During the first half of 2025, Poland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union and does so at a time of uncertainty and concern. Europe is grappling with the consequences of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine and the need to strengthen its own defence capabilities. We are witnessing rising geopolitical tensions, the erosion of the rules-based international order and hybrid attacks on European democracy and security.
Below are the priorities of the Polish presidency as expressed by the Polish Government:
“For Europe, this is the moment of test and decision. The European Union must protect itself and its citizens and take care of its immediate neighbourhood. It must give Europeans a sense of security and prospects for development.
Responsibility for future generations requires EU unity and a willingness to work with partners who share our values, in particular aspiring members. Furthermore, it obliges us to defend the values on which the Community is founded, such as democracy, freedom and the rule of law.
The Polish Presidency will therefore support activities that strengthen European security in all its dimensions: external, internal, information, economic, energy, food and health.
7 dimensions of security:
Defence and security
We need concerted and ambitious action on European defence, complementing NATO’s efforts. It is necessary to boost defence preparedness based on increased military spending, a stronger defence industry and addressing gaps in defence capabilities. The Polish Presidency will support these activities and will promote an in-depth debate on defence funding in the EU. We need strong support for defence capabilities and the defence industry, which will benefit entities of all sizes in all Member States. Support for key defence and dual-use infrastructure, such as the Eastern Shield and the Baltic Defence Line, is also important.
A priority of the Polish Presidency will also be to strengthen cooperation with NATO and like-minded non-EU countries, primarily the United States, as well as the United Kingdom, South Korea and others.
Protecting people and borders
Europe must continue to strive to ensure an optimal level of internal security for its citizens.
Together we will seek new solutions to comprehensively address the challenges of migration and security at the EU’s external borders, work to reduce irregular migration and strengthen the effectiveness of the return policy.
We will work towards an adequate EU response to hybrid threats, in particular the instrumentalisation of migration. We will address the challenges of ensuring that the Schengen area functions properly.
We will work to enhance EU and Member State capacities in civil protection, disaster resilience, rescue and humanitarian assistance. We will discuss issues such as combating international organised crime networks, terrorism and radicalisation, as well as in the context of threats to internal security posed by Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Resisting foreign interference and disinformation
The European Union and its Member States must strengthen the resilience of democracy to curb polarisation and radicalisation. This requires the ability to recognise and eliminate foreign disinformation and manipulation, but also long-term efforts in the areas of civic education and strengthening civil society.
The Polish Presidency will strive to strengthen coordination in the fight against disinformation and information manipulation and to improve the EU’s ability to prevent and mitigate the effects of hostile actions in cyberspace. It is particularly important to deal with crisis situations involving interference by third countries in EU information systems.
Attention will be paid to developing modern and secure digital services. We will also combat climate disinformation to make us safer in the face of climate change.
Ensuring security and freedom of enterprise
The Polish Presidency intends to take steps to help address the challenges related to rapid technological change, the energy and climate transition, as well as geopolitical tensions. Deepening the single market and removing obstacles to cross-border activity, especially in the services sector, is necessary. Enacting initiatives that improve access to private capital for companies looking to grow and invest will also be important.
The Polish Presidency will promote the reduction of bureaucratic burdens. In this context, it will be important for key European policies to become more flexible in their approach, moving away from sanctions and obligations and focusing on rewards and incentives. The Polish Presidency will also focus on improving support mechanisms for industry in areas important for security and creating economic advantages, while maintaining a level playing field within the EU.
Re-establishing fair competition for EU industry globally will also be our priority. We intend to improve trade policy instruments, enforcement when goods enter the EU market and make better use of the strengths of the EU’s extensive public procurement flow.
The Polish Presidency will undertake a debate on the future shape of cohesion policy, as improvements in the single market must be accompanied by policies that promote security and economic competitiveness.
Energy transition
Poland underlines that the reliability and security of supply of energy resources are crucial for EU energy security. However, it was only Russia’s large-scale aggression against Ukraine that led to a reduction of Russian gas and oil imports by about two-thirds and a complete shift from Russian coal imports. However, much remains to be done. Today, EU energy security is also about ensuring that citizens and businesses have access to energy in sufficient quantities and at an affordable price.
The Polish Presidency will therefore promote actions aimed at the complete withdrawal of imports of Russian energy sources. It will take measures to reduce energy prices in the EU and review the EU energy security framework to improve the physical and cyber security of energy infrastructure in the EU and its neighbouring countries and ensure a level playing field for the development of every clean energy source in the EU.
We will strive to reduce our dependence on imported technologies, the components to manufacture those technologies and the critical raw materials needed to manufacture them.
Competitive and resilient agriculture
Europe must ensure the strengthening of farmers’ position in value chains and the stability of their income. We need a competitive and resilient European agriculture that provides food security for Europeans. All EU actions must take into account vulnerable agricultural sectors and ensure that third-country producers comply with EU food quality, safety and sustainability standards.
The Polish Presidency will strive to shape a strong common agricultural policy that supports farmers and the development of rural areas. The policy should encourage, rather than force, farmers to take measures to protect the environment and show the benefits of combating and preventing the effects of climate change, such as floods and droughts.
We will work on the challenges that future EU enlargement will bring to the sector.
Health security
The Polish Presidency will focus on the digital transformation of healthcare and the need to improve the safety of EU medicines, paying particular attention to the patient perspective. Both diversifying medicine supply chains and supporting their production in the EU play a key role.
Health security is also about the well-being of EU citizens, so we will focus on ways to improve the mental health of children and adolescents in the digital age and on health promotion and disease prevention activities.
