The priorities and main directions of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU are known!
This morning, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo officially presented the program and priorities of the Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union. From 1 January 2024, Belgium will be at the head of all meetings and negotiations within the Council of the European Union for six months.
The Belgian Presidency programme has been released. It sets out the priorities and main directions of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, which will take place from 1 January to 30 June 2024.
In the area of asylum and migration, the Belgian Presidency aims to address all remaining legislative files associated with the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) and the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. The Belgian Presidency will also take further discussions on return and reintegration, the future of the EU visa policy, legal migration, and the development of integrated border management.
Moreover, the Belgian Presidency will strive to strengthen the EU’s actions in the external dimension of migration and asylum. This entails preventing irregular departures to the Union, combatting migrant smuggling, enhancing border protection, improving the effectiveness of return, readmission and reintegration, developing legal migration opportunities, and helping to address the root causes of migration.
The Belgian Presidency will launch discussions on evidence-based policymaking, coordination, practical cooperation, and operational convergence that remain key issues in migration and asylum management.
For further details, please read the full programme attached below and visit the Belgian presidency's website.