Polish EU presidency: defence policy yes, competitiveness maybe

On 30 June 2025, Poland’s EU presidency came to an end, and on 1 July, Denmark took over the rotating presidency of the Council for six months. The Polish presidency succeeded in achieving many of its objectives, some of which included security policy measures related to the Russian-Ukrainian war and sanctions against Russia. The following summary presents the achievements of the Polish presidency and outlines the priorities of the current Danish presidency.

On 1 January 2025, following the outgoing Hungarian presidency, Poland took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. The six-month period, which lasted until 30 June, provided Poland with an opportunity to present its EU and national agenda to the member states and to implement its objectives through EU decision-making. All of the countries that have held the presidency since 2022 have placed particular emphasis on the current geopolitical situation in Europe when putting together their programmes, with economic, energy and foreign policy issues also playing a prominent role. The objectives and programme of the Polish presidency were summarised in seven dimensions, all of which focused on strengthening Europe’s security:

1. defence and security;
2. protection of people and borders;
3. resistance to foreign interference and disinformation;
4. guaranteeing security and freedom of business;
5. energy transition;
6. competitiveness and resilient agriculture;
7. health security.

The motto “Security, Europe!” and the seven areas listed clearly indicate that one of the most important goals of the Polish presidency was to develop and strengthen European defence capabilities. Almost all of the seven dimensions were based on some aspect of security. This EU rhetoric on security and defence policy is in line with Poland’s domestic policy and internal defence efforts in recent years. Since the events of 2022, the development of the Polish armed forces has intensified, and it has often been said that Poland could become one of NATO’s strongest member states. According to some estimates, in 2025, the country could spend as much as 4.7% of its GDP on national defence.

During the EU presidency, the above-mentioned goals and the activities of the Polish presidency were relatively rarely reported in the domestic press and media, but nevertheless, a number of measures were successfully implemented:

The adoption of the SAFE instrument marked a milestone in EU defence spending. The €150 billion defence investment programme enables urgent and large-scale public investment in defence products through contracts awarded to the European defence industry. The aim is to boost production capacity, ensure that defence equipment is available when needed, and address existing capability gaps – ultimately strengthening the EU’s overall defence readiness. In addition, SAFE will enable the EU to continue supporting Ukraine by linking its defence industry to the instrument from the outset. Under SAFE, the EU provides financial support of up to €150 billion, which is disbursed to interested member states on request, based on national plans. Disbursements take the form of competitive long-term loans, which beneficiary member states will have to repay.

During the Polish presidency, the European Union extended existing sanctions against Russia and adopted the 16th and 17th packages of even tougher sanctions. Measures were also taken to combat disinformation, including the development of the EU member states’ new joint response system in the event of serious cyberattacks (Cyber Blueprint). The Polish presidency had a significant influence on both measures.
With regard to corporate and industrial competitiveness, five Omnibus simplification packages were adopted during the Polish presidency, including fewer reports and statements, easier access to investment financing, and simplifications for agriculture, the defence industry and small and medium-sized enterprises.
On the topics of energy security and energy transition, in the first half of 2025, the European Commission announced the RePowerEU roadmap for the gradual phase-out of Russian fossil fuels – this plan could ensure energy independence for Europe and help reduce energy prices.
The Polish presidency achieved an important compromise on the pharmaceutical package, breaking a 20-year deadlock on reform of the pharmaceutical sector. The package improves patients’ access to more affordable medicines (generic medicines) and enables European companies to grow and become more competitive on global markets.

As can be seen, during the Polish presidency, some progress was made in most of the targeted areas, but many issues remained unresolved. One of these is the reform of agriculture and the agricultural support system. Poland is one of the EU’s most important agricultural suppliers: it accounted for 20.6% of EU poultry production in 2023, and Polish agri-food exports account for an average of 15% of EU imports. In 2023, nearly 1.5 million people were employed in Polish agriculture, which also clearly shows that agriculture plays a key role in the country’s economy. Nevertheless, the agricultural priorities – which were based on a competitive and resilient agricultural sector – could not be realised during Poland’s six-month cycle. Agricultural reform is of paramount importance not only for Poland and the Central and Eastern European member states, but it is not negligible for the largest EU producers either, such as Germany and France. By increasing the competitiveness of agriculture and reforming the support system, Europe and the EU would be able to catch up with their global competitors, which could also improve food security on the continent.

The Omnibus package, which reduces administrative burdens and which was adopted in relation to corporate and industrial competitiveness, also implements several important and timely measures, being essentially an expanded and independently issued version of point 4 of the Budapest Declaration of 8 November 2024. The agreement previously adopted in Budapest not only contained administrative and other simplification processes related to the business environment, but was also the first step in a complex measure aimed at restoring European competitiveness globally. In contrast, the Omnibus package relates to, among other things, reducing the administrative burden on companies and bureaucracy, as well as making sustainability reporting easier and more efficient. Therefore no progress was made in improving joint competitiveness during the Polish presidency, even though several reports have indicated that urgent and immediate action is needed on the part of member states and EU institutions.

Overall, during the Polish presidency, all of the most important defence measures were implemented, but important issues such as agricultural reform and European competitiveness still need to be resolved. Denmark took over the presidency from Poland on 1 July. The Danish presidency programme focuses on two areas: the green transition and the creation of a secure and competitive Europe.