Lisbon, Jan 4, 2021 (Lusa) - The commitment to digitalisation, railways or the completion of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) are some of the priorities put forward by the Portuguese government for the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) in the first half of 2021.

As with the German Presidency, which ended on 31 December, issues related to the pandemic are also expected to fill the agenda. Prime Minister António Costa said on 1 December, that the "major priority" for the coming months will be to "ensure a fair vaccination that ensures global immunisation against Covid.

In recent months, however, other priorities have been put forward by the different government ministries, which aim to implement them during the Portuguese presidency of the EU Council.

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education hopes priority will be given to developing skills and capacities, strengthening digitalisation and sustainability and promoting inclusion and equity.

The minister of education, Tiago Brandão Rodrigues, said on 9 December that the Portuguese Presidency will launch the Erasmus+ programme, which brings together all the exchange programmes in the area of education and training in the EU.

In the transport sector, the priority will be rail, to "put railways at the centre of a more resilient European transport system and the people," the minister for infrastructure, Pedro Nuno Santos, said.

In the area of telecommunications, the government set the digital transition of Europe and a boost to the single digital market as its objectives, with Pedro Nuno Santos stressing the importance of the inauguration of the 'Ellalink' submarine cable, which links South American to Europe, between Fortaleza in Brazil and Sines in Portugal.

In agriculture, the priority for the next six months will be to complete the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The new CAP is expected to be more demanding in terms of good environmental practices, with governments having greater flexibility in adopting measures and allocating funding through their National Strategic Plans.

Innovation in sport and Diplomacy in Sport will be the priority themes in this sector, according to the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (IPDJ), which said that these were the priorities presented by the minister of Education, Tiago Brandão Rodrigues, at the Council of Sports Ministers on 1 December.

Minister for Justice Francisca Van Dunem revealed that the main concerns of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU in this sector will be the fight against terrorism, cybercrime and hate crimes.

In the area of defence, the priority will be to strengthen the European partnership with the African continent in terms of peace and security, according to Minister of Defence João Gomes Cravinho, who also aims to strengthen relations with NATO, evoking the administration of Joe Biden, President-elect of the United States, who takes office on 20 January.

Ricardo Serrão Santos, the minister of the sea, revealed that the sector's main objective for the next six months will be the new regulation on fisheries control. During this period, the European Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund is also expected to be concluded.

The action plan of the European Pillar of Social Rights will be the priority of the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, with Minister Ana Mendes Godinho also defining the directive on the European minimum wage as an objective, an area in which Portugal will have the role of "mediator".

The Portuguese government has said that main objectives of the Presidency of the Council of the EU is to have the European budget for 2021-2027 in execution by the end of June and to conclude the approval process of the member states' plans for the application of the post-Pandemic Recovery Fund.

The third goal is for the European vaccination plan against Covid-19 to be in place by the end of the first half of the year and for Europe to contribute to universal vaccination worldwide. The fourth is to give "the definitive impetus" to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, which will reach a high point the Social Summit in Porto in May.

Finally, the Government intends to contribute to the opening of Europe to the world.

BYC/ADB // ADB.

Lusa