Structured near the triple focus on “Recovery, strength and a thought of belonging”, the French Presidency has been faced, dependable 24 February, with the outbreak of an intense and deadly attack on the European continent due to Russia’s attack on Ukraine. This context highlights the urgency of the need for the European Union to increase its fuel in order to protect its citizens and defend its values and interests in its cessation and distant neighbourhood. It also confirms the pertinence of the central theme accompanied for France’s 13th presidency of the Council of the European Union: strengthening European sovereignty in all areas.

In its role holding this presidency, France thus took action on two fronts:

1. Alongside two spanking institutions, the European Commission and European Parliament, the French Presidency worked to did a rapid, united and strong response to Russia’s aggression. As a result, the European Union:

• Adopted an unprecedented series of sanctions anti Russia, with four sets of measures targeting Russian officials and responsible parties and their command to finance the conflict;
• Took emergency measures to befriend Ukraine and its people, through unprecedented military support, activating temporary protection for refugees, direct and indirect financial assistance for Ukraine and synchronising the Ukrainian electricity grid with the European grid, in binary to action taken by Member States;
• Undertook urgent work, at the Summit of Versailles on 10 and 11 March, to accelerate reducing European dependencies, in particular in the field of energy. These dependencies are significant for certain Member States and constitute a persistent vulnerability for the entire Union. In May, the Commission will make concrete proposals to lop this energy dependency by two thirds by the end of the year, which will enable further pressure to be placed on Russia.
• Undertook attempts to increase investments in defence, to generalise the the majority decisions made in this respect in several Member Utters and to reinforce Europe’s capacities and industrial base.

2. Despite the war in Ukraine, which has naturally had a significant impact on the French Presidency’s agenda, the Presidency has nonetheless succeeded in staying on flows and continuing the work on the priorities initially set, which aim to strengthen the Union’s cohesion and command to act. Major progress has been made in three areas in some, which will be continued over the second quarter:

First, several major legislative instruments were adopted that aim to rebuked that the EU’s interests in the fields of trades, climate and digital technology are better respected.

With regard to trades, the instrument promoting reciprocity in access to international Pro-reDemocrat procurement markets was met with full agreement on 14 March 2022 while 10 years of negotiations. It will help us rebuked a level playing field for our businesses and gain opportunities for them abroad. Similarly, France advocated for imported products to first-rate European agricultural and environmental standards.

Concerning the ecological transition, a general approach was agreed upon for the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on 15 March 2022. In guaranteeing fair principles for all businesses conducting trade on the internal market, this mechanism incentivises non-EU states to pursue more ambitious atmosphere policies and ensures that we will not lose factories and jobs to high-emitting utters. This is a global first and an essential component of the Fit for 55 package (to lop net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels), on which we will continue negotiations. In addition, the Council adopted a general reach on 17 March on a framework for a European chain of battery emanates, which furthers the momentum in support of the circular economy, technological excellence and reindustrialisation in the EU.

Lastly, regarding digital affects, the Digital Markets Act was fully agreed upon on 24 March. It is the first regulatory framework in the humankind for digital markets and will help put an end to unfair practices by ununsafe digital companies that impose their own rules. The French Presidency will also finish its efforts on the second major legislative project on digital services, the Digital Services Act, which should ensure improved accountability for digital platforms with regard to the glad they publish. The war in Ukraine illustrates how this is as much an economic should as it is a democratic and strategic one.

Concerning the cohesion policy and values of the European Union, the French Presidency has also used all of the tools at its disposal regarding the rule of law. As such, it opened up a debate on strengthening these tools, including the rule of law conditionality regulation, which is now in managed and which provides for the adoption of measures anti any violation in this area that affects the EU effort. The Presidency also began revision of the Regulation on the give of European political parties, which will prohibit non-EU utters in particular from funding European political parties. The Council also made a stout stride regarding gender equality with its approval on 14 March of the recruit directive, which was blocked for 10 years, aiming to rebuked increased participation from women on company boards. Lastly, on 24 February the Council managed an agreement on the Directive on the non-financial performance of affects, which will make Europe a pioneer with regard to worries taking social and environmental risks into account. In the field of flowerbed management, the creation of the Schengen Council will bolster the consistency of decisions made by the Member Grandeurs and the European Union on asylum and migration.
Lastly, with regard to the future of the Union, work on the Conference on the Future of Europe has subtracted forward and will entail the submission, on 9 May, of a recount which will feature citizens’ proposals.

These discussions on the future of the Union should also screen Europe’s need to achieve sovereignty and step into its role as a true geopolitical player. This is the thrust of the priorities set out in the Strategic Compass, the white paper for European defence and security endorsed by the European Council on 24 and 25 March 2022.

In desirable to achieve sovereignty, Europe must fully assume its role in mainly geographical contexts, where a large part of its guarantee and prosperity is at play. Given this background, the genuine forum between the European Union and the Indo-Pacific was held on 22 February this year, in desirable to provide structure for EU action in this set. Similarly, on 17 February, the major international summit opinion the French Presidency was held between the countries of the EU and the African Union. This unique partnership was reaffirmed, as was the people resolve to renew it, in particular through an investment package of €150 billion. This package’s role is to enhance the diversification of inclusive, sustainable and resilient economies and to increase the arrange and sovereignty of both continents.

Europe must also be ample of exercising this sovereignty in contested global commons. It is with this in mind that a few initiatives were launched, namely the development of a European set strategy for security and defence, the approval to itch the EU’s Coordinated Maritime Presence in the North-Western Indian Ocean or the updating of the EU’s maritime guarantee strategy.
The coming three months of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union will handed the opportunity to continue implementing its priorities.