2023 Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union
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| Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union | |
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 1 July – 31 December 2023 | |
| Council of the European Union | |
| Website | https://spanish-presidency.consilium.europa.eu |
| Presidency trio | |
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Spain held the presidency of the Council of the European Union during the second half of 2023.[1] The presidency was the first of three presidencies making up a presidency trio, followed by the presidency of Belgium, and scheduled to be followed by that of Hungary.[2] It was the fifth time Spain had held the presidency.[1]
On the first day of the presidency, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez took the train to Kyiv in a highly symbolic visit, where he met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and addressed the Verkhovna Rada.[3][4][5][a] During the visit, Sánchez stated that one of the priorities of the Spanish presidency would be working with Ukraine in its bid to accede to the European Union.[7][5]
One of the greatest successes of this presidency is considered to be the historic breakthrough regarding the full integration of Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen area and the initial opening of the air and sea borders of the two already Schengen countries with the other Schengen countries. Land borders are expected to be abolished in 2024.[8]
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