Ireland will hold the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2026. Under the motto 'strength with unity', the Presidency will focused on the core themes of competitiveness, values and security.
According to the Irish Presidency programme, the government will push to advance negotiations on the EU’s next Research and Innovation Framework Programme, FP10. The aim is to ensure that research remains central to EU policymaking and continues to support economic growth, technological leadership and strategic autonomy.
A major focus will also be the proposed European Innovation Act, designed to improve Europe’s innovation performance and help startups and scaleups grow more effectively across the Single Market. Ireland argues that reducing barriers for innovative companies is crucial if Europe wants to compete globally in high-impact sectors.