Priorities of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU

The Estonian Presidency begins on 1 July. The Presidency of the Council of the European Union is responsible for the functioning of the Council of the European Union, the upper house of the EU legislature. It rotates among the member states of the EU every six months.

The programme of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union is composed of four priority areas:

• an open and innovative European economy
• a safe and secure Europe
• a digital Europe and the free movement of data
• an inclusive and sustainable Europe

Estonia considers important to develop the digital society, the precondition of which is the free movement of data. Quick, high-quality and available internet connectivity is one of the cornerstones of a smart, data-led economy. The EU is at an early stage in developing a data-led economy. The Estonian Presidency will emphasise that digital society needs to be developed in all aspects of life.

To this end, the Estonian Presidency will focus on:

• developing cross-border e-commerce and e-services for the benefit of consumers, producers and businesses
  
• ensuring modern and secure electronic communications available everywhere across Europe as well as creating a favourable environment for new innovative services
  
• advancing cross-border digital public services to facilitate everyday life
  

As part of the Presidency programme, supporting digital innovation in healthcare will be one of the priority topics, in line with the overall priority of the Digital Single market in Europe and the Free Flow of Data.