On 1 July 2026 Ireland took over the Presidency of the Council of the EU for the eighth time, a mandate it will hold until 31 December. The rotating presidency, which passes to a different member state every six months, steers negotiations, builds consensus among member states and drives the bloc’s legislative and political priorities. Ireland assumes the role as the EU works to strengthen security, boost competitiveness, advance enlargement and maintain its support for Ukraine.
Dairy Industry Ireland (DII) says the presidency is a chance to showcase the country’s dairy sector on the European stage, Agriland reports. It comes as talks intensify on the next long-term EU budget (the MFF) and the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy, and as the bloc advances trade files with Mexico, the US and Mercosur.
DII director Conor Mulvihill said the sector — worth €17.6 billion across the island — processed a record 8.8 billion litres of milk last year and is on course for another record in 2026. He pointed to the Farming for Water initiative, Europe’s largest water-improvement scheme with nearly 6,000 farmers enrolled, and to a national genotyping programme that would make Ireland the first country to genotype its entire cattle herd.
DAFM, the European Dairy Association and DII published a joint document setting out shared goals for the sector. Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon said the presidency falls at a time of intense change, and that a key priority will be advancing negotiations on the future of the CAP beyond 2027 while safeguarding food security, farm incomes and rural resilience.
Source: Agriland / EU Delegation in Ukraine (Facebook)
