Finnish Council Presidency priorities debated in plenary

In his speech, Prime Minister Antti Rinne outlined that climate leadership, common values and the rule of law, competitiveness and social inclusion, and comprehensive security will be the focus of the Finnish presidency of the Council of the EU during the next six months. He highlighted that the slogan, “Sustainable Europe – Sustainable Future”, captures the goal of the presidency to contribute to a “socially, economically and ecologically sustainable” future for the EU. Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen said that the Commission was in total harmony with the Finnish presidency’s priorities. Katainen specifically mentioned the ambitious climate targets and added, “When it comes to the environment, you are leading by example”. MEPs also welcomed the priorities of the Finnish presidency, specifically their intention to reinforce the EU’s position as a global leader in climate action and the ambition to strengthen rule of law. They also called on the presidency to prioritise finding a balanced solution on the EU’s long-term budget. Migration, common agricultural policy and transparency issues were also mentioned as topics where joint work is needed.