About: EU Presidency Archives

Two months before the start of the German EU presidency, the grand coalition government that will chair EU Council meetings during the first half of 2007 has not yet found agreement on priorities for the term. EURACTIV compares the two parties' positions on key issues.

In this article, published in Politik & Kommunikation (in German), Christophe Leclercq and Kristina Hondrila from EURACTIV sum up the main issues on the agenda of the Finnish presidency.

In this article, published by Politik & Kommunikation (in German), Christophe Leclercq and Kristina Weich Hondrila from EURACTIV summarise the main points of the EU policy statement that was held by German chancellor Angela Merkel on 11 May 2006.

Germany is stepping up its fight for the use of German at EU level. In the meantime, Finland insists that during its presidency it will only make press releases and working documents available in English and French.

During its EU Presidency, in the first half of 2007, Germany will make an effort of reviving the EU constitution, the country's press reports.

Christophe Leclercq and Kristina Weich Hondrila from EURACTIV.com write in this Politik und Kommunikation article about the upcoming presidency of Austria.

With employment and deficit figures that already meet the Lisbon goals and the Growth and Stability Pact criteria respectively, Austria can afford to have an unambitious-sounding Lisbon Action Plan.

Christophe Leclercq and Kristina Weich Hondrila from EURACTIV.com write in this Politik und Kommunikation article about the state of the EU at the end of the British presidency.

In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV, Johannes Voggenhuber, the Austrian MEP shepherding the Parliament's report on the 'period of reflection', takes on his country's EU Presidency, which he says is unlikely to produce any valuable results.

The Austrian Green MEP Johannes Voggenhuber was, together with British Liberal Andrew Duff, the Parliament's rapporteur on the EU Constitution. Both MEPs are also rapporteurs for the report on the period of reflection, to be voted in plenary in the January 16 -19 session. In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV, he commented on how likely the Austrian Presidency were to relaunch the stalled constitutional process.

Leading figures from the Austrian Presidency, the Commission and the Parliament agree that the Services Directive will be one of the most important issues of the new year.

In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV, Austria's EU ambassador Gregor Woschnagg defends Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel's low-profile approach to solving the EU's constitutional crisis.

Gregor Woschnagg is likely to be one of the busiest men in the European Union at present. A diplomat and a senior civil servant in various ministries in Austria, he took over the post of Permanent Representative in September 1999, only weeks before the Austrian National Council elections that led to a major crisis between Austria and the EU. In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV, Ambassador Woschnagg comments on the Austrian Presidency's priorities.

"Copy me, I'm the best and you're wrong" - that is the UK government's attitude towards its guests at the Hampton Court Social Council, on 27 October 2005, says Kirsty Hughes in this commentary for EURACTIV. The 24 other EU countries are rather unlikely to follow such a charming invitation. New Labour's economic policy still places the Blair government to the right of European Christian Democrats and in the camp of right-wing populists like Italy's Berlusconi or Spain's Aznar. 

In the follow-up to the German elections, leadership is now at the centre of discussions, with a view to Germany's EU presidency in two years.

The UK presidency says it has two clear health policy priorities: reducing health inequalities and promoting patient safety.

EU foreign ministers have adopted the list of the teams of
presidencies which will lead the Union from 1 January 2007.

Enhancing Political Leadership in the EU(January 2003) ByJanis A. EmmanouilidisandClaus Giering.   Abstract:In January 2003 the French and German Government issued a joint proposal on the future of the European Presidency. In their proposal they suggested a permanent presidency of the European Council …

On 20 May, the Spanish Prime Minister and the current EU President, José Maria Aznar, backed proposals from Britain and France on the creation of a new post of president of the European Council.

According to Mrs Sidse Aegidius, Head of Division at the Danish Ministry of science, technology and innovation, the Danish EU Presidency will focus on security in eEurope.

Meeting in Santander, both President Chirac and Prime Minister Aznar stressed the need for institutional reforms to make future enlargements a success

France will not be pushing for a federalist agenda during its coming EU presidency

The French Presidency, starting on 1 July 2000, will concentrate on the reform of the EU institutions and the social agenda

The Portuguese Presidency is making little progress in the Intergovernmental Conference talks