Today the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the European Union starts off

Cyprus will hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU from 01 January to 30 June 2026.

The motto of the Cyprus Presidency “An Autonomous Union. Open to the World”. reflects a forward-looking approach that combines internal strength and independence with openness, cooperation and global engagement.

The Cyprus Presidency will adopt an ambitious and results-oriented approach based on the following overarching priorities:

• Autonomy through Security, Defence Readiness and Preparedness
• Autonomy through Competitiveness
• Open to the World, Autonomous
• An Autonomous Union of values that Leaves no one behind
• A long-term budget for an Autonomous Union

During its six-month Presidency, the Republic of Cyprus will chair numerous meetings and conferences in Brussels and Luxembourg, as well as in Cameroon. Around 260 meetings will be held in Cyprus, including 27 high-level meetings such as an informal meeting of heads of state and government, and 19 informal ministerial councils.

The full programme is available here (pdf).

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