(04 January 2021) – With the motto ‘Time to deliver: a fair, green and digital recovery’, Portugal takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union with three major priorities.
One of the main priorities is to implement the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027 and of the EU Next Generation Instrument (Next Generation EU), which include a series of financial instruments for supporting the upturn in Europe, in particular the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The approval and execution of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans will be another priority.
A central theme of Portugal’s Presidency will be to strengthen the European social model, so as to transmit a sense of confidence to citizens. In May, the Social Summit in Porto will aim to give political momentum to realising the European Pillar of Social Rights in the life of European citizens, where the central topics will be employment, qualifications and social protection.
Portugal’s Presidency will also support the creation of a European Health Union, which strengthens the capacity to respond to public health crises and to produce and distribute safe vaccines, in Europe and beyond.