Portugal Prepares for the Aftermath of the Pandemic

Portugal will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union on January 1, 2021. Lisbon is following Germany and preceding Slovenia as part of the so-called ‘GPS-presidency’ trio, marking the fourth Portuguese EU Council Presidency since the country joined the European Economic Community in 1986.

It’s a packed agenda: Portugal needs to steer the EU towards a post-COVID-19 world and seek unity amongst Member States on the fundamental direction of the European Union. In addition to the daily challenges the bloc will face in light of the pandemic and its economic disruption, a range of important topics will dominate the Council agenda in 2021. Among the priorities are the completion of the Economic and Monetary Union, establishing the post-Brexit UK-EU relationship, promoting multilateralism as a political value in the EU’s relationships with Africa and India and aligning climate change, digital transformation and social inequality.

The following overview has been developed in cooperation between the APCO team in Brussels and our partner agency in Portugal, ATREVIA. This Presidency Guide outlines the challenges that lie ahead and how companies can address them.