Belgian EU Presidency
From 1 January to 30 June 2024, Belgium will assume for the 13th time the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
As was the case the last time, in 2010, the exercise of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union takes place within the framework of the trio of presidencies Spain – Belgium – Hungary, on the basis of the provisions of the Treaty of Lisbon, as indicated below.
An 18-month Council programme is being developed by the three countries. This programme of the trio will provide the framework for the Belgian Presidency’s programme, to be published in December 2023.
The Belgian presidency of the 2024 Council of the European Union will take place in a very different geopolitical and socio-economic context than in 2010. This presidency will also be part of a particular temporality since European, federal and regional elections will take place during this period (9 June).
The Council is an essential decision-making centre of the European Union. It negotiates and adopts legislative acts, in most cases with the European Parliament under the ordinary legislative procedure. Depending on the subject, the Council brings together the competent ministers of the 27 Member States in ten different configurations. The Presidency of the Council of the European Union is held alternately by each Member State for a period of six months. During this period, the Member State shall chair meetings at all levels within the Council, thus contributing to the continuity of the work of the European Union in the Council.
Wallonia’s role
Within the scope of the competences of the Walloon Region, and depending on the intra-Belgian role, Wallonia will chair the Research, Tourism, Cohesion Policy, Spatial Planning and Housing councils. It should be noted that Wallonia will represent Belgium in Employment and Social Affairs and Energy matters.
For Wallonia, and therefore for the SPW Economie Emploi Recherche, this presidency means taking a series of measures, in particular:
- participate in the intra-Belgian coordination led by the Belgian Permanent Representation to the European Union and the FPS Foreign Affairs but also through the inter-ministerial committees of the various sectors concerned
- plan the Council working groups to be chaired (in this case Research)
- organize events (informal ministerial meetings, director general meetings, high-level forums and groups, conferences...)
- organize trilogues (final consultation on legislative files of the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission), especially the technical trilogues, which will precede the end of the European parliamentary work (spring 2024)
- contribute to the work in the fields for which another entity (Region or Federal Authority) holds the seat of the Presidency (Industry, Employment and Social Affairs).
The relevant ministers will chair the Council of Ministers of the European Union in their respective fields.
Do not confuse institutions !
It is sometimes difficult to find oneself among the different institutions or organizations with almost identical names.
In addition to the Council mentioned above, there are also:
- The European Council, which sets out the principles and broad guidelines of the European Union’s policies, in particular as regards foreign policy, meets in Brussels and meets twice every six months. It is composed of the Heads of State and Government of the 27 Member States and is chaired by our compatriot Charles Michel
- The Council of Europe, an organisation responsible for defending human rights and democracy, which is not part of the European Union, whose headquarters are in Strasbourg, France. Forty-seven States are members, including the 27 States of the European Union
- The European Political Community, created in June 2022 by the 27 members of the European Union (at the initiative of France) after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which is an informal forum for dialogue. All countries in geographical Europe, except Russia and Belarus, are included
Learn more
- Belgian UE2024 Presidency
- meetings organized by SPW Recherche during the Presidency
- Délégation générale de Wallonie - Bruxelles to the European Union
- Wallonie - Bruxelles International
- Belgian federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs' presidency web page
Contact
Didier Flagothier
Nora Devroede
Pierre Demoitié
Théo Gobels
Cédric Morana
Marie Suleau
Justine Tommasin