The Presidency of the Council of the European Union rotates among the Member States of the EU every six months. On 1 July 2026, Ireland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the EU for the eighth time since its accession to the Union. The Irish Presidency will take forward an ambitious agenda, focused on the core themes of competitiveness, values and security.
During its Presidency, Ireland will prioritise implementation of the EU Maritime Security Strategy and Action Plan and advance work on the mid-term review of the strategy once published.
Maritime security and port resilience feature within the broader security agenda. The programme further references support for measures to strengthen the resilience and security of European ports and critical infrastructure, including the hosting of a ministerial meeting of the European Ports Alliance Public-Private Partnership focused on combating drug trafficking and organised crime.
The programme also emphasises the contribution of the maritime sector to EU competitiveness. It identifies continued work on the EU Maritime Industrial Strategy and the EU Ports Strategy, highlighting the role of ports in energy security. The programme also references measures aimed at modernising maritime education and training and addressing skills shortages across the sector.
In the area of transport infrastructure, the programme foresees support for negotiations on the future Connecting Europe Facility as part of discussions on the 2028–2034 MFF. CEF investment is identified as an important source of support for TEN-T maritime infrastructure.
On climate and sustainability, the programme highlights work on the revision of the EU Emissions Trading System for maritime transport and support for EU engagement at the International Maritime Organization in relation to the adoption and implementation of the IMO Net-Zero Framework.
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