The Czech Republic, one of the youngest member states of the EU, a country which has not yet ratified the Lisbon Treaty and a country whose president is a well known eurosceptic, will take over the EU Presidency at a time when the EU has to address such major issues as the consequences of the financial crisis and the aftermath of the Russian-Georgian conflict. Among other topics, not less salient for the EU, the Czech EU Presidency will feature climate change, the future of the Lisbon Treaty, transatlantic relations under the new US administration, and the future of EU Foreign, Security and Enlargement Policy.
The motto of the Czech EU Presidency is "Europe without barriers". The main priorities are Economy, Energy and External Relations.
Among the issues the Czech Republic would like to address are:
- Safe and sustainable energy: establishing a common energy strategy, with an emphasis on climate change
- Europe open and safe: further development of the areas of freedom, security and justice
- Europe competitive and open: enhancing competitiveness, promoting education and research, as well as the four freedoms and liberal trade policy
- Europe as a global partner: developing and strengthening the relations with the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe and furthering transatlantic relations
The Heinrich Böll Foundation, in cooperation with its partner organizations, would like to contribute to the debate on the issues of the Czech EU Presidency, by focusing on:
- Facing Multiple Crises: Policies to address the Economic, Energy, Climate and Food Crises
- The Future of the Eastern Dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy
- The Future of NATO with regard of its 60th Anniversary
- The Middle East in the Aftermath of Gaza Crisis