On 1 January 2027, Lithuania will succeed Ireland in holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).
To discuss the aims and priorities of the incoming Presidency, the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) and the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University (IIRPS) are hosting the Lithuanian Pre-Presidency Conference (PPC), “Europe in a Contested World: Building Security, Resilience and Competitiveness” on 19 and 20 November 2026, in Vilnius.
Lithuania’s Presidency will be shaped by the need to make the EU more secure, resilient and capable of acting in an increasingly uncertain environment. Strengthening European defence and maintaining firm support for Ukraine will go hand in hand with efforts to boost competitiveness, ensure a future-oriented EU budget and reinforce internal preparedness and democratic resilience. At the same time, Lithuania will seek to address longer-term social and demographic pressures, while advancing EU enlargement, strengthening ties with the Union’s neighbourhood, and defending the rules-based international order.
The Lithuanian PPC will feature exchanges between researchers from the TEPSA Network, policymakers, and members of the public, including civil society representatives and journalists. The conference will focus on several interrelated topics, spanning from the next Multiannual Financial Framework to democratic resilience, security, and – in the context of a panel supported by the Horizon Europe-funded InvigoratEU project- the future of EU enlargement.
On the occasion of the Lithuanian PPC, TEPSA will also present the Recommendations to the incoming Presidency. These recommendations form part of a long history of interaction between TEPSA and the Council presidencies, starting with the first PPC. The Recommendations will soon be published here.
The Lithuanian PPC is held in partnership with the European Parliament Liaison Office in Lithuania, the European Commission Representation in Lithuania, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania as Institutional Partners. Neringa Hotel joins the PPC as its Conference Hotel, Telia as the Broadcasting Partner, and Delfi as the Media Partner.
