As the Belgian Presidency approaches, documents presenting the draft programme started to leak. All eyes are now on the priorities Belgium will have during its term of the EU Presidency as of January 2024.
We provide you below with some insights on the files that are expected to progress, according to draft programmes, preliminary speeches and interventions by Belgian ministers.
Belgium expressed willingness:
On transport
To strengthen the safe, clean, efficient and smart transport policies
To progress on Greening Freight Transport Package
To work on improving social responsibility and social conditions in the transport sector.
To finalise inter-institutional negotiations on the proposal for a Union certification framework for carbon removals and the review of CO2 emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles.
On Environment / Sustainability
To advance negotiations on Packaging and Packaging Waste
To progress the review of Air Quality directive and of Urban Waste Treatment Directive
To continue to work on the proposed green claims directive
To progress on the negotiations on the Soil Monitoring Law
To foster discussions on microplastics and PFAS.
To facilitate the debate on European Commission Communications on an EU Climate target for 2040 and on climate-related risks as well as on the Industrial Carbon Management Strategy
To lead the mid-term review of the 8th Environmental Action programme to stimulate reflection on the future of EU Climate and environmental policies.
To progress towards an ambitious legally binding international instrument to tackle plastic pollution
Internal market:
To give special consideration to the role of SMEs in the just transition
Belgium also stressed the importance to boost EU's strategic autonomy across sectors and in particular on defence.
The final programme of the Belgian Presidency should be revealed in the upcoming weeks.