Before I speak on my attendance at the European Council on 18 and 19 June in Brussels, I recognise that we are now one week into our Presidency of the European Union. The first week has been positive. On 1 July, I was honoured to welcome President Costa and President Zelenskyy to Dublin Castle for the opening ceremony of our Presidency. With the members of the Government, I was also delighted to welcome President von der Leyen and the College of Commissioners to Cork for very productive meetings. Yesterday, I was in Strasbourg to present the priorities of the Irish Presidency to the European Parliament. I also met with President Metsola as well as the Irish MEPs. I look forward to addressing COSAC, which is the conference of EU committees of national parliaments, next week in Dublin Castle. My key takeaway from all these meetings is that while there will be many challenges ahead, all EU colleagues want to see a successful Irish Presidency. Success will mean delivering on our shared agenda for driving Europe's competitiveness, promoting and protecting our Union's values and enhancing the security of our citizens. There is also broad agreement on continued strong support for Ukraine, progressing the EU enlargement agenda and working to successfully conclude the negotiations on the European Union's next multi-annual budget by the end of the year. Many of these issues were discussed at the meeting of the European Council in June. The discussions among leaders on many of the key priorities for the EU were very instructive for the work of our Presidency over the next six months. There was a full agenda, with leaders having discussions on Ukraine, the Middle East, the next multi-annual financial framework, competitiveness and global economic challenges, and migration. Other items on the agenda were, among others, European security and defence, illicit drugs and support for Moldova. I will set out the main results of the European Council meeting on Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, competitiveness and the multi-annual financial framework. The Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, will speak later on the other issues. We were joined by President Zelenskyy for an exchange of views on the situation on the ground in Ukraine, and how the EU can help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression and work towards peace. Ukraine’s future is in Europe and it was very positive that we were able to welcome, as 27, the formal start of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, with the opening of cluster 1 on fundamentals on 15 June. This step was well overdue and sent a positive signal not only to Ukraine and Moldova. but also and especially to their citizens. As recognised by the European Commission, both Ukraine and Moldova have met the technical conditions for the opening of all six clusters. The aim of the Irish Presidency is to open all remaining clusters with both countries by the end of our term, an ambition I reiterated to President Zelenskyy in my meeting with him in Dublin last week. This is not without its challenges. The opening of clusters requires agreement among all member states. As part of our Presidency, we will engage with the Commission and all member states to advance both candidacies in line with the merit-based approach. I look forward to the planned strategic discussion on enlargement, and associated reforms, that is now planned for the October meeting of the European Council. As Russia’s aggression against Ukraine continues into a fifth year, Ireland and the EU continue to stand in full solidarity with the people and Government of Ukraine. During our Presidency, we will work to deliver continued support for Ukraine. This commitment was symbolised by the presence of President Zelenskyy in Dublin for the opening ceremony of the Presidency last week. Russia has shown its disregard for peace and human life once again by launching intense attacks on Kyiv and other cities over the past number of nights. This is utterly contemptible. Our sympathy and solidarity are with the Ukrainian people. The European Union remains steadfast in its support for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. It is crucial that any agreement upholds the fundamental principle that borders cannot be changed by force. We welcome progress on the first disbursements of the Ukraine support loan and, as part of our Presidency, we will work to ensure a steady disbursement of the €90 billion loan. We will support efforts to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself, including by advancing the disbursement of EU military assistance and facilitating the integration of Ukraine into the European defence industrial base. We will also support the continued evolution of the EU military assistance mission and facilitating discussions on the future adaptation of EU support as part of the EU’s longer term security guarantees to Ukraine. It is also crucial that the EU continues to step up pressure on Russia to agree to a ceasefire and engage in meaningful negotiations while also undermining its ability to wage war. Work is continuing on the 21st package of sanctions against Russia, which will target the energy sector, financial services and crypto trade. We will work during our Presidency to secure early adoption of this package. The European Council welcomed the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran and stated its commitment to engage in diplomatic efforts to secure peace. It stands ready to support the implementation of this memorandum. The escalation in the conflict in recent days is deeply troubling. De-escalation and dialogue are required. Both sides should return to talks and work to achieve an agreement that addresses all issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme, and achieves a comprehensive peace settlement, which is vital for wider regional stability. We also wish to see freedom of navigation fully restored through the Strait of Hormuz. EU leaders called on the Council and the Commission to continue monitoring the impact of the closure of the strait on energy supply routes. EU leaders also condemned the ongoing violence and repression at the hands of the Iranian Government against its own people, as well as its use of proxies to destabilise the region and the threat it is posing to its neighbours. The European Council also reaffirmed the EU’s continued support for Lebanon and the Lebanese Armed Forces. Leaders made a clear commitment on continued emergency aid amid the devastating destruction and displacement experienced by the people of Lebanon. European leaders also agreed on the need for a potential post-UNIFIL, common security and defence policy, CSDP, mission, aimed at supporting stability in Lebanon and a continued role for the UN, which we welcome, in line with our long-standing commitment to peacekeeping there. The deteriorating situation in Gaza and the West Bank was also discussed by European Union leaders. As the House will recall, I wrote to President Costa ahead of this meeting of the European Council setting out Ireland’s deep concerns and our position on the need to examine the EU’s relationship with Israel, given its ongoing actions in both Gaza and the West Bank, and