Three work programmes form the foundation for all home affairs policy measures and goals during Germany’s Presidency. They are the German Presidency programme, the work programme of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the programme for the trio presidency with Portugal and Slovenia.

The German Presidency programme

The German Presidency programme provides a framework for the Federal Government’s work during the Council Presidency. The motto for the Presidency is "Together for Europe’s recovery".

The COVID-19 pandemic has made crisis management and follow-up a new focus of the German Presidency.

The Federal Ministry of the Interior’s work programme for Germany’s Council Presidency

The Federal Ministry of the Interior’s work programme provides an important foundation for the ministry’s work during the Council Presidency. It takes up the topics of the overall German programme, addresses them in greater detail and adds further topics of relevance for the Federal Ministry of the Interior.

All of the ministries have adapted their programmes considerably in response to the coronavirus crisis. Among other things, many new topics have been added. In the area of home affairs policy, these specifically concern disaster management, civil protection and border management. The foremost issue is the restoration of freedom of movement within the EU and the coordinated lifting of border checks.

Due to the pandemic, in-person meetings to plan the German Council Presidency were severely curtailed; during the planning period, capacities for virtual meetings were not yet sufficient. This forced the ministries to prioritise the most important topics.

Along with crisis management, the following issues remain priorities for the Federal Ministry of the Interior: the migration package, security matters (such as interoperability and combating right-wing extremism), issues of social and territorial cohesion (including building and housing policy), and digital transformation.

The ministry is tackling these and other issues under three headings:

• Living together in a strong society
• Resolving European migration issues together
• Working together to provide security for all

The Federal Ministry of the Interior’s motto for all its activities during the presidency is "Together for Europe – Together in Europe".

The trio programme

Along with national Presidency programmes, each trio presidency also has an 18-month trio programme for the Council. It sets the thematic focus for the three consecutive Presidencies, thereby ensuring a certain continuity among them. The German Council Presidency kicks off the trio presidency with Portugal (Council Presidency in the first half of 2021) and Slovenia (Council Presidency in the second half of 2021).

The trio programme addresses many topics relevant to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, including but not limited to police cooperation, civil protection and migration.