eu council presidency portugal
“There’s no justification of expenses, no mechanism in place to avoid conflicts of interest, and contracts are often awarded to ‘friendly companies’ favored by the government.”, “Unfortunately,” she added, “it’s very hard to prove corruption because the lack of professionalism in the public contract system is such that the misuse of funds is often due to incompetence rather than outright fraud.”. The Portugese presidency said it was simply doing due diligence by preparing for the potential of in-person meetings in a few months’ time. 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For instance, Carreira said, the shirts and suits had been acquired for the chauffeurs that have been tapped to drive any official delegations that may visit Portugal during the country’s six-month tenure heading the Council. On 1 January 2021, Portugal took over the presidency of the Council of the European Union from Germany. To observers, one of the more baffling decisions the presidency made was spending hundreds of thousands of euros furnishing the press center in Lisbon, a city that has experienced a dramatic rise in new coronavirus cases this year. Portugal is a democratic republic with a unitary semi-presidential system of government, whereby the Prime Minister of Portugal is the head of government. On 13 December 2007, under Portugal’s Presidency, the EU reached a milestone: The Treaty of Lisbon was signed. Portugal will assume the six-month rotating EU Council presidency on 1 January 2021 - being the fourth time that Lisbon held the role since joining the then European … Portugal’s Presidency comes at a critical juncture for the EU. António Luís Santos da Costa, from the Socialist Party, and a former MEP who was a Vice-President of the On 1 January 2021 Portugal will take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Germany. Slovenia is currently actively preparing its presidency agenda in close trilateral cooperation with Germany and Portugal. Concerning these topics, special attention will be paid to investing in CSOs’ capacity building for the joint themes of the project, especially for subjects such as offical development assistance (ODA)), the Africa-EU Partnership and climate change. Last week, Portuguese Minister of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security Ana Mendes Godinho told a European Parliament committee that the presidency was determined to ensure the “greatest possible participation” at an in-person social summit her country intends to hold this May in Porto. The current Prime Minister is . The president of the European Council is the person presiding over and driving forward the work of the European Council, as well as a principal representative of the European Union (EU) on the world stage. Following the UK decision to relinquish the Council presidency in the second half of 2017, the Council decided to bring forward by six months the order of presidencies, starting from 1 July 2017. The rotating Council presidency can offer often-forgotten EU countries a rare moment to shine. The discussion on the new Pact on Migration and Asylum, introduced by the European Commission on September 23rd last, is one of several sensitive topics that the Portuguese EU Council Presidency has inherited. Overview. As the Federal Republic of Germany takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1 July – 31 December, it will work closely with the succeeding EU Council Presidencies of the Governments of Portugal and Slovenia in a cooperation referred to as a “Trio Programme.”. Latest news, analysis and comment on defense in Europe and beyond. Portugal is planning to hold a meeting during the Portuguese EU Council presidency with the new US President, Joe Biden, according to Lusa news agency. ... Croatia's national oil company has become the EU council presidency's "official gasoline supplier" - in a move that appears to clash with aspirations of the European Green Deal. Lisbon has equipped an empty press center, shelled out thousands of euros for drinks and ordered hundreds of suits. Portugal took over the rotating Council Presidency on 1 January 2021, amidst a health and economic crisis. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers in Europe. Portugal’s fourth EU Council Presidency started on 1 January 2021 and will run until 30 June 2021. The presidency of the Council of the European Union is responsible for the functioning of the Council of the European Union, is the co-legislator of the EU legislature alongside the European Parliament. PORTUGAL has splashed out hundreds of thousands of euros since its rotating six-month period in charge of the EU Council began in January despite being its Covid-imposed 'ghost presidency'. But what are the Portuguese MEPs’ expectations? Learn more here. An important factor in this will be whether the new American president can regain the trust of his European allies. “I shudder to think what the government spent on it.”