Ahead of each new rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union (every 6 months), the ministers of the holding country present their priorities in a series of meetings with parliamentary committees related to their political area. On Tuesday 12 July 2022, the committees of ENVI (Environnment, Public Health and Food Safety), FEMM (Women's Rights and Gender Equality), TRAN (Transport and Tourism) and REGI (Regional Development) welcomed the Czech's ministers, including Vlastimil VÁLEK, Minister of Health, Marian JUREČKA, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Martin KUPKA, Minister of Transport and Ivan BARTOŠ, Minister for Digitisation and Regional Development.

Presentation of the EU Council's priorities by Czech Ministers: extracts from the EP Committee meetings (ENVI, FEMM, TRAN and REGI)

Title: Presentation of the EU Council&apos;s priorities by Czech Ministers: extracts from the presentation by Czech Ministers in the EP Committee meetings (ENVI, FEMM, TRAN and REGI) (I-228310)

Arrival of Vlastimil VALEK, Czech Minister of Health and meeting with Frederique RIES (Renew, BE) (2 shots)

SOUNDBITE (Czech), Vlastimil V&#193;LEK, Czech Minister of Health, The Czech presidency will continue to fight the pandemic, and we will focus on improving preparedness of the EU with a view to new possible health crises. We need to make sure we're not surprised once again.

Arrival of Marian JURECKA, Czech Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, and Robert BIEDROŃ (S&amp;D, PL), Chair of FEMM Committee (2 shots)

SOUNDBITE (Polish), Robert BIEDRO&#323; (S&amp;D, PL), It's really important for us that the Czech presidency, just as the French presidency, will be very successful when it comes to matters of equality, gender equality, fighting discrimination and equal rights. We hope that the Czech presidency will be just as successful, even more successful. So we really wish you all the best because there are many challenges.

SOUNDBITE (Czech), Marian JURE&#268;KA, Czech Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, As the Czech Republic, we do not take European Union for granted. We take it as a task, as a mission for all of us so that we can work on strengthening the European Union, on staying united in maintaining democratic principles, work on freedoms of states as well as individual freedoms, because those are important values. The specific priorities in our presidency are concerned. Indeed, there are issues of gender equality, boosting the status of women, and also preventing gender based violence. This was also pointed out at the Presidency Trio meeting that we adopted together with France and Sweden.

Martin KUPKA, Czech Minister of Transport, and Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR), Chair of TRAN Committee

SOUNDBITE (French), Karima DELLI (Greens/EFA, FR), Tourism is a sector which is already experiencing and will continue in the years to come to experience unprecedented problems. We have to overcome this latest wave of COVID, and we also have to look at the efforts being made to ensure a real relaunch.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin KUPKA, Czech Minister of Transport, The main political directions I just mentioned will be also implemented through our transport priorities. We want to focus on transport connectivity, transport sustainability, and safe and smart mobility.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin KUPKA, Czech Minister of Transport, The mode where we have to invest the most is the real value transport. One of our priorities is to develop the network of high speed rails across Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ivan BARTO&#352;, Czech Minister for Digitisation and Regional Development, Crises such as COVID pandemic and Russian aggression in Ukraine have further stressed the need to involve all tourism stakeholders, and really act together to tackle them.

Arrival of Ivan BARTO&Scaron;, Czech Minister for Digitisation and Regional Development, and Younous OMARJEE (The Left, FR), Chair of REGI Committee (2 shots)

SOUNDBITE (French), Younous OMARJEE (The Left, FR), The other urgency for our committee is to see the new 2021 2027 MFF start. We can't allow ourselves even more time before this comes into force. It seems to us that the recovery plan is right at the heart of the matter for Member States. But very few partnership contracts have been launched at the moment, and even fewer operational contracts for the Regions.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ivan BARTO&Scaron;, Czech Minister for Digitisation and Regional Development, We need cohesion policy more than ever together with, let's say, fast instruments that are trying, that are helping in a particular matter. The question that we must ask ourselves is what kind of policy is best suited for further advance the convergence of the European regions? Which policy will help us to achieve ambitious objectives such as the green and digital transitions while, at the same time, provide for necessary flexibility to face new developments?

Presentation of the EU Council's priorities by Czech Ministers: extracts from the EP Committee meetings (ENVI, FEMM, TRAN and REGI)

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Czech Presidency

FEMM - Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality

REGI - Committee on Regional Development

TRAN - Committee on Transport and Tourism

ENVI - Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety