Austria held the presidency of the Council of the European Union during the second half of 2018.

[2] It was the third time Austria had held the presidency.

[3][4] The Austria presidency aimed to address three major areas: improvement through digitalization, illegal immigration, and European stabilization.

[1] The motto that was chosen for the presidency was "A Europe that protects".

[5][4] The presidency was also involved in negotiations dealing with the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union (Brexit).