Minister Byrne signs interpretation agreement for Ireland’s EU Presidency

Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne TD, has today (26 January) signed an Administrative Cooperation Agreement, for the provision of simultaneous interpretation services, including Irish, at informal Ministerial meetings and summits to be held in Ireland during the EU Presidency.

The agreement marks a significant milestone in Ireland's linguistic and cultural engagement with the European Union and provides an opportunity to reaffirm Ireland's commitment to multilingualism, and the full integration of the Irish language, in European affairs.

Minister Byrne was joined by the Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Interpretation, Ms Genoveva Ruiz Calavera, for the signing of the agreement.

Speaking at the signing, Minister Byrne said: "Ireland's 2026 EU Presidency is a landmark because it is our first EU Presidency since the Irish language assumed its full status as an official and working language of the EU. As a result of this agreement, Irish will be used at informal EU Presidency Ministerial meetings and summits held in Ireland."

Minister Byrne added: "The signing of this agreement reflects our ongoing and intense preparations for Ireland's forthcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union, providing the linguistic framework necessary for a successful term. I believe that the ability for Ministers and officials, from across the EU, to engage fully in their own languages supports meaningful dialogue, effective negotiations and good decision making."

The Directorate-General for Interpretation team of interpreters has extensive experience of providing conference interpretation in the 24 official languages of the European Union, and of working with successive rotating Presidencies of the EU Council.

The capacity of the Directorate-General for Interpretation to provide simultaneous interpretation services in the Irish language during the upcoming Presidency will support these efforts.

ENDS

Press Office

26 January 2026

DG SCIC is the European Commission's interpreting service. It is the world's largest interpreting service, routinely providing interpretation in all 24 official EU languages for the European Commission, European Council, Council of the EU, rotating Presidencies of the Council of the EU, and other EU bodies and agencies.

Ireland last held the Presidency of the Council of the EU from January to June 2013, at a time when Irish was an official and working language of the EU but still subject to a derogation limiting the scope of translation and interpretation services. This derogation was lifted on 1 January 2022.