From January to June 2021, Portugal held the Presidency of the EU Council, following the German Presidency and preceding the Slovenian Presidency.

Portugal presided over the Council of the European Union for the fourth time, since 1992.

Portuguese Presidency of the Council declared the importance of strengthening Europe's resilience and its citizens' confidence in the European social model, promoting a Union based on shared values of solidarity, convergence and cohesion – a Union capable of coordinated action to recover from the crisis.

Portuguese Presidency

The Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) is an initiative of the European Union to reform its policies and institutions following large-scale consultations across the continent between May 2021 and Spring 2022.

The goals, principles, governance and methodology of the Conference are laid down in a Joint Declaration co-signed by the Presidents of the European Parliament, European Commission and Council on 10 March 2021.

The CoFoE inauguration event took place on 9 May 2021 in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The programme featured a welcome speech by French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as speeches by Presidents Sassoli, von der Leyen and Prime Minister Costa, representing the EU Institutions alongside short interventions by the Conference Executive Board’s co-chairs. Contributions via video link from citizens and civil society were also broadcasted, as well as musical performances by Violinist Renaud Capuçon and Karski quartet. The launch was linked to Europe Day events across the Member states.

Erasmus students from all member states were present in the Parliament’s hemicycle, and around 300 citizens were invited to attend remotely through large TV screens. Ministers for European affairs and other VIP guests also joined remotely.

Conference on the Future of Europe – Inaugural Event

LEX signing ceremony by David SASSOLI, EP President and by Ana Paula ZACARIAS, Secretary of State for European Affairs

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Ana Paula ZACARIAS, Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs

Lex Signing ceremony by David SASSOLI, EP President and by Ana Paula Zacarias, Secretary of State for European Affairs, on behalf of the Presidency of the Council.

European Parliamentary week 2021 - EU Economic Governance from a Parliamentary Perspective- ECON Committee - Resilience and Recovery from the COVID-19 crisis

European Parliamentary week 2021 - EU Economic Governance from a Parliamentary Perspective - EMPL Committee - Strengthening and implementing the Social Dimension

European Parliamentary week 2021 - EU Economic Governance from a Parliamentary Perspective - BUDG Committee - The EU budget at the centre of the Recovery Plan

European Parliamentary week 2021 - EU Economic Governance from a Parliamentary Perspective - ENVI Committee - The Recovery and Resilience Plan

European Parliamentary week 2021 - EU Economic Governance from a Parliamentary Perspective- Panel discussion - The preparations of national recovery and resilience plans; Where do we stand?

European Parliamentary week 2021 - EU Economic Governance from a Parliamentary Perspective- Opening Plenary Session

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister- Official welcome

Trilogue - Revision of the Blue Card Directive

ENVI Committee - Exchange of views with Ms Marta TEMIDO, Portuguese Minister of Health

AFET Committee - Exchange of views with Augusto SANTOS SILVA, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, on the priorities of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union

TRAN Committee - Presentation of the priorities of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council

PECH Committee - Presentation of the priorities of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council

ECON Committee - Economic dialogue and exchange of views with Joao LEAO, ECOFIN Chair and Minister of State for Finance of Portugal

Lex signing ceremony:  - signature by David SASSOLI, EP Preesident and by Ana Paula ZACARIAS, Secretary of State for European Affairs, on behalf of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council.

Video message by David SASSOLI, EP President, for the conference on tacking stock of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Tacking stock of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU: speech by David SASSOLI, EP President

During the plenary session (7-10 June 2021) in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on the follow-up of the Porto Social Summit of 7 May 2021. Closing statements by Ana Paula ZACARIAS, Council of the European Union and by Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights.

Follow-up of the Porto Social Summit of 7 May 2021: closing statements by Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights and by Ana Paula ZACARIAS, Council of the European Union

During the plenary session (7-10 June 2021) in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on the follow-up of the Porto Social Summit of 7 May 2021. Opening statements by Ana Paula ZACARIAS, Council of the European Union and by Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights.

Follow-up of the Porto Social Summit of 7 May 2021: opening statements by Ana Paula ZACARIAS, Council of the European Union and by Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights

During the plenary session (7-10 June 2021) in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on the follow-up of the Porto Social Summit of 7 May 2021.

Follow-up of the Porto Social Summit of 7 May 2021: MEPs debate

António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister and President-in-office of the Council of the EU, David SASSOLI, EP President and Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission, give a joint press conference during the Porto Social Summit on 7 May 2021.

Joint press conference on the Porto Social Summit by António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister, David SASSOLI, EP President and Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission

During the Porto Social Summit, arrival of David SASSOLI, EP President, City Hall ceremony and Social Summit

Porto Social Summit: arrival of David SASSOLI, EP President, City Hall ceremony and Social Summit

David SASSOLI, EP President, and Ana Paula ZACARIAS, Secretary of State for European Affairs, on behalf of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council, participate in a Lex signing ceremony, in the European Parliament in Brussels. The signature concerns: control of the acquisition and possession of weapons (codification); Programme for the Union's action in the field of health –for the period 2021-2027; InvestEU Programme Regulation; equivalence of forest reproductive material produced in the United Kingdom to such material produced in the Union; and Equivalence of UK Practices for the Maintenance of Varieties of Agricultural Plant Species Decision'.

