From 1 January, Cyprus took over the Presidency of the Council from Denmark. Cyprus will hold the Presidency for the next six months and will conclude the trio programme formed by Poland, Denmark, and Cyprus.

The new Presidency has identified five key priorities that will guide its steering of EU-level policy matters: security, competitiveness, autonomy, democratic values, and the next long-term EU budget. In the field of sport, the Cyprus Presidency will focus on strengthening the social, economic, and sustainability dimensions of EU sport policy. It plans to propose Council Conclusions on sport tourism, promote active ageing through the integration of physical activity into healthcare, support athletes’ mental health, and advance discussions on integrity in sport, including anti-doping policies.

The Presidency will also continue work on the EU strategic framework for sport and initiate dialogue with Southern Neighbourhood partners on a possible voluntary Mediterranean Sport Council.