From 1 July 2014 Italy took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Greece and will hold it until 31 December 2014 when the Presidency will be passed to trio partners Latvia and Luxembourg. The Declaration of Cooperation among the Parliaments of Italy, Latvia and Luxembourg in support of the preparation and fulfilment of the parliamentary dimension of the Presidencies of these three EU Member States was signed on 7 April 2014. Italy has already held the Presidency of the Council of the EU 11 times since the signing of the Treaty of Rome in 1957.
The three main priorities of the current Italian presidency six month programme will be: 1) Employment and economic growth, 2) Full exercise of citizenship rights – a space for democracy, rights and freedom 3) External dimension – strengthening the European Union’s foreign policy. More information on the Italian Presidency’s priorities can be found on the Presidency website.
Overviews
Italian Presidency – official website: italia2014.eu
Provisional calendar – Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2014 as of 29.05.2014
In English:
Italy’s presidency of the EU’s Council of Ministers, European Voice
A look at Italy’s domestic politics, relationship with the EU and the agenda for the next six months at the helm of the Council of Ministers
A preliminary outlook on Italy’s EU Presidency priorities, prepared by MHP Communications, May 2014, 6 p.
This briefing note gives a preliminary overview of the probable priorities and provisional calendar of the Italian Presidency. It also includes information on the domestic political and economic situation.
Italian Presidency: Priorities, Insights and Best Wishes / Andrea Gentili, European Public Affairs, 16 June 2014
This publication provides main issues around which the Italians government will structure their Presidency.
Italy Preparing to Take on the Presidency of the Council of the EU: What is at Stake / Natalia Quintavalle, La Voce di New York, 18 April 2014
A speech delivered by the Consul General of Italy in New York Natalia Quintavalle at Seton Hall University where she outlines changes regarding the role of the Presidency of the Council after the Lisbon Treaty, political and economic circumstances in which Italy will take over the Presidency and areas of special attention in next 6 months.
Italy and the European Union: selected sources – useful list of resources related to Italy and the European Union
In Italian :
Presidenza del Consiglio dei ministri – Dipartimento politiche europee
Relazione programmatica 2014 al Parlamento – 11 gennaio 2014
– La partecipazione dell’Italia all’Unione Europea : relazione programmatica 2014
The annual Government report to the Parliament about Italy’s contribution to the European integration process comprises two different documents: the “Relazione programmatica” is intended to announce the Government’s programme in relation to the developments expected in the coming year, the general outlines of the functioning of the European Union and its policies; the “Relazione consuntiva” is designed to provide a comprehensive picture of the contribution and of the positions adopted by Italy in the European Union in the previous year.
The first chapter of “Relazione programmatica” for 2014 concerns the Italian Presidency of the European Union.
Ministero degli affari esteri
La Presidenza italiana del Consiglio dell’Unione europea: luglio-dicembre 2014, 16 June 2014
Foreign Affairs Ministry’s dossier on the Italian Presidency of the European Union.
Camera dei deputati
Seduta n. 251 di martedì 24 giugno 2014 – Resoconto stenografico dell’Assemblea
Comunicazioni del Presidente del Consiglio dei ministri in vista del Consiglio europeo del 26 e 27 giugno e sulle linee programmatiche del semestre di presidenza italiana del Consiglio dell’Unione europea
Prime Minister’s communication on the programme of Italian Presidency of the Council.
Documents
Europe a Fresh Start: Programme of the Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, 1 July to 31 December 2014, 76 pages (in Italian language)
The 18 month programme of the Council (1 July 2014 – 31 December 2015), prepared by the future Italian, Latvian and Luxembourg Presidencies and the Foreign Affairs Council, Brussels, 17 June 2014, 103 pages (in Italian language)
Italy’s work plans on transport and energy for its EU presidency, ENDS Europe, 13 Jun 2014
Work programmes of the incoming Presidency on energy and on transport, 3-4 June 2014
In Italian:
Presidenza italiana del Consiglio dell’Unione Europea – Dimensione parlamentare
calendar of inter-parliamentary meetings organized by the Italian Parliament during the upcoming Presidency
Analysis
Analysis: Italy’s EU Presidency To Focus On Spending Leeway /Silvia Marchetti, MNI, 2 June 2014
This short report outlines Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s intends to pave the way to reform of EU governance and greater fiscal flexibility during Italian Presidency.