. AmCham EU welcomes the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union. COVID-19 may have relegated Portugal to having a “ghost presidency” unlikely to hold flashy summits — but that hasn’t stopped Lisbon from spending as if it was expecting in-person events to be the norm during its six months leading the Council of the EU. Similarly, Portuguese climate justice organization Climáximo‘s Manuel Araújo questioned why the presidency would link itself to a company whose vast eucalyptus plantations have been linked to deadly forest fires in Portugal and land grabs in Mozambique. Last September, the US ambassador in Lisbon gave an interview to the country’s largest weekly newspaper that caused quite a stir. EU Council Presidency . Carreira, the presidency spokesperson, argued that a press center needed to be available to offer standard working conditions for any journalist who turned up at the headquarters. Learn More. Because of that, she added, the presidency had undertaken “adequate and timely preparations.”. During a six-month period, Portugal will lead the work at all levels of the Council, building co-operation, agreement and solidarity between the member states. Slovenia is part of the 10th Presidency Trio, together with Germany and Portugal. The Platform represents and supports Portuguese NGDOs at the national and international level, thereby contributing to strengthen civil society’s intervention in the areas mentioned above and to empower NDGOs in order to create a fairer and more equitable world. Portugal’s presidency will promote a vision of the EU that is innovative, looks to the future and is based on common values of solidarity, convergence and cohesion. As the holder of the EU Council’s rotating presidency, Portugal will represent the EU’s 27 member states in talks with European lawmakers. “It is completely unacceptable that EU governments are signing sponsorship deals with companies, many of whom have ambitious EU lobbying agendas, and whose products are in direct contradiction to the policies that are being developed,” Araújo said. The strengthening of CSOs’ capacities will enhance their contribution to the process of building civil society’s advocacy messages and their ability to communicate with the general public, thus promoting a better understanding of the issues related with the thematic priorities. European Parliament office in Portugal. Webinar – “Digital Opportunities and Challenges in International Development” – 24th of November 2020, Webinar – “Towards an open, fair and sustainable Europe in the world – Priorities of the Portuguese EU presidency” – 12h of January 2021, Webinar – “Development Cooperation: Trends and Perspectives” – 26th of March 2021, Webinar – “The role of the private sector in the transition to a green, fair and sustainable economy” – 28th of April 2021, “The role of the private sector in the transition to a green, fair, and sustainable economy” Webinar, Development Cooperation: A Civil Society view on a changing sector, Education and EU commitment in the combat against poverty and inequalities, The role of the European Union in promoting Gender Equality, “Development Cooperation: Trends and Perspectives” Webinar, The vital role of the Portuguese Presidency for the new Pact on Migration and Asylum. Coroado pointed out that, despite record-high numbers of new coronavirus cases in Lisbon in January, the presidency had insisted on hosting in-person meetings with several members of the Commission in the Portuguese capital just weeks into the new year. Portugal is planning to hold a meeting during the Portuguese EU Council presidency with the new US President, Joe Biden, according to Lusa news agency. INTRODUCTION . The public project was entrusted to a company that hasn’t obtained a public contract since 2011, and whose previous experience in public sector contracts involved organizing entertainment for village festivals. Since taking the reins of the rotating Council presidency in January, Portugal has signed contracts worth hundreds of thousands of euros … Portugal’s fourth EU Council Presidency runs from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2021. On 1 January 2021, Portugal took over the presidency of the Council of the European Union from Germany. The project ‘Towards an open, fair and sustainable Europe in the world – EU Presidency Project 2020-2022’ is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Association of German Development and Humanitarian Aid NGOs (VENRO), the Portuguese Non-Governmental Development Organizations Platform (Plataforma Portuguesa das ONGD), the Slovenian NGO Platform for Development, Global Education and Humanitarian Aid (SLOGA), and the European NGO confederation for relief and development (CONCORD). EU Member States hold the presidency of the Council of the EU (one of the main EU institutions, in addition to the European Commission and the European Parliament) according to a rotation system determined in advance. Back in 2007-08, the three EU Member States formed the first trio in EU history. “But when [the presidency] does things like this, it’s normal that others express skepticism towards us.”