On January 1, Belgium took over the six-month presidency of the Council of the EU. Belgium announced that it will have six priorities during its presidency of the European Union, namely the promotion of the rule of law and democracy, the strengthening of economic competitiveness, the continuation of the green transition, the improvement of the social agenda, the protection of borders and people, and the promotion of a global Europe.
The slogan of the Belgian presidency is “Protect, strengthen, prepare” and the “be EU” logo is inspired by Belgium’s ties with the Union and its commitment to the European project.
Ambassador of Belgium: Enlargement at the top of the EU’s priorities
On this occasion, the Embassy of Belgium in Serbia, which also covers Montenegro, organized a press conference at the European House in Podgorica. Belgian Ambassador Kathy Bugenhut stated that enlargement is at the top of the European Union’s priority list. The ambassador pointed out that Montenegro has achieved a lot in the area of the rule of law in the last two months, but also she emphasized that they have great expectations from Montenegro.
“You are the only country that negotiates with all the open chapters, and we need to see with the European Commission (EC) and the European Parliament (EP) whether there is a possibility of closing those chapters,” said Bugenhut, adding that she hopes that Investment plan for the Western Balkans will be adopted by the end of February.
The Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro, Oana Kristina Popa, expects that Montenegro will achieve concrete results on the way to the European Union by the end of the Belgian presidency. In the coming months, Montenegro is expected to complete judicial appointments and continue with reforms in the judiciary, as well as to make a progress in the fulfillment of Chapters 23 and 24, Popa said.
The member states of the European Union rotate in this position every six months, and during that time the selected country chairs over meetings at all levels in the Council, ensuring permanency of work. Belgium took over the presidency from Spain and will hold the role until July 1, when Hungary takes over.
