
- Council Conclusions on the Commission's Communication on Advanced Materials
- Council Conclusions on the Partnership for Research and Innovation on sustainable natural resources, the food system and the deployment of the bioeconomy (BIOEAST Partnership)
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