As from 1 July, Estonia has taken over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Malta, which held the Presidency during the first half of 2017.

It is the first time for this Baltic country performs this important role within the EU.

Holding the presidency of the Council of the EU means that Estonia will act as a neutral mediator and broker between the EU member states during the six-month period in meetings and negotiations, guiding the member states towards agreements and compromises on key issues.

It will also act as a broker between the key EU institutions, such as the Council of the European Union, European Parliament and European Commission.

More than 200 meetings are expected to take place in Estonia during its presidency, bringing anything between 20,000-30,000 visitors and approximately 1,000 international journalists to the country during these months.

The Estonian Presidency has announced a total of 4 major priorities:

1. Open and Innovative European Economy
2. A Safe and Secure Europe
3. A digital Europe and the Free Movement of Data
4. An Inclusive and Sustainable Europe

The EOC EU Office will follow these dossiers during the Estonian Presidency.

During the Presidency, Estonia will host 4 events in the field of sports:

12-13 of July – EU Sport Directors’ meeting in Tallinn

13-14 of July – Sport Conference in Tallinn (Topic: Coaches’ role in society)

21-23 September – Sport Conference in Tartu (Topics: Dual career and Physical activity)

23 September – Official Opening of the European Week of Sport 2017 in Tartu

The presidency of the Council rotates across EU member states every 6 months.

Estonia is the first country in the new Presidency Trio, which also includes Bulgaria and Austria (first and second half of 2018 respectively), that has had the trio programme approved by the General Affairs Council, on 20 June 2017.