Czech EU presidency ends

With the end of 2022, the six-month Czech presidency of the EU Council has also ended, with Sweden taking the reins as of January 1. The Czech News Agency reports that Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the presidency was a success that helped promote the interests of Czech citizens and showed the professionalism of the people who participated in it. According to Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, Czechia stood its ground and showed that it can lead Europe.

During the Czech presidency, EU countries agreed to reduce peak electricity consumption and tax the extra profits of fossil fuel companies and energy suppliers. The EU also unanimously adopted three more sanctions packages against Russia and approved financial support for Ukraine to the tune of €18 billion next year.

Other successes highlighted by the government include limiting the sale of new cars with classic combustion engines from 2035, unblocking the start of EU accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina gaining candidate status. Consensus was also found on the admission of Croatia to the Schengen area from the beginning of 2023. However, Bulgaria and Romania were not admitted into Schengen due to vetos from Austria and the Netherlands.