Denmark is presiding over the Council of the EU in the second half of 2025, taking over this position from Poland. Denmark will now chair all the relevant Council formations and technical bodies, such as the Education, Employment, and Social Affairs Council meetings of the national ministers (EPSCO) or the Social Questions Working Party meetings, which usually discuss issues related to disability.
Presidency Programme strong on disability issues
The programme, titled ‘A strong Europe in a changing world” has two overarching priorities :
- A secure Europe
- A competitive and green Europe
Under these big lines, there are specific priorities that are directly relevant to persons with disabilities:
- Equal Treatment Directive: the Presidency will try to get support in the Council to adopt the proposal.
- Disability Strategy 2025-2030: Council Conclusions are planned on new priorities for the second half of the Strategy.
- Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF, also known as the EU Budget): The Presidency will be prepared to commence negotiations on MFF Regulations on youth, transport, telecommunications, and other topics of relevance for EDF.
- Passenger Rights: The Presidency will work towards transparent and clear passenger rights for all modes of transport and will begin negotiations with the European Parliament on the revised legislation.
- Housing: a focus on sustainable and affordable housing.
- European Care Strategy: the Presidency will prioritise the future of ageing and long-term care, ensuring quality, accessibility, and improved working conditions.
- Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence: The Presidency will follow-up, seeking ways for the EU and Member States to strengthen prevention, early detection, and intervention against gender-based violence.
- Pillar of Social Rights: The Presidency will support knowledge-sharing across Member States to advance work on the Pillar.
- EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2025 and the EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020–2025: Continuing the implementation of both strategies, as well as supporting the development and launch of new and ambitious strategies is a Presidency priority.
We will, of course, follow up directly with the Council and EDF members to try and include as many as possible of our Disability Priorities, which we distributed to the Danish Presidency in advance. Below you can also find a list of events that are planned and which could be of interest to persons with disabilities.
EDF will also actively participate in the Presidency event on disability on 6-7 November 2025 in Copenhagen.
Events
A preliminary list of events during the Presidency can be found on the Presidency website.
- 9 September 2025: EU Conference: Men, Boys, and Gender Equality
- 22-23 September 2025: Informal meeting of the Social Protection Committee
- 29-30 September 2025: High-level conference on affordable and sustainable housing
- 17 October 2025: Employment, Social Policy, Health, and Consumer (EPSCO) Council meeting (Luxembourg)
- 22 October 2025: Tripartite Social Summit (Brussels)
- 27 October 2025: High-level Policy Conference on the Future of Ageing and Long-term Care
- 6-7 November 2025: High-level Conference on Disability: Independent Living in Tomorrow’s Europe
- 10-11 November 2025: Informal meeting of the Human Rights Working Group (COHOM)
- 17-18 November 2025: Thematic seminar on homelessness
- 1 December 2025: Employment, Social Policy, Health, and Consumer (EPSCO) Council meeting (Brussels)
New events may still be added.