A historic moment
Croatia takes over EU Presidency in 2020.
RD – 12/2019
29
years after gaining independence and only six years after becoming the newest
member of the EU, another historic moment in Croatia’s history will occur when
it takes on the European Council Presidency for the first time.
‘A
strong Europe in a world of challenges’ is the motto of Croatia’s Presidency Programme when it takes up its new duties from 1 January - 30 June 2020 as part of the Trio Presidency of Romania,
Finland and Croatia.
During these six months,
Croatia will steer the Council’s activities, building cooperation and agreement
between Member States in a spirit of consensus and mutual respect. Croatia will
indeed be facing challenges. Major changes, such as the beginning of a new
institutional and legislative cycle following the new composition of the
European institutions, await the European Union. Some of the challenges facing
the world today are uneven economic development, digitalisation, climate change
and increased migration. As a way of addressing these challenges, Croatia has
set out four programme priorities:
A
Europe that develops, connects, protects and influences.
In
terms of social policy, Croatia's main objective is to ensure a more satisfied
and vital society. The focus is on:
- Implementing the European Pillar
of Social Rights, including work-life balance;
- Establishing measures to curb
negative demographic trends;
- Promoting equality between
women and men, and empowering women in society and in the labour market;
- Creating better opportunities
for young people, especially in rural areas;
- Promoting lifelong healthcare.
The priorities take into
account the political guidelines of the Commission’s new President. A prerequisite for achieving these
objectives is a balanced and sustainable EU Multiannual Financial Framework for
the period 2021-2027. The first challenge for the Croatian Presidency is to
reach a comprehensive agreement as soon as possible to allow the timely
implementation of all the Union’s programmes so that a strong Europe can
continue to be built.