Sweden took over the Presidency of the Council of the EU on 1st January 2023, at a particularly difficult time for Europe. With war raging at its doorstep, a deteriorated economic situation and a climate crisis looming, the challenges are manifold.
Jessika Roswall, Minister for EU Affairs of Sweden, shares the priorities and challenges of the Swedish presidency of the EU.
Interviewed by Amélie Rives
Setting ambitious priorities
Security, competitiveness, green and energy transitions, democratic values and the rule of law are the priorities of the Swedish Presidency.
Sweden is firmly committed to European security and continued support for Ukraine and all its people. Russia’s brutal and illegal war of aggression is an attack not only on Ukraine’s sovereignty, but on the very fundamental pillars of liberal democracy. As such, it is our shared responsibility to act resolutely in support of Ukraine and its national defence. Supporting Ukraine in their path to EU-membership is an essential part of this.
The EU also needs a renewed competitiveness agenda. For decades, our competitors have outperformed us in terms of economic growth, productivity and applied innovation. The Union needs to address this fundamental lack of global competitiveness. This is not about simply reacting to what other countries do. Europe must develop its own competitiveness compass, building on our strongest assets: the single market and global free trade. Possible levers include: establishing long-term and predictable rules that promote competition and reduce the regulatory burden to facilitate digital innovation, eliminating trade barriers for goods and services to reinforce the internal market… A number of negotiations are already underway in this regard, such as the Ecodesign Regulation and the Construction Products Regulation. Both intend to ensure an efficient and effective internal market that contributes to a circular economy while reducing environmental and climate impacts. The “Single Market Emergency Instrument” project will also be helpful to respond to future crises.
This is closely connected to enabling the green and energy transition, which is another priority of the Swedish Presidency. Businesses and industries look towards new green technologies and fossil-free energy for opportunities. Europe must lead by example, by delivering on ambitious climate goals, boosting growth and competitiveness. In 2021 already, the European Commission issued its “Fit for 55” plan for a greener transition. The package is a set of proposals aimed at bringing the EU legislation in line with the objective to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, in line with the Paris agreement goals. The Swedish Presidency will put Fit for 55 into action and speed up the transition to a resource-efficient, fossil-free future. This will require major investments in innovative industries. We need to provide the right regulatory framework and policies to attract these investments.
Finally, we will take various initiatives to highlight the Union’s work on upholding the rule of law, which is the very foundation for our Union, and how we can further strengthen our resilience in this area. Core values like democracy and human rights are challenged in many parts of the world today, and the EU must stand out to safeguard them. They are at the heart of our cooperations with our partners, and we will work to make sure they also have an impact on the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy.
Accelerating the transition to a greener, more sustainable Europe
Sweden and France have a long-standing partnership in this field. In 2017 already, they established a « Strategic partnership for innovation, digitalisation and green solutions”. Based on the recognition that their respective ecosystems had complementary characteristics, they decided to address together two of the main challenges our societies face these days: digital transformation and climate change.
Today, the key to realizing the European green transition is to be equipped to meet the skyrocketing demand for clean energy, for electrification of transport and energy-intensive industrial production. It goes without saying that nuclear energy plays a vital role in decreasing the EU’s dependency on fossil fuels – Russian gas not the least. Therefore, facilitating investments in nuclear energy is an important contribution to this end. Another crucial element of this is accelerating the EU’s investments in R&D. This is indeed one of the biggest long-term challenges.
Reinforcing cybersecurity
Cybersecurity capabilities are a crucial building block in the Union’s readiness and resilience. It has also been a decisive element of Ukraine’s national defence, which further underlines the need for continuously developing and strengthening our capabilities in this field.
We will take the important achievements of the French presidency forward (and in particular, advancing the Digital Services (DSA) and Digital Markets (DMA) Acts, revising the NIS directive…) and take a number of initiatives to strengthen Europe’s capabilities. For instance, we will promote work on a space strategy for security and defence. We will also advance the work on the proposal concerning an EU cyber defence policy, as well as advance as far as possible the negotiations on the Cyber Resilience Act. Together with the “Trio” (comprising of Sweden along with the past Czech Republic and French presidencies of the UE), the Swedish Presidency will also work further on the security of networks and information systems, resilience of critical entities and the cyber diplomacy toolbox. Improving the EU’s cybersecurity crisis management framework and establishing common cybersecurity standards for products will also be a key item on the Trio’s agenda.
Preserving citizens’ trust and confidence
Enlargement is one of our most effective tools to promote prosperity, security and democracy in Europe. The fact that many countries are dedicated to becoming a part of our Union, is a testament to the strength of the European project and its attractiveness. And in the EU as a whole, the trust and image of the EU is higher than it’s been for years. In Sweden, it is even at a record high.
Preserving citizens’ trust and confidence is all about delivering timely solutions to our common challenges and problems. Some like to suggest that institutional reform is the answer. I would argue that all we need is political will, and determination to push necessary policy reform. For example, citizens across Europe are worried about the challenges caused by irregular migration, and our businesses and industries want better regulation and conditions for investing. We must look at these challenges and offer concrete political solutions. If we fail, citizens lose trust in our capacity to govern effectively, and rightly so.
Maintaining unity and independence
Many clearly underestimated the European Union’s commitment to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Today, one year later, the Union’s support for Ukraine remains steadfast and unwavering, as confirmed by the Special European Council meeting on February 9, 2023. One week after the EU-Ukraine Summit, the European Council reiterated its “resolute condemnation of Russia’s actions and its unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The Council also adopted an unprecedented set of restrictive measures against Russia. European households and businesses are clearly pressured by the consequences of the war, and we must do everything we can to remedy this in the short-term. At the same time, we must maintain focus on the long-term challenges, notably cutting our dependencies on Russian fossil fuels.
The Transatlantic link remains a central element of European security, where NATO provides for our collective defence. Maintaining a strong partnership with the U.S and other strategic allies is essential to being able to effectively respond to a variety of security challenges. Clearly, the Union’s capabilities in cybersecurity, space, intelligence, and other areas offer a significant complement to NATO structures. Moreover, from a European perspective, it’s positive that the Union is now planning to increase its defence expenditures. At the end of 2022, EU members agreed to increase defence spending by 70 billion by 2025, and to promote more joint procurement.