Lex Signing ceremony: extracts from the signature of Five COD LEX with David SASSOLI, EP President and Ana Paula ZACARIAS, Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission and Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister and President in office of the Council of the EU: arrivals and roundtable prior to the signature of the joint declaration for the Conference of the Future of Europe, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission, and Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister, followed by a signing ceremony

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (08-11 March 2021), David SASSOLI, EP President, Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission, and Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister and President in office of the European Council, participate in the signing ceremony of the joint declaration for the Conference of the Future of Europe. Ambiance shots

Signing ceremony on the joint declaration for the Conference of the Future of Europe: ambiance shots

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (08-11 March 2021), David SASSOLI, EP President, Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission, and Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister and President in office of the European Council, participate in the signing ceremony of the joint declaration for the Conference of the Future of Europe. Entrance in the Chamber of David SASSOLI, Ursula von der LEYEN and Antonio COSTA. Opening speeches. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Signing ceremony on the joint declaration for the Conference of the Future of Europe: opening speech by David SASSOLI, EP President, Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister and Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (08-11 March 2021), David SASSOLI, EP President, Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission, and Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister and President in office of the European Council, sign the joint declaration for the Conference of the Future of Europe. European anthem and group photo.

Signing ceremony on the joint declaration for the Conference of the Future of Europe: signature, European anthem and group photo

The European Parliament, together with the Portuguese Parliament, organise remotely the European Parliamentary Week 2021. Extracts from the conclusions by the chairs: Irene TINAGLI (S&D, IT), Chair of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON), Luís CAPOULAS SANTOS, Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the Portuguese Parliament, Pascal CANFIN (RE, FR), Chair of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), Luis GRACA, Deputy Chair of the Committee on Environment, Energy and Territorial Planning of the Portuguese Parliament, Johan VAN OVERTVELDT, Chair of Committee on Budgets (BUDG), Filipe NETO BRANDAO, Chair of the Committee on Budget and Finance of the Portuguese Parliament, Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ, Chair of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), and Pedro ROQUE, Chair of the Committee on Labour and Social Security, Portuguese Parliament Copyright: ARTV, Canal Parlamento

European Semester Conference - Inter-parliamentary Conference on Stability, Economic Coordination and Governance in the EU: conclusions by the chairs

25 -28 January, the ministers outlined the priorities of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU to parliamentary committees, in a series of hearings. Ricardo Serrão SANTOS, Portuguese Maritime Affairs Minister, participating to the PECH Committee (26/01), Maria do Céu ANTUNES, Portuguese Minister for Agriculture participating remotely to the AGRI Committee (26/01), Augusto Santos SILVA, Portuguese Foreign Affairs Minister participating to the AFET Committee (26/01), Rita MARQUES, Portuguese Secretary of State for Tourism, participating remotely to the TRAN Committee (26/01), João Pedro Matos FERNANDES, Portuguese Minister of Environment and Energy Transition, participating to the ENVI Committee (25/01), Graça FONSECA, Portuguese Minister of Culture, participating remotely to the CULT Committee (26/01), Francisca VAN DUNEM, Portuguese Minister for Justice, participating remotely to the JURI Committee.

Presentation of the EU Council's priorities by Portuguese ministers: extracts from the EP committee meetings

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (18-21 January 2021), MEPs debate on the presentation of the programme of activities of the Portuguese Presidency. Closing statements by Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Interinstitutional relations and Foresight and by Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister

Presentation of the programme of activities of the Portuguese Presidency: closing statements by Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President of the European Commission, and Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister, ahead the debate on the presentation of the programme of activities of the Portuguese Presidency, in the European Parliament in Brussels: arrival and welcome, roundtable and visit of the temporary exhibition of Portuguese artwork at the European Parliament.

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister: arrival, welcome and roundtable

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (18-21 January 2021), MEPs discuss the programme for the next six-month Portuguese presidency of the Council of the EU with Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa. Statements by António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister, Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), EPP Group leader, Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ (S&D, ES), S&D Group leader, Dacian CIOLOŞ (RE, RO), Renew Europe Group leader, Philippe LAMBERTS (Greens/EFA, BE), Greens/EFA Group leader.

Presentation of the programme of activities of the Portuguese Presidency: extracts from the debate

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (18-21 January 2021), MEPs debate on the presentation of the programme of activities of the Portuguese Presidency, António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister. Opening statements by Antonio COSTA and Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Presentation of the programme of activities of the Portuguese Presidency: opening statements by Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister and Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission

David SASSOLI, EP President, Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister and President in office of the Council of the EU, and Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission, give a joint press conference on political priorities for the EU under the Portuguese presidency, in the European Parliament in Brussels. Opening statements by David SASSOLI, EP President, by Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister and by Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Joint press conference by David SASSOLI, EP President, Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister, and Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission, on political priorities for the EU under the Portuguese presidency: Opening statements

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