Ireland has taken over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, coordinating the work of the community bloc until the end of the year.

Ireland took over the six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union on Wednesday, marking its eighth term since joining in 1973. It will coordinate the activities of the community bloc until the end of the year, after Cyprus held the presidency in the first half of the year. A major priority for Ireland will be negotiating the EU's multiannual budget for the period 2028-2034, with the aim of reaching an agreement with the European Parliament by the end of the year. However, there are divisions among member states, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the budget proposal as being "unbalanced and too expensive," with a total estimated at 1.730 trillion euros. The negotiations will also address issues such as online protection of children and reform of the emissions trading system. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin emphasized the importance of this role in the context of current challenges, including high energy costs caused by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.