The Polish Presidency of the EU Council, which has been in place since 1 January 2025, is committed to strengthening the legal protection of European citizens and modernising judicial systems. It will also work to foster social cohesion and economic competitiveness, promoting inclusion and equality.
In terms of judicial cooperation in civil matters, the Presidency will aim to improve the protection of citizens in cross-border situations. It wishes to advance discussions on the May 2023 proposal for a regulation on jurisdiction, applicable law and recognition of measures for the protection of adults (see EUROPE 13191/15).
It will also continue discussions on the mutual recognition of family relationships in the EU, in line with the commitment made by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her 2020 State of the Union address on the strategy for equal rights for LGBTQI people.
This includes the creation of a European parenthood certificate. Although the Parliament adopted a report supporting this recognition in December 2023 (see EUROPE 13314/20), the final decision falls within national competence and requires unanimity in the Council.
Furthermore, aware of the obstacles to economic competitiveness, the Polish Presidency will also support the directive aimed at harmonising certain aspects of insolvency law, the EU Council having recently agreed on a partial general approach (see EUROPE 13545/1). Discussions on a directive adapting the rules on non-contractual civil liability to artificial intelligence will also be on the agenda (see EUROPE 13488/14).
As part of the European strategy for digital justice 2024-2028, Warsaw will encourage cooperation between Member States to speed up the digitalisation of judicial systems. It will propose policy guidelines for future EU action and involve stakeholders in discussions.
In terms of the rule of law, the Presidency will focus in particular on the resilience of judicial systems and the role of civil society in protecting them. The work will focus on the independence of the legal professions, freedom of research and the protection of whistleblowers.
It will also prioritise the protection of journalists and human rights defenders. Negotiations on the EU’s accession to the European Convention on Human Rights will continue, despite stumbling blocks over the Common Foreign and Security Policy.
In addition, a part of fundamental rights is linked to the social and employment strand (see other news); the Polish Presidency will be working to improve the inclusion of vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, NEETs, migrants and economically inactive people. It will support the role of the social economy in promoting their inclusion in the labour market.
With regard to gender equality, in April 2025 the Polish Presidency will sign a joint declaration on gender equality with the subsequent Presidencies as part of their joint work programme, and will present conclusions on the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The action plan for women’s rights, due in March 2025, will guide this work.
The Presidency programme: https://aeur.eu/f/ewk
Provisional agendas for Council ministerial meetings in the first half of 2025: https://aeur.eu/f/exk (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)