Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

From 1 July to 31 December 2025, Denmark will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This is a significant responsibility that will play a major role in the work of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing during the Presidency

During the Presidency, a number of meetings and conferences are planned within the remit of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing. Read about the Danish priorities during the presidency underneath. 

Main priorities for Employment, Social policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO)

• The global development highlights the importance of all sectors contributing towards strengthening Europe’s safety and competitiveness. Among others this applies to the effort to ensure competitive labour markets in the EU with proper and fair working conditions.
• The Danish Presidency will promote a competitive EU where jobs are maintained and the right qualifications are available for the future labour market within the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council configuration (EPSCO).
• The Presidency wishes to promote social cohesion, fight social exclusion and ensure the inclusion of all persons.
• Furthermore, the Danish Presidency will work towards ensuring rights, equality, and genuine equal opportunities are a reality for all persons no matter their gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or gender characteristics.

Social, equal treatment and housing policies

Equal treatment

• The Presidency will hold a high-level conference on advancing independent living for persons with disabilities, also persons living in their own homes, in close collaboration with Danish and European civil society organisations.
• The Presidency will also present council conclusions pertaining to an updated European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Social inclusion

• The member states have committed to collaborate on improving cohesion and the social inclusion of the most vulnerable persons in the EU.
• In regards to this, the Presidency will promote knowledge sharing across member states; including on vulnerable children within the framework of the European Child Guarantee, and on homelessness, in parallel with the collaboration in the European Platform on Combatting Homelessness.

Housing Policy

• Many people struggle to find adorable housing which can be a barrier for the inclusion of vulnerable groups and for the free movement in the labour market. Concurrently, there is a need for a green transition of the European building stock.
• The Presidency will hold a High-Level Conference on the provision of sustainable and affordable housing which is accessible to the average person with a focus on the member states and cities’ different tools and roles.
• The Commission has also announced a forthcoming Affordable Housing Plan (early 2026), which the Presidency will present the European Council’s input to in the form of council conclusions.

Equal Treatment

• The Presidency will prioritise the negotiations on the proposal for a Horizontal Equal Treatment Directive from 2008.
• The Presidency will also prioritise political discussion of how and with what tools the EU should combat discrimination going forward.

Family law

• In the Working Party on parenthood, we are discussing the drafting of a regulation on the recognition of parenthood across EU countries.
• The work of this Working Party in the parenthood file touches on a complex and sensitive area, where diverging national legislation and approaches have become evident in our discussions so far.

Over the next six months, we aim to take the file forward through compromise-oriented suggestions.