. Log in to access content and manage your profile. In the age of COVID, however, the in-person soirées that draw visiting commissioners and MEP delegations have been largely replaced by austere virtual summits that don’t quite dazzle national constituents. Indeed, officials across the EU have quickly adjusted to online events and meetings. Lisbon would like to use its presidency of the EU Council to repair the transatlantic relationship as much as possible. Priorities of the Justice and Home Affairs Council during Portugal's presidency. “We understand that this is a negotiation but we ask also our colleagues in the European Parliament to understand this as well,” he said. ecfr.eu - Lívia Franco • 4d. The presidency is not an individual, but rather the position is held by a national government. Portugal’s fourth EU Council Presidency runs from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2021. In-depth reporting, data and actionable intelligence for policy professionals – all in one place. Latest news, analysis and comment on security in Europe and beyond. Regarding the relevance of digitalisation, the Portuguese NGDO Platform will promote critical thinking opportunities for CSOs to reflect on and to build common positions on the challenges and opportunities in this area. The Portuguese NGDO Platform will also carry out a consultation process with its member organisations and other CSOs in the country in order to set civil society’s priorities for the Portuguese presidency. Portugal will hold the Presidency of the European Council for the fourth time from 1 January 2021. As the European Council is composed of national leaders, it was chaired by the head of state or government of the presidency state. Promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are essential aspects of truly fair and sustainable development. Since taking the reins of the rotating Council presidency, Portugal signed contracts worth hundreds of thousands of euros | Antonio Pedro Santos/EFE via EPA, Campaigning, lobbying and political influence in the EU. Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU 2021 is committed to transparency in all procurement processes. Portugal is now responsible for the EU presidency for the third time, after 1992 and 2000. This month, Portugal took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU with the motto ‘Time to deliver: a fair, green and digital recovery’. Following Germany, Portugal has assumed the Presidency in the first half of 2021, to be followed by Slovenia in the second half of 2021. Europe Merkel hands over EU Council presidency to Portugal Portugal to officially take over rotating presidency of council from Germany on Jan. 1 Back in 2007-08, the three EU Member States formed the first trio in EU history. During a six-month period, Portugal will lead the work at all levels of the Council, building co-operation, agreement and solidarity between the member states. The presidency of the European Council was based on the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, with it being hosted by the member state holding the council presidency, rotating every six months. It rotates among the member states of the EU every six months. In turn, it will hand over the presidency to Slovenia on January 1, 2008. Operationally, the only legally identifiable local administrative units are the municipality and civil parish, and the national government.Location on the EU map CONCORD is the European confederation for relief and development NGOs. The last time it held the Presidency was in 2007, when the Treaty of Lisbon was signed on 13 December 2007. Tackling the Coronavirus pandemic inevitably tops the new EU Council Presidency, but as Martin Banks reports, Portugal has plenty of other plans … Portugal's presidency of the Council of the EU: 1 January - 30 June 2021. Latest news, analysis and comment on migration in Europe and beyond. The Transparência e Integridade president said that although she could comprehend the government’s determination to sign contracts in the hope that the in-person events might yet happen, the specific agreements were, at best, “very odd.”, “This is very typical in Portugal, where our public contract system is very problematic,” Coroado said. For the period from 1 July 2020 to 31 December 2021, Germany, Portugal and Slovenia will form a so-called trio presidency of the Council of the European Union. In light of the two-pronged health and economic crisis that the global pandemic has provoked, the Presidency … The country is the current holder of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, until 30 June. Portugal is a semi-presidential republic with a head of government - the prime minister - and a head of state - the president - who has power to appoint the prime minister and other government members. PORTUGAL. As Europeans continue to face the unprecedented socioeconomic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, Portugal takes over the six-month presidency of the Council of the EU determined to prioritise recovery.. On 20 January, Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa will discuss the presidency's programme with MEPs, during the first plenary session of the year. There are deals with two Portuguese beverage companies — coffee producer Delta Cafés and soft-drink group Sumol + Compal — and an agreement with Portuguese pulp and paper giant The Navigator Company. Campaigners have been even more disturbed by the deal with Navigator, a company that last year received a €27.5-million loan from the European Investment Bank, and that has historically been known to serve as a revolving door for Portuguese politicians. At the end of the German EU Council Presidency, there is just one thing for Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas left to do: Handing on the EU baton, symbol of the EU Council Presidency, to his Portuguese counterpart, Augusto Santos Silva. (LISBON) - Portugal took over the European Union's presidency on 1 January, promising to lead the EU out of the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic under the motto of a "fair, green and digital