Bulgaria will hold the EU Council Presidency from 1st January to 30th June 2018.  Bulgaria took over the Presidency from the primary country of the trio, Estonia and will be succeeded by Austria in 1 July 2018. According to the official Estonia-Bulgaria-Austria programme launched on 20 June 2017, countries agreed to work closely upon a positive agenda focusing security, strengthening the external borders of the EU, economic growth and competitiveness.

Following the removal of Todor Zhivkov, who had served as head of the one-party State since 1954, Bulgaria has passed to a multi-party system and applied to the EU membership in 1990 after the end of Soviet influence. First democratic elections were held on 10 and 17 June of the same year and Bulgaria entered into a democratisation process that has continued for years. The country that has maintained a peaceful democratisation process unlike several Balkan countries, joined NATO on 29 March 2004 and became a EU Member State on 1 January 2007. In this sense, Bulgaria proved his ability to quickly adapt changing global dynamics despite socio-economic and political challenges.

Bulgaria, which has joined neither the Eurozone nor Schengen Area, is the chief candidate to become the 20th member of the Eurozone in the coming years. However, Bulgaria faces the highest rates of corruption and organized crime and is the poorest country within the EU. To this extend, sceptics note that the country is not ready to join the Eurozone, one of the most important achievements of the European integration project. Allowing Bulgaria into Eurozone would create new problems among the Union that still is in struggles with defiance of European core values by several members as in the case of Poland and Hungary.

On the other hand, Bulgaria’s EU accession period which has been taking place in line with its democratisation process, reflects country’s developing European perspective over the years and its ambition to embrace core EU values. Thus, Bulgaria highlights its proud European identity as a part of its national values. Therefore Bulgaria is in the chase of efficient steps for the Union that concentrated on its future scenarios during the first EU Council Presidency. In this regard identifying its historical and cultural heritage in line with European values, Bulgaria determined its presidency motto as: “United We Stay Strong”. Underlining its commitment to the decisions taken on the future of the EU-27, during summits in Bratislava and Rome, Bulgaria announced its four priorities for the presidency: Future of Europe; Security and Stability; Western Balkans as well as Digital Economy.

Priorities for the Future-seeking Europe

In its agenda, Bulgaria underlines the need for security, solidarity and stability for Europe and emphasises commitment for this purpose. The agenda also calls attention to the fragility of the Europe’s security structure due to the refugee crisis and terror attacks which hit the headlines in recent years. On the other hand it is also stated that to remind the EU’s role as a center of welfare, having a stable Union is one of the most important conditions. Lastly, Bulgarian Presidency admits that all challenges and crises they experienced had been overcome not alone, but as a Union. Three fundamental elements of Bulgaria in that sense to live up Europe’s future for Member States are to develop their shared decision making, competitiveness and compliance capacity.

-     Europe’s Future and the Young People

Bulgaria, one of Europe’s youngest democracies, builds Europe’s future on two primary facts within its first priority area for EU Council Presidency: economic growth and social integration. In the EU, where problems such as high debt ratios and low wages still exist, at the same time new fields of employment are created, investments are increasing and public finance is getting stronger. It is emphasised that to tackle the problems within this priority area, strengthening and deepening of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) is necessary.

-     Security and Stability

Second priority area under “security and stability” aims to deliver long-term solutions for readmission and asylum policies in a stronger and integrated EU. Bulgaria states that the reconstruction of trustworthy and stable environment is the first condition to restore trust of the Europeans towards the EU and calls attention to the importance of the border security enhancement. In addition, it is stated that Bulgaria will work for the establishment of a Security Union and implementing of the newly-signed Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) as soon as possible.

-     Western Balkans

The priority area which aims strengthening of the European perspective in Western Balkans seeks to attain concrete outcomes instead of unrealistic expectations. Therefore Bulgaria plans to increase ties between the EU member countries and Western Balkans regarding transportation, energy, education and Digital Market. Initiatives such as enhancing the use of broadband internet in Western Balkan countries or phasing down transportation fees are among those plans.  This way geopolitical and economic support for the Western Balkan countries is expected to be accelerated during the presidency.

-     Digital Economy

The fourth priority of the Bulgarian Presidency, digital economy is also one of the main titles on the Estonia-Bulgaria-Austria Trio’s agenda. This priority which has the sub-titles of electronic communication, provision of transboundary services, cybersecurity, intellectual property rights and Digital Single Market carries a privileged importance on the agenda of six-month Bulgarian Presidency. For a competitive, flexible and prospering EU, it is remarked that the young population needs to be educated. And according to the Bulgarian Presidency’s agenda, one of the most essential requirements of the improvement and renewal of the education system is to keep up with today’s fast paced needs.

New Year and New Hopes for the EU

Following the 2017 with its all the struggle against Euroscepticism and populism; 2018 is expected to be a year of hope and concrete steps for the sake of the EU’s future. It is no coincidence that Bulgaria, which assumes the presidency, sets priorities on the future of Europe in a process when the debates over which way the integration will evolve continues. With a great enthusiasm for the integration’s future, Bulgaria highlights that the concrete and symbolic gains the Union provide are above short term national interests.

 It is necessary to say that the need for renewing confidence of the Member States in European integration that continue to have security and economy centric concerns together with the migration and anti-Islamism related rhetoric still continues. Even if the populist and conservative views in the Member States set obstacle for the EU leaders, it is promising that young and pro-EU voices such as Macron are gradually increasing.

When a snapshot of Turkey-EU relations is taken, with the impact of the 2017 elections; topics like Readmission Agreement, modernisation of Customs Union and visa liberalisation would be in the center of the bilateral relations. These processes have been tense. Yet, a positive atmosphere in Turkey-EU relationship under Bulgaria’s EU Council Presidency is expected considering its favourable position towards Turkey’s EU membership bid.

For more information regarding the priorities of the Bulgarian EU Presidency, https://eu2018bg.bg/en/priorities