IIEA Briefing on the Romanian Presidency

Author: Darragh Moriarty 

On 1 January 2019, Romania assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which it will hold until 30 June 2019. This is Romania’s first Presidency since joining the European Union in 2007.

While every incoming Presidency has a number of pressing issues to deal with, Romania will be charged with the momentous tasks of overseeing the United Kingdom’s expected departure from the EU on 29 March 2019; adapting to the outcome of the European Parliament elections, which take place in May 2019; and progressing the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) negotiations for the period of 2021-2027, which will determine how the EU’s money will be spent in the coming years. All of these issues will be running concurrently as Romania attempts to implement its ambitious set of priorities.

While assuming the Presidency of the Council of the EU for the first time should be a moment of celebration for Romania, much of the media coverage and commentary thus far has focused on the ongoing tension between the Romanian government and the European Commission.

This briefing examines what we can expect over the next six months.