Micheál Martin: Ireland and Spain Unite on EU Priorities
Micheál Martin met Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on 10 March to align priorities for Ireland's EU Presidency, discussing competitiveness, security, the MFF budget, and global crises in the Middle East and Ukraine. The leaders agreed to work closely on budget negotiations, enlargement, humanitarian aid, and deeper EU cooperation to protect citizens and spur growth.
Micheál Martin set out Ireland's focus for its EU Presidency: competitiveness, simplifying regulation, deepening the single market, advancing green and digital transitions, widening trade relations, and making energy more affordable for citizens and enterprises. He underlined the need for practical measures to boost growth across the EU.
Martin and Prime Minister Sánchez emphasised that Europe must do more for future security, including responses to new cyber and hybrid threats. They agreed the EU needs a multi-annual financial framework that protects successful policies while providing resources for security and innovation. Advancing MFF negotiations and seeking agreement by year-end were identified as key tasks for the Presidency.
Both leaders voiced strong, like-minded positions on the Middle East, supporting a two-state solution and noting their joint recognition of a Palestinian state in May 2024. They discussed urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza and the West Bank and committed to continued EU-level work. Support for Ukraine remains central, with talks on achieving a just and lasting peace and securing robust guarantees for Ukraine's future security.
Martin reflected on the strong historical and cultural links between Ireland and Spain and explored ways to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, energy, education, research, and culture. The meeting in Madrid marked the opening of a series of European visits to prepare for Ireland's Presidency and coordinate with counterparts across the EU.
EU Presidency priorities
Micheál Martin set out Ireland's focus for its EU Presidency: competitiveness, simplifying regulation, deepening the single market, advancing green and digital transitions, widening trade relations, and making energy more affordable for citizens and enterprises. He underlined the need for practical measures to boost growth across the EU.
Security and the EU budget
Martin and Prime Minister Sánchez emphasised that Europe must do more for future security, including responses to new cyber and hybrid threats. They agreed the EU needs a multi-annual financial framework that protects successful policies while providing resources for security and innovation. Advancing MFF negotiations and seeking agreement by year-end were identified as key tasks for the Presidency.
Middle East, Ukraine and enlargement
Both leaders voiced strong, like-minded positions on the Middle East, supporting a two-state solution and noting their joint recognition of a Palestinian state in May 2024. They discussed urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza and the West Bank and committed to continued EU-level work. Support for Ukraine remains central, with talks on achieving a just and lasting peace and securing robust guarantees for Ukraine's future security.
Bilateral ties and cooperation
Martin reflected on the strong historical and cultural links between Ireland and Spain and explored ways to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, energy, education, research, and culture. The meeting in Madrid marked the opening of a series of European visits to prepare for Ireland's Presidency and coordinate with counterparts across the EU.
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Transcript
I had a bilateral meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on the 10th of March at which we discussed plans and priorities for Ireland's EU Presidency, international issues including the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine, and bilateral relations which are excellent. My visit to Madrid was the first in a series of visits to European capitals to meet my counterparts as part of preparation for EU Presidency. I also visited colleagues in Germany, Netherlands, France, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Finland and Greece. In my meeting with Prime Minister Sánchez we discussed areas where Ireland would work to make progress during our term. I explained our particular focus on competitiveness and we agreed the need to take further action to simplify regulation, deepen the single market, embrace the green and digital transitions, widen our trade relations and make energy more affordable for our citizens and enterprises. We also agreed that Europe needs to do more to ensure its future security, including in the context of new cyber and hybrid threats. We agreed that to achieve its goals the European Union needs a budget that both protects existing successful policy areas while also providing for new areas of focus including security and innovation. Advancing negotiations on the multi-annual budget, the MFF, will be an important task for us as Presidency and we will work closely with President of the European Council António Costa with a view to securing agreement by the end of the year, if at all possible. Prime Minister Sánchez and I also agreed the need to make headway on enlargement. We also discussed global issues including the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine. Spain and Ireland are very like-minded on the Middle East, including in our support for a two-state solution. We both recognised the Palestinian state together in May 2024 and we have worked together in support of suspension of the European Union-Israel Association Agreement in light of egregious breaches of human rights in the Palestinian territories. Prime Minister Sánchez and I discussed the dire situation in Gaza and indeed the West Bank, including the urgent need for humanitarian assistance in Gaza and prospects for a meaningful political process that can deliver peace to both the people of Palestine and of Israel. We agreed to continue our work together at European Union level on the issue. Support for Ukraine is a central focus of our Presidency and Prime Minister Sánchez and I agreed that work to achieve a just and lasting peace should continue, including through the work of the Coalition of the Willing. This aimed to ensure that when peace comes, there are robust security guarantees in place to protect Ukraine in the future. We reflected on the strong bilateral relationship between Ireland and Spain, built on strong historical links as well as a close cultural affinity. We discussed how we can work together to further strengthen these links, including in areas such as trade, investment, energy, education, research and culture.