Results of the Presidency

The Swedish Presidency worked to make the EU safer, freer and greener. Here you can see the results achieved under the Swedish Presidency in the first half of 2023.

Safer

Robust support to Ukraine

Support to Ukraine has been a key priority for the Swedish Presidency. We have maintained unity at a challenging time for Europe, introduced powerful sanctions against the Russian regime and taken decisions to hold those responsible for the crime of aggression to account.

The Swedish Presidency has:

Successfully negotiated a tenth and an eleventh sanctions package.
Achieved a historic agreement on joint procurement of ammunition with a target of offering Ukraine one million artillery shells.
Established a working group to survey how frozen Russian assets can be used to finance Ukraine’s recovery.
Achieved agreement on establishing the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression.
Reached agreement on liberalising road freight operations between the EU and Ukraine, which facilitates transportation and trade.

Historic agreement on more restrictive migration policy

After several years of negotiations, the EU Member States have agreed on a new migration policy that will lead to reduced immigration into Europe, and by extension Sweden. Under the Swedish Presidency, the Member States have agreed on:

Common rules for expedited processing at borders.
Increased focus on returning individuals who lack grounds for asylum.
Efficient and simplified procedures for processing of asylum cases and decisions.
Strengthened operational cooperation on migration with prioritised third countries.

Combatting cross-border crime

Strong cross-border cooperation between judicial and law enforcement authorities is a prerequisite for combating organised crime.

Under the Swedish Presidency, discussions and negotiations have focused on the following:

Stopping the proceeds of crime. It must be easier to locate proceeds of crime that have been hidden in or moved between EU Member States and to freeze and confiscate criminals’ assets.
Protecting the victims of human trafficking. Human trafficking offences will include human trafficking, forced marriage and illegal adoption. It should be illegal to utilise services in the knowledge that the person providing the service is a victim of human trafficking.
Stopping violence against women. Under the Swedish Presidency, the EU took the decision to accede to the Istanbul Convention, the most comprehensive legal framework to prevent and combat violence against women, intimate partner violence, honour-based violence and oppression.
Facilitating e-evidence. It will become easier for authorities to request electronic evidence from digital service providers.
Control of the EU’s external borders, and to combat terrorism and serious crime. API (advance passenger information) data is used to control the EU’s external borders and combat terrorism and serious crime. This overhaul is expected to lead to increased collection and improved quality of data while upholding EU data protection rules.
Increasing information exchange between law enforcement authorities. Facilitating information exchange between law enforcement authorities in different Member States by creating uniform procedures concerning how and from whom information is requested, and a uniform case management system.

Greener

By 2050, Europe will be the world’s first climate-neutral continent

Under the Swedish Presidency, a deal was reached on the world’s most ambitious climate package: Fit for 55. This new legislation redefines the playing field for climate policy. All Member States must now contribute as the EU takes the lead on climate issues. The package covers several sectors in the areas of climate and environment, energy and transport.

The key elements of Fit for 55 are:

The EU emissions trading system (ETS), which will have a more ambitious and expanded scope. Emissions trading will cover more sectors and an annual emissions cap will be introduced for each sector.
The Effort-Sharing Regulation (ESR), which sets out strict requirements on all Member States to reduce their emissions and contribute to achieving climate objectives.
The targets to protect and expand natural carbon sinks, which absorb carbon dioxide in forests and the earth.

Other parts of the climate package concern accelerating electrification, expanding fossil-free energy production, providing better conditions for innovative green industry and robust energy policy. Some of the key components are:

Expanded charging infrastructure throughout Europe – installing charging points every 60 km along major roads and increasing charging station output as the proportion of electric cars on the road increases.
Stricter carbon dioxide emissions standards for cars and vans, and a ban on sales of new cars with combustion engines in the EU from 2035.
Reduced climate impacts from aviation and shipping through an increased proportion of renewable fuels.
Reduced dependence on fossil energy, increased security of supply and a more cost-effective energy and climate policy.
Recognition of hydrogen production using nuclear energy.
Ensuring that EU climate regulations effectively contribute to reducing global emissions.

Freer

Laying the foundations for a more competitive EU

The Presidency has place the issue of Europe’s competitiveness high on the EU agenda and initiated the implementation of a strategy to strengthen the EU’s long-term competitiveness, growth and productivity, with a view to 2030 and beyond. The focus is on:

A better-functioning and deepened single market
Trade and openness to the rest of the world
Increased investments in research and innovation
Accelerating the EU’s digital transition
Better regulation, simplified rules and reduced reporting requirements for businesses
Increased investments and access to private capital

Under the Swedish Presidency, the EU has also:

Concluded trade agreements. Free trade agreement with New Zealand, mandate to open negotiations on digital trade rules agreements with Singapore and South Korea, and agreement on an economic partnership agreement with Kenya.
Approved more tools to protect EU trade interests and deter countries outside the EU from exercising coercion (Anti-Coercion Instrument).
Strengthened the single market in times of crisis through a political agreement in the Council on the Single Market Emergency Instrument (SMEI), a comprehensive framework that ensures open borders and maintains free movement of goods and services even in times of crisis.
Advanced the capital markets union including an EU standard for green bonds, central securities depositories, markets for financial instruments and a common point of contact for information. .
Taken important steps to strengthen European industry through measures such as an agreement on safeguarding access to semiconductors, which are critical for the green transition. In addition, the Council reached a political agreement on the recently presented proposal on a legal instrument for critical raw materials.
Made significant progress in negotiations in the digital area, including agreements with the European Parliament on the Data Act and the proposal for a European Digital Identity (eIDAS). The Council has also initiated trilogues with the European Parliament on the AI Act.

Defence of democratic values and the rule of law

Democratic values and the rule of law must be protected in all Member States. The EU must be a global model of democracy and cooperation based on the shared belief that our common rules will be respected throughout the Union.

Under the Swedish Presidency, the Council has:

Concluded the first round of the annual rule of law dialogue and started a new round.
Held Council hearings with Poland and Hungary in accordance with Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union.
Evaluated the cooperation to maintain and protect democracy and the rule of law by organising the Stockholm Symposium, where actors from EU institutions, the Member States, academia, the media, civil society and international organisations gathered to discuss how these efforts can be further improved.
Strengthened media freedom, diversity and independence through an agreement on the European Media Freedom Act.

The presidency in figures

Around 321 decisions and agreements on EU laws and other texts have been finalised.
The Council agreed on 44 different texts, and final agreement was reached with the European Parliament on 63 legislative acts.
More than 2 300 formal meetings have been held in Brussels and Luxembourg: 35 Coreper I meetings, 45 Coreper II meetings and 2 225 working party meetings.
Approximately 100 political trilogues and 400 informal trilogues have been held.
Some 144 informal meetings have been held in Sweden, from Kiruna in the north to Lund in the south, involving around 13 000 visiting delegates. Outside the Stockholm area, 42 meetings were held in 16 different locations.
During the Swedish Presidency, 19 Ukrainian ministers and vice-ministers have been invited by Swedish ministers to ministerial meetings to exchange perspectives on important issues such as the economy, Ukraine’s future and children’s rights.
The Swedish Presidency has represented the Council in 49 different debates in plenary sessions of the European Parliament. The debates took place at the European Parliament’s six ordinary sessions and at three mini-sessions in Brussels.
43 press conferences were held in Brussels and 23 in Sweden.