Spain has taken over the six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Sweden and will set the EU’s political agenda for the second half of 2023.

Due to the overwhelming need to focus on Russia’s war against Ukraine and its consequences, countering the impact of the war will remain one of the main drivers of Madrid’s political agenda at the EU level, with special focus on providing aid to Kyiv and ensuring that sanctions against Russia, which are already in place, are effective.

At the same time, significant EU legislative changes are also expected during Spain’s Presidency, most importantly in areas including sustainability, technology regulation, digitalization, the gig economy and free trade, with potentially far-reaching implications for international investors present in the CEE region.

Below, Aretera provides further insight into the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU, the results of the now concluded Swedish EU Presidency, as well as into the likely policy directions and legislative priorities of the European bloc during the next six months.