Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026

From 1 July to 31 December 2026, Ireland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Beyond its broader political and institutional priorities, the programme of the Irish Presidency also addresses aspects of private international law.

Operating under the motto Ní neart go cur le chéile – Strength with unity, the Irish Presidency will pursue an agenda centred around three main themes: competitiveness, values and security.

In the field of justice, the Irish Presidency places particular emphasis on the protection and promotion of children’s rights, recognising children as full holders of rights. In this context, Ireland will support initiatives aimed at enhancing children’s participation in decisions affecting their lives, including within judicial proceedings. The Irish Presidency will also continue work on the Proposal for a Regulation on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition of decisions and acceptance of authentic instruments in matters of parenthood, and will seek to conclude the formal adoption of the Proposal for a Regulation on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition, enforcement of measures and cooperation in matters relating to the protection of adults.

The Irish Presidency will further focus on the development of digital justice within the European Union. It will advance the evaluation of the e-Justice Strategy (noted by Marco Pasqua on this blog) and promote the implementation of the Digital Justice Package, including the DigitalJustice@2030 Strategy and the European Judicial Training Strategy 2025–2030 (both noted by Marion Ho-Dac on this blog). These initiatives aim to strengthen the use of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, to enhance the efficiency and resilience of justice systems and to develop the digital capacity of justice professionals.

The Presidency will also continue efforts concerning the EU’s accession to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The Irish Presidency takes place within the framework of the trio presidency with Lithuania and Greece.