The tasks of the Presidency

At present the country which holds the Presidency presides over the meetings of the Council of the European Union, which are held in Brussels or in Luxembourg, and organises meetings, informal or not, on its own territory. Moreover, the head of government of this country presides over the European Council.

The Presidency of the Council plays an essential role in steering the decision-making process in political and legislative matters. In the same manner, all the working groups (of government officials), whose task it is to prepare the ministerial meetings, are presided over by the country which holds the Presidency.

The president of the Council is also responsible for representing it at the other European institutions, such as the European Parliament and the European Commission. Furthermore, the Member State which holds the Presidency represents the Union on the international stage, in close cooperation with the EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, and the European Commission.