From July 1 till December 31 2014 Italy takes the presidency of the Council of the European Union. During this six-month period Italy will chair meetings at every level in the Council, helping to ensure the continuity of the EU’s work in the Council.
The presidency of the Council of the European Union is taken in turn by each of the 27 countries of the European Union for a period of six months. The countries rotate according to the principle of alternating between “major” and “minor” member states and the order of rotation is determined unanimously by the Council of the EU.
The priorities of the Italian semester are highlighted in the “Report on the annual programmatic participation of Italy to the European Union in 2014”. This document is the result of the collaborative work of many competent administrative authorities and takes into account the basic documents adopted by the EU institutions and in particular the legislative and work programs of the European Commission for 2014.
During this semester Italy wants to deepen the debate on the future of cohesion policy (as a result of the changes introduced by the reform of the Structural Funds 2014-2020), territorial cohesion and instruments for territorial development, with particular attention to the internal and urban areas.
Also during this period Italy will also seek for opportunities to improve the situation with employment, especially amongst youth, and facilitate the international mobility of workers; promote social inclusion; combat poverty and social discrimination.
Italian presidency in EU is a great opportunity for country’s business institutions, consortiums, associations and research centers not only to participate in events and initiatives in Brussels, but also to organize them. Different conferences, seminars, workshops, exhibitions and promotional events will take place in capital of Europe for the whole duration of the Italian presidency.
For more information check the official website – http://italia2014.eu/en/
You can download here the “Report on the annual programmatic participation of Italy to the European Union in 2014“
