The President of the European Council, António Costa, will travel to Dublin on Wednesday (1 July) for the opening ceremony of the Irish presidency of the Council of the EU, as Ireland takes over the rotating presidency from Cyprus.
He will meet with Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, to mark the handover and discuss priorities for the months ahead, including the next steps in the negotiations on the new Multiannual Financial Framework as well as the implementation of the ‘One Europe, One Market’ agenda. The three core themes of the Irish presidency: competitiveness, values, and security, will feature in their discussions.
| “’Strength with unity’ is more than a slogan; it is what we need to deliver on two defining challenges: agreeing the next EU long-term budget and advancing the competitiveness agenda. These require unity, ambition and determination. Together with the Irish presidency, we will work hard to deliver.” |
| — António Costa, President of the European Council |
Visit to France
On Thursday and Friday (2-3 July), President Costa will travel to Aix-en-Provence to participate in the “Rencontres Économiques” economic forum. He will join the President of the European Central Back, Christine Lagarde, for a stage talk. The “Rencontres Économiques” are an annual international forum where economists, policymakers, business leaders and academics gather to debate major economic challenges. While in Aix-en-Provence, he will meet the President of the Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Renaud Muselier.
On Friday, President Costa will visit the ITER Headquarters in Saint Paul-lez-Durance, one of the world’s largest energy research facilities, dedicated to advancing fusion power. On Saturday, 4 July, President Costa will be in Marseille, and together with its Mayor, Benoît Payan, he will visit the Parc Kalliste School and EU-funded coastal projects, before visiting the Theatre Festival of Avignon.
Press opportunities
Wednesday 1 July 2026
12:10 Dublin time – Press conference with Taoiseach, Micheál Martin
Indicative Schedule
Wednesday 1 July 2026
Dublin, Ireland
Meeting with Taoiseach, Micheál Martin
Speech at official opening of the Irish presidency of the Council of the European Union
Thursday 2 July 2026
Aix-en-Provence, France
Meeting with President of PACA Region, Renaud Muselier
Friday 3 July 2026
Aix-en-Provence, France
Rencontres Économiques
Stage-talk with President of ECB, Christine Lagarde
Saint Paul-lez-Durance, France
Visit to ITER Headquarter
Saturday 4 July 2026
Marseille, France
Visit to Parc Kalliste School
Visit of EU-funded coastal projects
Meeting with Mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan
Avignon, France
Visit to Festival d’Avignon
All press events as well as videos and photos of the visits will be available in the Council newsroom.