Minister Byrne to meet EU counterparts at the General Affairs Council

Minister Byrne to meet EU counterparts at the General Affairs Council

• From: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

• Published on: 26 January 2026
• Last updated on: 26 January 2026

Minister for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne TD, is in Brussels today (26 January) to represent Ireland at the EU General Affairs Council, following his attendance alongside Taoiseach Micheál Martin, at the informal European Council last Thursday.

The Minister will take forward work on competitiveness and simplification, the rule of law and democracy, as well as signing an agreement on interpretation services to support multilingualism, including the use of Irish, during Ireland's upcoming EU Presidency.

Speaking before travelling to Brussels, Minister Byrne said: "At a time when fundamental international norms are being challenged, it is important that we in the European Union reaffirm our core principles and values. I look forward to examining how we can strengthen our European democracies, by building on an initiative from Commissioner McGrath called the European Democracy Shield."

EU Ministers will also have an exchange of views on the rule of law in four Member States, based on reports from the European Commission.

Minister Byrne commented: "The rule of law is at the heart of the European Union. I strongly believe that we must continue to uphold the highest standards across all Eu Member States. The rule of law dialogues between Ministers are an important way to exchange best practice and, where necessary, discuss where we can do more."

The Minister will start the day by meeting with European counterparts and a representative of the European Parliament to discuss how to further simplify EU regulation.

The Minister commented: "The simplification agenda remains a top priority, as we work to strengthen the EU's competitiveness and reduce red tape, particularly for SMEs. The Irish Government wants to pursue a more ambitious simplification of permitting and environmental regulations, in order to support the delivery of affordable housing and critical infrastructure across the EU."

Following the Council meeting, Minister Byrne will sign an agreement with the European Commission to secure a multilingual interpretation system for Ireland's Presidency; ensuring high-level EU meetings held in Ireland can avail of interpretation in Irish and five other EU languages.

A livestream of the General Affairs Council can be found here.

ENDS

PRESS OFFICE

26 January 2026