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The Presidency of the Council of the European Union The
presidency of the Council of the European Union, also known as the presidency
of the European Union (EU), is taken in turn by each of the 27 countries of the
European Union, according to a rotation system for a predetermined period of six
months. The order of rotation is determined unanimously by the Council
of the EU, based on the principle of alternating between "major" and "minor"
member states. The presidency change takes place on January 1st and
July 1st each year.
With the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union is coupled with a stable presidency of the European Council. The current president of the European Council is the Belgian Herman Van Rompuy for a period of two and a half years. The Council of the European Union meets to discuss specific subjects, each member state is represented by a minister.
For efficiency, the rotating presidencies are grouped by three to define their priorities. Poland, Denmark, and Cyprus and have defined the program for the next 18 months. For more information, visit the website of the Presidency of the EU today
Photo: European Council in Strasbourg on 8 and December 9, 1989 © European Communities | Photo of the monthEuropean diary
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Now, it's rotating presidency decides the political agenda and chairs the discussions between the various ministers such as the minister of finance, the minister of the interior, etc. A note worthy exception is the meetings of the ministers of Foreign Affiars, that are chaired by Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.