called for an urgent discussion among leaders. Importantly, at our meeting in June, European Union leaders expressed concern about the lack of progress by all actors in the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and again called on Israel to allow immediate, unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale into and throughout Gaza. We also condemned Israel’s unilateral actions in aiming to expand its illegal settlements in the West Bank. These actions, among others, are posing an existential threat to the two-state solution. While these statements are important, I was clear with my colleagues that action by the European Union is required. It is therefore important that the European Council acknowledged the Commission’s intention to present options on action against illegal Israeli settlements to the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 13 July. I called for this to include a proposal on banning trade with the settlements. I also raised this with President von der Leyen during our meeting in Cork last week and I look forward to seeing the Commission’s proposed options. While the passing of the occupied territories Bill by this House yesterday is a significant step, it has always been my view that action at EU level is also required and would be more effective, if we are to have the desired impact. Our long-standing position remains that the EU-Israel Association Agreement should be suspended, or at a minimum that the trade elements should be suspended. While we all agree that more action is needed, it is also important to acknowledge the positive role the EU is playing in supporting a viable two-state solution. The EU is the single largest donor to the Palestinian Authority and to the people of Palestine. A key focus of Ireland’s Presidency will be to reaffirm the European Union's commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East based on the two-state solution. I would also like to take this opportunity to address the situation in Sudan, tragically the forgotten war. It is over three years since this terrible conflict began, causing untold suffering, with almost 14 million people displaced and the biggest humanitarian crisis facing the world today. The European Union is supporting efforts to bring this devastating conflict to an end, including through the international Sudan conference held in Berlin in April. It has called on all sides to respect international law, to protect civilians and to guarantee the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance. At the Berlin conference, the EU and its member states pledged €812 million in aid. Ireland has donated nearly €16 million in 2025 and 2026 in humanitarian assistance and supports. The June European Council reviewed progress in strengthening the EU’s competitiveness and called for decisive progress on the One Europe, One Market agenda. Leaders also held a strategic debate on global macroeconomic imbalances. I have made clear my very strong support for the clear political agreement that has now been established on the need for urgent action to enhance Europe’s competitiveness and productivity. We must secure an economic future that meets the needs and expectations of Europe’s citizens, while advancing our commitment to global economic co-operation. At the informal European Council meeting in Cyprus in April, the European institutions collectively agreed a One Europe, One Market roadmap, which sets out the priority work to be undertaken over the months ahead. The roadmap includes targets for legislative proposals and agreement by the co-legislators, quarterly reviews to monitor progress and clear responsibilities for all EU institutions. With many of the files falling for implementation by the end of 2026, this comprehensive agenda provides Ireland’s Presidency programme with a very strong strategic focus. We will work to make decisive progress across the five strategic building blocks of the One Europe, One Market roadmap: promoting simplification; deepening the single market; championing fair and open trade; reducing energy prices while decarbonising our economies; and driving the digital and AI transformation. We will work closely and cooperatively with member states, the European Parliament and the Commission to make as much progress as we possibly can. Leaders have also committed to keeping up the momentum for implementation through regular stocktaking at each of our European Council meetings. I look forward to reporting to my fellow EU leaders on the progress the Irish Presidency is making on the implementation of the roadmap at our meetings in the autumn. Our goal should be nothing less than making Europe the best place in the world to start and grow a business, including through a significantly modernised digital environment and significantly strengthened research and innovation system. This will be the foundation for future prosperity that must underpin our shared values and wider political objectives. The June European Council discussed the EU's next long-term budget, also known as the multi-annual financial framework, MFF, based on the negotiation box, with figures presented by the Cyprus Presidency. Leaders called on the incoming Irish Presidency to advance work by the October European Council meeting. As we have made clear in setting out the Irish Presidency programme, the European Union's ambitious agenda for the coming years will need a budget that is appropriate to this ambition. Ireland is ready to play a key role in advancing the negotiations and presenting workable compromises for a new EU budget that is both strong and sustainable. I understand that many countries have different priorities and pressures when discussing the creation and funding of EU programmes, but we also need to collectively bridge the gap between what we expect the EU budget to deliver and the funding we are willing to provide. We remain committed to agreeing the overarching MFF package by the end of 2026. We know that this will not be easy. Difficult decisions and compromises will need to be made by all member states. The demands for expenditure are many, with a need to support long-standing priorities, such as CAP and cohesion, while also investing in our future competitiveness and economic prosperity, as well as our security. There is still much work to be done in these negotiations and the Government will make every effort during its Presidency to secure a fair and balanced outcome. The European Council had a busy agenda to work through in June, with a focus on many areas that we will be seeking to advance in the coming months during our Presidency of the European Union. I look forward to continuing our discussions in this House on these matters. A successful European Union Presidency is a strategic priority, as a stronger European Union means a stronger Ireland. This is a unique opportunity for Ireland to lead on the world stage and to copper-fasten our reputation as bridge builders, rooted in our commitment to effective multilateralism and universal democratic values. This requires a collective effort, and I know that we rely on the support of this House as we endeavour to deliver an ambitious agenda for the people of Europe over the next six months.

Sentiment score: 0.30