On 2 June 2022, the Recommendations from members of the TEPSA network to the incoming Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU were presented to key national policy makers.
MADRID, 02/06/2023: On the occasion of TEPSA and the Elcano Royal Institute’s Spanish Pre-Presidency Conference, the Recommendations from members of the TEPSA network to the incoming Spanish Presidency were formally presented.
As Spain takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in July, the main dossiers opened by the Russian aggression on Ukraine – from economic sovereignty to energy security, from defence capabilities to enlargement – are gathering in importance and complexity. In this context, TEPSA has coordinated a set of crucial policy recommendations aimed at the incoming Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
In addition to an introductory analysis penned by TEPSA Board Members Nicoletta Pirozzi (Institute of International Affairs), Richard Youngs (Carnegie Europe), and Ilke Toygür (University Carlos III of Madrid), the Spanish Presidency has been presented with three detailed recommendations covering the main areas where the action must be taken:
- In the area of enlargement, where Frank Schimmelfennig (ETH Zürich) argues inter alia that candidate countries such as Ukraine should be put on a fast track to accession negotiations in order to strengthen the credibility of enlargement;
- In the area of economic competitiveness, where Michele Chang (College of Europe) and Marco Siddi (Finnish Institute of International Affairs) call for the Spanish Presidency to prioritise the completion of the Banking Union and Capital Markets Union; and
- On the EU’s role in the world, where Jakob Hallgren (Swedish Institute of International Affairs) and Anna Ayuso (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs) advocate for new approaches and narratives to the relations between the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
Minister José Manuel Albares, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, thanked TEPSA for presenting their network’s recommendations, noting “Our Presidency aspires to successfully bring to fruition a large number of open legislative dossiers. These are dossiers of vital importance for Europeans, such as the deepening of the ‘Europe of Health’ or the reform of the electricity market. Let alone the revision of fiscal governance in order to put forward a fair economic policy. We want a Europe that is well-prepared for the huge changes that lie ahead, starting with a responsible digitalisation and a larger roll-out of renewable energies, promoting a greater European energy sovereignty. And we want this Europe for all Europeans, in an inclusive manner”.
Read the full press release here.
Read the full Recommendations here.
Press inquiries to: hugh.evans@tepsa.eu
