Sweden has taken over the six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union from the Czech Republic and will set the EU’s political agenda for the first half of 2023. Despite an overwhelming need to focus on Russia’s war against Ukraine and its consequences, the Czech Presidency was also successful on the policy front, advancing or securing various pieces of EU legislation with crucial implications for international businesses across a number of sectors.

Countering the impact of the war will also be the main driver of Stockholm’s political agenda at the EU level, with special focus on providing aid to Kyiv, ensuring the energy security of EU member states, tackling the current economic downturn and supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction. At the same time, significant EU legislative changes are also expected during Sweden’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 Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU, the results of the now concluded Czech EU Presidency, as well as into the likely policy directions and legislative priorities of the European bloc during the next six months.