From 1 July to 31 December 2026, Ireland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).
To discuss the aims and priorities of the incoming Presidency, as well as the EU’s most challenging policy areas, the Irish Pre-Presidency Conference (PPC), Gateway to the Irish Presidency: Leadership in a Changing Europe, took place on 11 and 12 June 2026 in Dublin.
The Irish PPC was co-organised by the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) and the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA). The event was co-funded by the European Union via TEPSA’s ExpressEU project and part of Future Proofing Europe, an IIEA project supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland.
Like Cyprus, which precedes Ireland in the Presidency, Ireland will take over this role at a time of deep geopolitical uncertainty. War in Ukraine and the Middle East, a deteriorating relationship with the United States, a highly volatile global economy and growing political polarisation will heavily mark the Irish Presidency’s agenda. Dublin will influence the path towards a more robust European security and defence set-up, as well as the ongoing discussions on the future EU budget.
Faced with external and internal pressures, the EU is in need of a strategic direction towards competitiveness and resilience. The Irish Presidency has a unique opportunity to guide Europe through delicate and uncertain times.
The conference focused on several interrelated topics, spanning from enlargement to competitiveness and digital policy, geopolitical tensions, democracy and the rule of law, and security and defence.
On the occasion of the Irish PPC, TEPSA also presented the Recommendations to the incoming Presidency, part of a long history of interaction between TEPSA and the Council presidencies. The Recommendations are available here.
Catch up on key sessions from the Irish PPC
The Irish PPC was livestreamed and video recordings of key panels are published on TEPSA’s YouTube channel. Catch up on the discussions that you may have missed below, and be sure to head over to our channel and subscribe so you don’t miss out on future videos!
This session represents the formal presentation of the Recommendations from members of the TEPSA network to the incoming Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union by TEPSA Board Members Erik Jones (Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies) and Pernille Rieker (ARENA Centre for European Studies). Receiving the Recommendations was John Lahart, TD for Dublin South West.
In this keynote session, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos joined Pat Cox, former President of the European Parliament, in a conversation on the future of EU integration and the state of play with the EU’s 9 candidate countries.
This panel considered how safeguarding democratic institutions and the rule of law is essential in a volatile geopolitical and informational environment. The panel discussed practical considerations to build societal resilience, taking in counter‐disinformation and media literacy.
Building a more capable European defence landscape means aligning on planning, procurement, and innovation to meet operational needs. This panel reflected on the future of European security and defence, with a specific outlook on maritime security.
The panel discussed how the European Union is positioning itself in an increasingly complex global environment. Bringing perspectives on development policy, EU–UK relations, transatlantic affairs, and Europe’s broader international role, the panel examined how the EU can advance its interests, values, and partnerships in the world.
This discussion considered how EU accession can be achieved alongside the maintenance of cohesion within the EU, focusing on cases from among the Western Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine. The panel also explored the tension between a merit-based approach to EU expansion and the geopolitical imperative of securing and strengthening Europe’s borders and relations with its neighbourhood.
This fireside chat between Philipp Nugent (Irish Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment) and John FitzGerald (IIEA) reflected on Ireland’s climate priorities in a fast-changing European and international context. The conversation explored how climate ambition, energy security, competitiveness, and international cooperation are shaping Ireland’s approach at home and within the EU.
This concluding fireside chat between Brigid Laffan (Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute) and Dan O’Brien (IIEA) looks at the political and economic choices shaping the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and what this means and says about Europe and European priorities. The discussion considered how the EU can align its long-term budget with growing demands in areas such as competitiveness, cohesion, security, enlargement, climate, and global engagement.
