Christodoulides: It is time for further European integration

President Nikos Christodoulides on Thursday said it is time for “further European integration”, as Cyprus took on the Council of the European Union’s rotating presidency for a six-month term.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, he said it is “time for more autonomy for Europe, for further European integration, taking into account that by addressing challenges, the union always emerges stronger”.

During Cyprus’ six-month term as the Council of the EU’s president, he said, his government will “work for a union which is strong from within, capable of protecting its citizens, its borders, and its interests”.

He added that the EU must also be capable of “building partnerships and alliances from a position of strength”.

On this matter, he said the EU should be “outward-looking and open to the world”, and that it should play a “substantial role” and have a say in global events.

The EU, he said, should “draw its strength from its stability, reliability, and predictability”, and “inspire trust and security”.

He said that this is because the bloc is “based on principles and values, on international law, on dialogue, on diplomacy, and on cooperation”.

He went on to say that the EU’s autonomy will be “promoted through five specific and interlinked pillars”.

The first of those pillars, he said, is “autonomy through security, defence, and preparedness”, while the second is “autonomy through competitiveness” and the third is “a union open to the world”.

Fourth on the list is “an autonomous union of values for all”, and the fifth and final pillar is “a long-term budget for an autonomous union”.

“Our presidency will work with determination to give new impetus to the European project and to contribute substantially to the next step of our common path, for an autonomous union, open to the world, for a Europe which will be a continent of peace, prosperity, and cooperation,” he said.

Christodoulides’ reference to defence comes after European Affairs Minister Marie Bjerre of Denmark, the country which held the Council of the EU’s rotating presidency until Wednesday, had said last month that Cyprus should focus on “security and defence and competitiveness” during its own term.

“The key European issues should be on top of the agenda: security and competitiveness. I really hope that the Cyprus presidency will do its best on this. I am sure it will,” she said.

Meanwhile, Christodoulides’ reference to the “long-term budget” comes with the EU beginning to drawing up plans for its next multiannual financial framework – the bloc’s budget for the period covering the years between 2028 and 2034.

European budget commissioner Piotr Serafin visited Cyprus in September to discuss the matter with Christodoulides, and said at the time that Cyprus’ six-month term will be “of crucial importance” for efforts to achieve unanimity among the bloc’s 27 member states for the multi annual financial framework.

To this end, the European Commission released a package of seven “sectoral proposals” on the matter in September, with the areas covered including the single market and customs programme, justice, and the European atomic energy community (Euratom)’s research and training programme, among other matters.