The Czech Presidency of the EU 2022 with a Focus on Agricultural Policy

Bc. Natálie Mestlová

Master's thesis

Abstract:

This diploma thesis focuses on the analysis of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU, which took place in 2022. The thesis specifically focuses on the issue of deforestation and forest degradation, in which the author had the opportunity to actively participate during his internship during the Presidency. The thesis begins with a chapter that si focused on history of the European Union, in which the author describes the historical developments and events that led to the establishment of the EU. Next, the author discusses basic concepts related to the EU and the EU Council Presidency, thus trying to outline the functioning of the EU for the reader. In the theoretical part, the author also discusses the first Czech Presidency in 2009 together with the second Czech Presidency, which took place in 2022, and also a comparison of the two Presidencies is made. During the internship, the author had the opportunity to participate in CZ PRES 2022, specifically in the draft regulation on deforestation. Thanks to this opportunity, the author worked with diplomats and renowned experts in the field who participated in the drafting of the proposal and contributed significantly to its approval. In the practical part, the author has addressed the main topic of this thesis, namely deforestation and forest degradation, which was one of the priorities of the Czech Presidency of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH). Therefore, the author used the acquired experience and contacts in the practical part of the thesis, where she focused on experts who were actively involved in the Czech Presidency and thanks to whom the deforestation proposal was finally approved, through a questionnaire survey and interviews.

Keywords

Presidency, Czech Presidency 2022, EU Institutions, European Union, Negotiations, Agriculture, Green Deal, Deforestation, Economics and Environment, Trilogue

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 1. 4. 2024

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 29. 5. 2024
• Supervisor: doc. Ing. Karel Tomšík, Ph.D.
• Reader: Jiří Šír, externi

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Economics and Management

Master programme:
European Agrarian Diplomacy