Government of Sweden

05/07/2021 | Press release | Archived content

First meeting to be held in Kiruna when Sweden takes over EU Presidency in 2023

The European Commission will be invited to Kiruna when Sweden holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1 January-30 June 2023.

Preparations by the Government and the Government Offices ahead of Sweden's Presidency of the EU in the spring of 2023 have been under way for over a year. During the Swedish Presidency, the Government and Government Offices officials will lead many of the Council of the European Union's meetings. In all, this includes around 2 000 meetings in Brussels and Luxembourg. Some 150 informal meetings and conferences will be organised here in Sweden. The first meeting of the European Commission will be held in Kiruna in January 2023.

'It's a tradition for the country holding the Presidency to invite the European Commission at the beginning of its term for a meeting with the government about current matters on the EU agenda. Inviting the Commission to Kiruna gives us a fantastic opportunity to show the unique and beautiful countryside, as well as the power and drive inherent in the region,' says Minister for EU Affairs Hans Dahlgren.

Background to the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

The Presidency's most important task is to move the EU's agenda forward and work out negotiated solutions. The Presidency must be well-organised and create efficient meetings that deliver decisions and positions that benefit EU citizens. The primary focus during a Presidency is to do a good job in leading the work of the EU. The Presidency rotates among the EU Member States.