Trio Spain, Belgium and Hungary © Belgian presidency
From 1 January to 30 June 2024, Belgium will assume the presidency of the Council of the European Union. Belgium will succeed Spain in this. From July 2024, the baton will (literally) be passed to Hungary. Together, these three countries form the presidency trio, with a common programme.
Working to connect
Every presidency trio lasts for 18 months. For this period, the three member states draw up collective agendas and priorities. Each country gives their own interpretation to this during its presidency, whereby the common programme forms the basis.
By working together, the shared priorities can be developed over an 18-month period and they are less subject to the semi-annual change of presidency. At the same time, each member state has the freedom to put its own stamp on the Council as president. Indeed, Belgium has drawn up its supplementary priorities.
Common programme
The trio of presidencies - Spain, Belgium and Hungary - will work together to find common
solutions to the challenges and tasks ahead. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine
combined with increasing global uncertainty require the European Union to enhance its resilience
and strategic autonomy.
This means:
- reinforcing the EU’s global competitiveness by strengthening our industrial base in line with
the accelerated twin green and digital transitions and making use of innovation; - ensuring the twin transitions are fair, just and inclusive by enhancing the social dimension of Europe, including by addressing the demographic challenge the EU is facing;
- strengthening international partnerships, multilateral cooperation, and security in all its dimensions, as well as building up an ambitious and balanced trade policy, whilst at the same time defending EU interests more assertively, based on our values, and strengthening the EU’s capability to act in the field of security and defence.
The trio commits to steering the work of the Council at the end of the current institutional cycle to ensure a smooth transition to the next one. The trio will also contribute to reflections on how to integrate new members in a manner that strengthens key European policies.
Building on the experience gained through the Conference on the Future of Europe, the trio is maintaining efforts to enhance dialogue with citizens, together with the other EU institutions within their competences.
Did you know...
The trio mechanism was officially implemented in 2010 (through the Lisbon Treaty). The very first three countries to form a presidency trio were… Spain, Belgium and Hungary!