Priorities and challenges of the 2014 Italian EU presidency / by Emiliano Alessandri, Nicole Koenig and Marco Siddi. – Istituto affari internazionali, May 2014
Decision-makers and policy analysts from leading European think tanks and academics met in Rome to discuss the priorities and challenges of the upcoming Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (July-December 2014). This report offers an overview of the key themes discussed at the conference: the prospects for a more effective European economic governance and for new measures to stimulate a jobcreating growth; the response to the Ukrainian crisis and its implications for the EU’s neighbourhood policy; the future of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP); the reform of the EU immigration policy; the effectiveness and legitimacy of the EU leadership. For each of these priority themes, the report provides a list of recommendations about the initiatives that the Italian government can undertake during its presidency term to promote the European integration process.
Social and employment situation in Italy : note. – European Parliament, March 2014
[See chapter 3, Overview of Presidency priorities. – P. 34-37]
Due to its structural weaknesses Italy is one of the EU28 Member States worst hit by the crisis. The segmentation across gender, age, and territory is very marked and job opportunities are unevenly distributed among the labour force, with the marginalization of specific segments of the working population, in particular women and young people, and especially those residing in Southern regions. Since 2011 several labour market and social protection reforms have been introduced: in 2012 the Italian labour market was reformed (Fornero reform) and the recently formed Renzi Government has announced a new Programme for Labour Reforms (Jobs Act). The Italian Presidency programme is described in the 2014 Work Programme “Participation of Italy at the European Union”. The document sets out the priority dossiers and areas on which Italy plans to engage at the European level.
The Italian Presidency of the European Union : an opportunity to review EU relations with Russia and EaP countries / Marco Siddi. – Institut für Europäische Politik, 20 March 2014
From 1 July to 31 December 2014 Italy will hold the rotating presidency of the European Union. Due to recent events in Ukraine, relations with Russia and with Eastern Partnership countries will most likely be at the top of the EU foreign policy agenda during the Italian presidency semester.
In Italian:
Consiglio italiano del Movimento Europeo
Officina 2014. L’Italia in Europa. Verso Il Semestre Di Presidenza Italiana Del Consiglio dell’Unione Europea
Project promoted by the Italian Council of the European Movement (CIME) in agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department for European Policies, the Cariplo Foundation and in collaboration with various research centres in international politics, trade unions, business unions, representatives of the local authorities, and non-profit organisations. The project “Officina 2014 l’Italia in Europa” aims at involving the most significant economic and social representations of Italian society in preparation of the next Presidency of the Council of the European Union (second half of 2014), in the framework of “trio” Italy-Latvia-Luxembourg. Final report of the project “Officina 2014. L’Italia in Europa”: Verso il Semestre di Presidenza Italiana del Consiglio dell’Unione Europea: analisi e proposte: relazione finale del Progetto “Officina 2014.
News
In English:
Latest news about Italian Presidency of the EU Council, source official website of the Italian Presidency
Latest news about Italian Presidency, source EMM (European Commission)
Italian Presidency, EurActiv – EU news and policy debates
EurActiv.com
Italy vows to use presidency to change Europe, 23 June 2014
Sannino: Italy will turn the perfect storm into the perfect rainbow, 23 June 2014
After the eurozone’s perfect storm, Europe can regain competitiveness and growth through an aggressive investment plan. The Italian presidency starting next week will do its utmost to push partners to adopt measures for the ‘perfect rainbow’ of sustainable recovery, said Italy’s ambassador to the EU, Stefano Sannino, in an exclusive interview with EurActiv
In Italian :
Presidenza del Consiglio dei ministri – Dipartimento politiche europee
Notizie con tag Presidenza italiana
EurActiv.it – Collection of articles in Italian
Other:
