Press Advisories

3. 1. 2023 13:18

Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU ends, government presents achievements

: Press conference on the end of the Czech EU presidency, 3 January 2023.

On Tuesday, 3 January 2023, Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Minister for European Affairs Mikuláš Bek addressed a press conference to mark the end of the second Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU, which took place in the second half of 2022. They assessed the implementation of the priorities set by the Czech Republic for its Presidency and highlighted the most significant achievements with a major international and domestic impact. Alice Krutilová, Director of the Czech EU Presidency Department, then presented the organisational, logistical and communication aspects of the Czech Presidency to the public.

The Czech Republic presided the Council of the European Union from 1 July to 31 December 2022. It was challenging six months affected by the Russian war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and inflation. The chosen motto ‘‘Europe as a Task’’ therefore reflected the weight of responsibility and obligations that the Czech Republic had to cope with. However, under the leadership of Czech ministers and diplomats, the negotiations achieved a number of major results in both legislative and non-legislative areas. "The aim of our Presidency was to seek compromises acceptable to all parties. However, we have always acted in a way that promoted the interests of the Czech Republic and our citizens,“ said the Prime Minister.

In particular, energy and other aspects related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine have fundamentally determined the agenda and priorities of the entire Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU. Despite the difficult situation that the EU has to face, the Czech Republic has undoubtedly managed to maintain unity among the Member States even on the most complex issues.

The Czech Presidency has achieved a number of significant successes. Among the most significant of these are, for example, the approval of three sanctions packages against Russia and Belarus, the suspension of the visa facilitation agreement with Russia, the approval of financial support for Ukraine in the amount of EUR 18 billion, the approval of all the climate parts of the Fit for 55 package, and, in particular, the achievement of a broad consensus among the Member States on the capping of gas prices.

"The Czech Republic, in its presidency role, has approached tackling energy prices and ensuring the Union's strategic autonomy with great determination. This is evidenced by a record eight energy ministerial meetings and a plethora of negotiated legislation,“ stated the Prime Minister adding: ‘‘We have significantly reduced the EU's dependence on Russian fossil fuels, capped energy prices, established joint gas purchases, ensured sufficient gas for the entire heating season and much more.“

The Minister for European Affairs, Mikuláš Bek, went on to discuss specific achievements and agreements that had been reached within the framework of the five priorities of the Czech Presidency, which were energy security, the management of the refugee crisis and the reconstruction of post-war Ukraine, the strengthening of European defence capabilities and the security of cyberspace, the strategic resilience of the European economy and the resilience of democratic institutions. ‘‘We got our partners to agree even where it seemed impossible,“ stated Minister adding: ‘‘We receive great appreciation from our partners in the member countries as well as from the EU institutions. The Czech Presidency has succeeded in shifting the perception of the Czech Republic. In the EU, we are now seen as a country that plays an active role at the centre of European affairs.’’

At the end of the press conference, Alice Krutilová, Director of the Czech EU Presidency Department, took the public behind the scenes of the Czech Presidency and presented the organisational, logistical and communication aspects of the Presidency that her team was responsible for. At the same time, she presented the Presidency to the public in concrete numbers.