EU presidency puts hurdles for Belgium

Ambitious goals set amid upcoming elections and legislative overload

Belgium, which has assumed presidency of the Council of the European Union, faces an uphill task of clearing more than 150 legislative files as well as European elections and the Belgian national elections, both in early June.

The six-month rotating presidency, which started on Jan 1, will actually be shorter since most of the legislative work must be wrapped up by late April when the European Parliament meets for its last plenary session before the European elections in June.

Legislation that cannot be accomplished by then will have to be dealt with by the next European Parliament and newly formed European Commission in fall.

The Belgian presidency has listed six priorities: defending the rule of law, democracy and unity; strengthening competitiveness; pursuing a green and just transition; reinforcing social and health agenda; protecting people and borders; and promoting a global Europe.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said the top priority will be to protect citizens and ensure the EU is well-positioned for the future.

"It is the responsibility to deliver on the concerns of all EU citizens," he said.

A Eurobarometer survey in the last quarter of 2023 showed that 73 percent of respondents think their standard of living will decrease over the next year. Some 37 percent of Europeans experienced difficulties in paying bills either sometimes or most of the time. Still, 72 percent said their country has benefited from EU membership.

Tough legislative issues include the revision of the EU's budget for the coming years, including financial support for Ukraine, European migration and asylum pact, and laws relating to the Green Deal such as carbon emissions from trucks and buses.

The European Environmental Bureau, a network of some 180 environmental citizens' organizations in more than 40 countries, said it is imperative for Belgium to show leadership and make advancements on all remaining Green Deal files before the March deadline.

Standing next to De Croo, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a joint news conference in Brussels on Jan 5 that she looks forward to an agreement between the parliament and the council on the proposed Net-Zero Industry Act.

It was an act proposed by the commission in March to boost the manufacturing capacity of net-zero technologies and overcome barriers.

The commission's approval on Monday of two state aid measures — $990 million from Germany to Swedish battery maker Northvolt, and $3.2 billion from France for manufacturing batteries, solar panels and wind turbines — reflects the act's rationale.

The Belgian presidency will also be closely watched on the EU enlargement issue as the bloc marks its 20th anniversary of its eastward enlargement in the first half of this year.

"Given the ambitious plan by the Belgian presidency, it is highly likely for Ukraine and Moldova to start the EU accession talks in the first half of the year," said Ye Bin, a research fellow at the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

De Croo was optimistic about the presidency agenda, saying his country is at the presidency for the 13th time.

He expressed that Belgium's multiple cultures and languages mean that it is good at making decisions by listening to different opinions.

Growing concern

There is growing concern that the European elections will result in a sharp rise in the seats in the European Parliament taken by far-right parties, making future legislation more complicated.

Polls by Europe Elects suggest the far-right Identity and Democracy group and the euro-skeptic European Conservatives and Reformists, if combined, could gather enough support to counter the center-right European People's Party, the largest party group in the parliament so far.

Ye said that despite the fact that European Parliament is increasingly turning right and populist, the Belgian presidency has the advantage of being the capital of the EU and boasting public favorability for the bloc.

He is worried about whether the current Belgian government, a coalition of seven parties, could survive the upcoming local and national elections in Belgium.