What does the Presidency mean?

On 1 July 2009, Sweden took over the Presidency of the EU. This means that for six months, Sweden will lead the EU's work and be responsible for moving important EU issues forward.

The Presidency of the Council rotates between the Member States. The Presidency rotates on a half-yearly basis. The country presiding over the Council functions as the driving force in the EU's legislative and political decision-making process. Sweden will hold the Presidency from 1 July to 31 December 2009.

Main tasks of the country holding the Presidency

The Presidency is a unique opportunity for Sweden to lead and influence work on important EU issues. At the same time, the country holding the Presidency must be flexible and prepared to deal with unexpected issues.

The country holding the Presidency has the following three main tasks:

• It leads work in the Council and is responsible for moving important issues forward. It schedules Council meetings at all levels, produces agendas and chairs the meetings.
• It brokers compromises between Member States; it must be impartial and act in the interest of all the Member States.
• It represents the Council in relations with the other EU institutions. It also represents the EU in relations with countries outside the EU and in international organisations.