Minister Pavlova: No Risk for Bulgaria to Lose EU Presidency

There is no risk for Bulgaria to be deprived of the EU Presidency, said Bulgraia’s Minister for the Bulgarian EU Presidency in 2018, Lilyana Pavlova, during PanEuropa forum in Sofia on 11 July. Speculations of this type in the media is fake news, she added commenting before journalists the recent information in the media that there were demands among MEPs from various countries to have Bulgaria's EU Presidency withdrawn.

Pavlova explained that there is a team in place and the first draft of the priorities for the presidency is ready. It will be discussed on 12 July by the government. These include a European perspective for the Western Balkans, a single energy market and increased border security. The calendar of events is also ready, she added.

More than 200 meetings will take place under the Bulgarian Presidency, 300 in Sofia and over 1,600 in Brussels Luxembourg and Strasbourg.

Competitiveness, social policy, single electronic market, and internal security are key priorities during the rotating presidency of Estonia, Bulgaria and Austria, Estonian ambassador Ants Frosch said.

Important priority during the Estonian presidency is environment, he said. Our ambition is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030, Ants Frosch added.

Ambassador Frosch and Minister Pavlova agree that a new approach to migrants and a strengthening of the defence capabilities of the Union is needed.