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Ireland has held the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union (Council) since 1 July 2026. On 1 January 2027, responsibility for the presidency will pass to Lithuania.
As Ireland enters the final weeks of its term, we look at some of the latest developments made in advancing the competitiveness and security objectives set out in its Presidency Programme.
Competitiveness in the EU
Enhancing European competitiveness has remained a core priority of Ireland's presidency.
In recent weeks, progress has been made through legislative negotiations, including agreements on the ETS1 Market Stability Reserve and the EU Organics Regulation, as well as through wider policy initiatives and events aimed at strengthening the EU Single Market and supporting long-term economic growth.
Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)
A notable development has been Ireland's publication of its revised compromise proposal, or "Negotiating Box", for the next long-term budget for 2028-2034.
Following three months of in-depth engagement with Member States, the revised proposal seeks to provide an ambitious, modern, and flexible budget that invests in new and emerging priorities, including competitiveness, research, innovation, security, and defence, while protecting treaty-based policies such as the Common Agricultural Policy and cohesion policy.
The proposal is intended to bridge differences between Member States and provide the basis for the next phase of political negotiations on the future EU budget.
The proposal reflects a significant budget of €1.62 trillion, a 30% increase on the current MFF, while identifying savings against the European Commission's proposal across all budget headings.
Progress has also been made in related negotiations, with the Agriculture and Fisheries Council approving its partial negotiating position on the regulation establishing the post-2027 CAP framework, an important element of the MFF. Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, has called for efforts to continue to reach agreement on the next MFF by the end of 2026.
The simplification agenda
Throughout the presidency, Ireland has continued to support measures aimed at reducing administrative burdens and improving the regulatory environment for businesses and citizens.
At the General Affairs Council, progress was shared by Minister Thomas Byrne in relation to securing agreements on Council of the EU mandates for Omnibus X and for the core part of Omnibus VIII. The Omnibus X package seeks to reduce unnecessary administrative costs and regulatory burdens, while maintaining the EU’s standards for food and feed safety. Omnibus VIII aims to reduce regulatory complexity and administrative burdens, improve coherence and enhance the implementation of environmental legislation.
During October, the presidency further secured a provisional agreement with the European Parliament to revive and simplify the EU’s securitisation market. The measures are intended to enable banks to free up more capital and channel increased lending to households, SMEs, and infrastructure projects contributing to the EU’s broader goal of strengthening competitiveness, resilience, and strategic autonomy.
Market integration and access to capital
Ireland has also overseen important progress on the implementation of the EU's "One Europe, One Market" roadmap. Since the halfway point, Member States reached agreement on the Market Integration and Supervision Package (MISP), a significant package of measures intended to deepen EU capital markets.
Consensus was also secured on EU Inc., a proposed corporate legal framework intended to make it easier for innovative companies (particularly startups and scaleups) to establish and scale across the EU. Together, these initiatives seek to boost EU competitiveness and productivity.
Innovation and digital competitiveness
In October, the presidency hosted Digital Week 2026, which brought together industry leaders to discuss challenges and opportunities relating to artificial intelligence (AI).
Events included the Informal Meeting of Telecommunications Ministers in Limerick, the International AI Summit, and the AI in Science Summit 2026.
Together, these events were intended to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness in the areas of digital transformation, innovation capacity, and technological leadership.
Separately, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, together with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, hosted European Competition Day 2026 in Dublin on 28 October addressing a range of EU competition law topics such as the draft EU Merger Guidelines and digital issues.
Security in the EU
Alongside its competitiveness agenda, Ireland has continued to prioritise European security, defence, and resilience. Progress has been made across a range of areas, including defence cooperation, support for Ukraine, enlargement, migration, cybersecurity, and democratic resilience.
Defence and strategic resilience
Agreement was reached on the first five European Defence Projects of Common Interest, which are aimed at enhancing Europe's defence readiness and strengthening its industrial capacity.
The projects, which cover critical capabilities in drones and counter-drone systems, maritime and seabed defence, space, air and missile defence, and the protection of the EU’s eastern flank, are intended to contribute to the development of Member States’ military capabilities.
Security and defence considerations have also been a core focus of negotiations on the next MFF.
Ukraine and enlargement
During October, the EU adopted a package of restrictive measures in support of Ukraine, targeting almost 1,600 individuals and entities.
Progress has also been made on Ukraine’s accession process following the start of negotiations on the areas of internal market, competitiveness, and inclusive growth.
Enlargement developments have also been recorded in relation to Moldova, Montenegro, and Albania, reflecting the strategic importance of enlargement within the EU's wider security agenda.
The presidency has indicated its intention to continue advancing accession negotiations, including its objective of closing all accession negotiations with Montenegro by the end of the year.
Cybersecurity and digital security
Through Cyber Week 2026, held from 5 to 9 October 2026, Ireland hosted a series of meetings, conferences and exhibitions bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and cybersecurity professionals.
Discussions focused on key issues including regulation, privacy, AI, cybercrime, hybrid threats, and digital sovereignty.
Concluding comments
As Ireland enters the final phase of its presidency, significant progress has been made across a number of the competitiveness and security priorities identified in its Presidency Programme. While negotiations on a number of key legislative and policy initiatives remain ongoing, recent weeks have seen important developments in areas including the next MFF, the MISP, the proposed EU Inc. framework, European defence cooperation, and enlargement.
The remaining weeks of the presidency are expected to be particularly active. Ireland will host a number of high-profile meetings and events, including the ninth meeting of the European Political Community in Dublin on 12 November and an informal meeting of the European Council on 13 November, alongside continued legislative negotiations at EU level.
As Ireland's term draws to a close, the focus will be on progressing outstanding priorities and advancing key initiatives before responsibility for the presidency passes to Lithuania on 1 January 2027.
Please read our previous Insights for further information on what the presidency has achieved to date:
For more information, please contact Alan McCarthy, Anna-Marie Curran, Dervla Broderick or Vincent Power or any member of the A&L Goodbody EU, Competition and Procurement team.
Date published: 6 November 2026
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