recovery". At the time, Commissioner Didier Reynders said that although the country had created a legal framework to promote transparency, it had failed to set aside the resources to properly carry out that mission. On July 1, Portugal took over the EU’s rotating presidency from Germany. The outcomes of this process will feed into the Platform’s activities during the six-month period and its exchanges with national and European stakeholders. As the holder of the EU Council’s rotating presidency, Portugal will represent the EU’s 27 member states in talks with European lawmakers. This time, Portugal is taking over the EU Council Presidency for the next six months, from January to June 2021. The Portuguese presidency … To guarantee more continuity and to allow for more time to consider further complex policy issues, three countries always team up as a trio. It agreed to pay a wine company €35,785 for drinks — at a time when few people are gathering. Especially with Portugal – a recognised leader in climate ambition and the integration of renewable energy – assuming the EU Council presidency. Latest news, analysis and comment on elections in Europe and beyond. While they acknowledged that there were tables and chairs set out for reporters in a “large, empty space,” they said that few journalists — mainly photographers and TV crews — used the space regularly. Portugal will hold the Presidency of the European Council for the fourth time from 1 January 2021. As Europeans continue to face the unprecedented socioeconomic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic , Portugal takes over the six-month presidency of the Council of the EU determined to prioritise recovery. At a moment when Brussels is rolling out the EU Green Deal, Farm to Fork strategy and the EU Cancer Plan, Suzy Sumner, campaigner for the European consumer organization Foodwatch, said Portugal was wrong to use its presidency to actively promote “sugar-filled soft drinks” that have “direct effects on health and the environment.”. “We have a lot of EU recovery funds headed our way, and many people are worried about how we’re going to guarantee the good use of that money,” Coroado said. One veteran diplomat recalled that national governments had previously distributed “presidency ties, scarfs, pins, bags, pens, notebooks, umbrellas, roll-ups, some food products, snowballs, towels, music discs, power banks, memory sticks, transport tickets, cooking books, digital cameras, etc.”. For the period from 1 July 2020 to 31 December 2021, Germany, Portugal and Slovenia will form a so-called trio presidency of the Council of the European Union. Coroado, the head of Transparência e Integridade, said the contracts and sponsorships reflected a country that lacks proper oversight of public spending and has a bad habit of “trying to use high level, international settings to promote itself.”. Portugal to officially take over rotating presidency of council from Germany on Jan. 1 News Service 09:22 December 31, 2020 AA Germany, Europe, Reuters German Chancellor Angela Merkel 2021 Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union will be Slovenia's second presidency of the Council held between 1 July and 31 December 2021. COVID-19 may have relegated Portugal to having a “ghost presidency” unlikely to hold flashy summits — but that hasn’t stopped Lisbon from spending as if it was expecting in-person events to be the norm during its six months leading the Council of the EU. Despite the pandemic, it could not “simply disregard the possibility of holding physical meetings at some point in the near future,” presidency spokesperson Alexandra Carreira said in an emailed statement. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on the continent. Portugal follows Germany which ensured this role at a very crucial moment for the EU and managed to find a deal on Brexit and the COVID-19 recovery package. The presidency programme focuses on five main areas, which are in line with the goals of the EU’s strategic agenda: strengthen Europe’s resilience … Under the Portuguese Council Presidency, the priorities for the next six months will focus on fighting poverty, exclusion and inequality, implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights, as well as on the social summit to debate a fair post-pandemic recovery. Portugal is a democratic republic with a unitary semi-presidential system of government, whereby the Prime Minister of Portugal is the head of government. But in recent months, Portugal has shown itself to be determined to ignore that reality. Economic dependence and cohesion, that is, convergence in social and economic progress, must be at the centre of the Presidency’s actions. Lisbon-based journalists who spoke to POLITICO on the condition of anonymity described the press center as a “ghost town.”. COVID-19 may have relegated Portugal to having a “ghost presidency” unlikely to hold flashy summits — but that hasn’t stopped Lisbon from spending as if it was expecting in-person events to be the norm during its six months leading the Council of the EU. The Programme is the document that details the main priorities and lines of action of Events organised by the Portuguese NGDO Platform as part of the EU Presidency Project: Created in 1985 by its member organisations, it responded to their need to position themselves as fundamental interlocutors of the Portuguese government and international organisations in the process of building policies in the areas of development co-operation, development education and global citizenship as well as humanitarian and emergency aid. In turn, it will hand over the presidency to Slovenia on January 1, 2008. “We’re in the middle of a pandemic and can follow press conferences and ask questions on Zoom — why would anyone go to the press center?” said one member of the Lisbon press corps. Together with these two countries, Germany at the same time forms a Trio Presidency. Council meetings are regularly attended by representatives from the Portuguese government, depending on the policy area being addressed. Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan's meeting on Tuesday with the European Union's two presidents has raised eyebrows after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen appeared to … By logging in, you confirm acceptance of our POLITICO Privacy Policy. While the new presidency has been very clear about its goals in the digital sphere, it was not until the 23 February General Affairs Council meeting brought more concrete disinformation-related steps in the 2021 Portugal’s official communication. On 26 July 2016, the Council adopted a decision establishing a revised order in which the member states will hold the presidency of the Council of the EU until 2030.. Faced with a growing Sino-American rivalry and a world in which US power may be diminishing, Portugal will have to decide how to maintain its traditional Atlanticism while increasingly focusing on Europe The presidency spent €260,591 to equip a press center in Lisbon — even though the presidency’s press briefings are being held online and foreign journalists aren’t traveling to the Portuguese capital. Climate change, accelerated by economic models based on the... Over the past few years, international relations have undergone important changes that have contributed to a complexification of the global governance system. As the Federal Republic of Germany takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1 July – 31 December, it will work … The Portuguese NGDO Platform organizes the webinar “The role of the private sector in the transition to a green, fair and sustainable economy”, on the 28th of April 2021 from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm (GMT). What is the “Trio” EU Council Presidency? And it signed a €39,780 contract to purchase 360 shirts and 180 suits — at a time when many people are working from home. The awareness raising dimension within the project will be improved especially in regard to climate change and the 2030 Agenda, as the Portuguese NGDOs Platform will award a sub-grant for CSOs to develop awareness-raising activities with the youth on these subjects. In addition to the expenditures, watchdog groups have expressed unease with the corporate sponsorships the Portuguese presidency has signed. The set of factors that contributed to this – along with a pandemic with terrible effects and... A key priority of the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union under International Partnerships/Development Cooperation is to bring Human Development to the discussions held at the level of the European Council. On 1 January 2021, Portugal will take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the fourth time, following 1992, 2000 and 2007. And he called on Parliament to show a spirit of compromise. How that works during a pandemic, can be seen in our video. Last September, the European Commission seized on that issue in its 2020 Report on the Rule of Law, chastising Portugal for not doing enough to fight corruption. The country is administratively divided into 308 municipalities, subdivided into 3,092 civil parishes. Full suits for drivers, however, were a new one. In addition to the current trio’s two joint themes for the project – Africa-EU relations and Financing for Development – the Portuguese NGDO Platform intends to focus on the following topics during the Portuguese presidency: Challenges related to the Portuguese-speaking African countries with … The Portuguese EU Council Presidency’s ambitions for digital recovery amid the pandemic. The Portuguese presidency … And he … Portugal's EU presidency jumps on the corporate logo bandwagon (Photo: Portugal EU presidency) By Nikolaj Nielsen. “There is no European legal framework preventing Presidencies from using such contracts,” she added, insisting that the deals were compliant with European and national law. The Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU takes place against a social and economic backdrop that demands policies to tackle the growing social inequalities and disparities between countries. On January 1st, Portugal took over the six-months' rotating presidency of the EU Council. Learn More. High time then to find out more about Portugal, the country in the west of the Iberian peninsula, and its role within the EU. On July 1, Portugal took over the EU’s rotating presidency from Germany. The presidency of the Council of the European Union is responsible for the functioning of … “The presidency seems to be less about work meetings and more about selling Portugal to the outside world,” said Susana Coroado, president of Transparência e Integridade, the Portuguese wing of Transparency International. Edge of the Atlantic: Portugal’s presidency of the EU Council; Edge of the Atlantic: Portugal’s presidency of the EU Council.