Presidency of the Council of the European Union refers to the responsibility of presiding over all aspects of the Council of the European Union, when exercised collectively by a government, on a pre-established rota of the member states, of the European Union. The Presidency, which is sometimes informally called the European Presidency, has as its primary responsibility to organize and chair all meetings of the Council. However, working out compromises capable of resolving difficulties is in practice also a primary responsibility. Elections in the European Union gives information on election and election results in the European Union. ... Elections to the European Parliament were held from June 10, 2004 to June 13, 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom. ... In early 2007, Bulgaria and Romania will elect their members of the European Parliament for the first time. ... Elections to the European Parliament will be held in June 2006 in the then–27 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom. ... In five European Union Member States (Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy and the United Kingdom), the national territory is divided into a number of constituencies for European elections. ... The European political party, or formally political party at European level, is a type of political party organization in the European Union, eligible to receive funding from the Union. ... Political Groups in the European Parliament combine the MEPs from European political parties, informal European political blocs, and independents, into powerful coalitions. ... // Origins of the EU History of the European Union European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) Euratom Single market. ... Austria Poland Belgium Bulgaria Cyprus Czech   Rep. ... The European Union (EU) was created by six founding states in 1957 (following the earlier establishment by the same six states of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952) and has grown to 27 member states. ... Foreign relations of the European Union Foreign relations of Austria Foreign relations of Belgium Foreign relations of Cyprus Foreign relations of the Czech Republic Foreign relations of Denmark Foreign relations of Estonia Foreign relations of Finland Foreign relations of France Foreign relations of Germany Foreign relations of Greece Foreign relations... European Union law is the unique legal system which operates alongside the laws of Member States of the European Union (EU). ... In economics, a monetary union is a situation where several countries have agreed to share a single currency among them. ... This article or section should be merged with List of European Union-related topics The European Union has several institutions: The European Parliament The European Council The Council of the European Union (or Council of Ministers) The European Commission The European Court of Justice (incorporating the Court of First Instance... The agencies of the European Union (or decentralised bodies of the European Union) are bodies which are distinct from the European Unions institutions, in that they have not been created by the treaties but rather by acts of secondary legislation, in order to accomplish a very specific task. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... The Justus Lipsius building, the headquarter of the EU Council in Brussels The Council of the European Union (German: Rat der Europäischen Union, French: Le Conseil de lUnion européenne), is a governing body that forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union...

The post as President of the Council of the European Union is for each separate meeting held by the responsible government minister of the member state holding the Presidency. Separate from the Council of the European Union there is also the European Council, which meets at European summits at about four times per year. The task as President of the assembled European Council, is similarly performed by the head of government or head of state of the member state holding the Presidency. The President is primarily responsible for preparing and chairing Council meetings, and has no executive powers. A minister or a secretary is a politician who heads a government ministry or department (e. ... The European Council, informally called the European summit, is a meeting of the heads of state or government of the European Union, and the President of the European Commission. ... The Head of Government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. ... Queen Elizabeth II, is the Head of State of 16 countries including: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand and the Bahamas, as well as crown colonies and overseas territories of the United Kingdom. ...

Rota

1958 to 2006

The Council of the European Union is presided over for a period of six months by each member state of the European Union in turn, in accordance with a pre-established rota unless the Council makes a new decision.

¹ Germany was due to succeed Austria in 2006 but stepped aside as general elections were scheduled for that period. Finland, as next in line, took their place. In the event, the German elections took place in 2005 due to a loss of confidence vote, but the re-arrangement remains. A minister for foreign affairs, or foreign minister, is a governmental cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign nation. ... Maurice Couve de Murville Maurice Couve de Murville (January 24, 1907 - December 24, 1999) was a French Protestant politician, a supporter of Charles de Gaulle, under whom he served as Foreign Minister (1958-1968), Finance Minister (1968), and Prime Minister (1968-1969). ... Giuseppe Pella (April 18, 1902-1981) was an Italian Christian Democratic politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy from 1953 to 1954. ... Eugène Schaus (1901 – 1978) was a Luxembourgian politician. ... Joseph Antoine Marie Hubert Luns ( August 28, 1911 - July 18, 2002) was a Dutch politician and former NATO secretary-general. ... Paul-Henri Charles Spaak   listen? (January 25, 1899 - July 31, 1972) was a Belgian Socialist politician and statesman. ... Gerhard Schröder (September 11, 1910 - December 31, 1989) was a West German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union (Germany) party. ... Maurice Couve de Murville Maurice Couve de Murville (January 24, 1907 - December 24, 1999) was a French Protestant politician, a supporter of Charles de Gaulle, under whom he served as Foreign Minister (1958-1968), Finance Minister (1968), and Prime Minister (1968-1969). ... Emilio Colombo (born April 14, 1920) was an Italian diplomat and politician. ... Eugène Schaus (1901 – 1978) was a Luxembourgian politician. ... Joseph Antoine Marie Hubert Luns ( August 28, 1911 - July 18, 2002) was a Dutch politician and former NATO secretary-general. ... Gerhard Schröder (September 11, 1910 - December 31, 1989) was a West German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union (Germany) party. ... Maurice Couve de Murville Maurice Couve de Murville (January 24, 1907 - December 24, 1999) was a French Protestant politician, a supporter of Charles de Gaulle, under whom he served as Foreign Minister (1958-1968), Finance Minister (1968), and Prime Minister (1968-1969). ... Amintore Fanfani (6 February 1908 - 20 November 1999) was an Italian politician and Prime Minister. ... Pierre Werner (29 December 1913 - 24 June 2002) was a Luxembourg politician. ... Barend Willem Biesheuvel (April 5, 1920_April 29, 2001) was a Dutch politician, prime minister of the Netherlands from 1971 until 1973, as a member of the Protestant ARP party. ... Willy Brandt, born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm (December 18, 1913 - October 8, 1992), was a German politician, Chancellor of West Germany 1969 – 1974, and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) 1964 – 1987. ... Maurice Couve de Murville Maurice Couve de Murville (January 24, 1907 - December 24, 1999) was a French Protestant politician, a supporter of Charles de Gaulle, under whom he served as Foreign Minister (1958-1968), Finance Minister (1968), and Prime Minister (1968-1969). ... Giuseppe Medici (Sassuolo, October 24, 1907 - Modena, August 21, 2000) was an Italian politician. ... Joseph Antoine Marie Hubert Luns ( August 28, 1911 - July 18, 2002) was a Dutch politician and former NATO secretary-general. ... Pierre Charles José Marie Harmel (born March 16, 1911) was a Belgian lawyer, Christian Democratic politician and diplomat. ... Walter Scheel (born July 8, 1919) is a German politician (FDP). ... Maurice Schumann (1911-1998) was a French politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs under Georges Pompidou in the 1960s and 1970s. ... Aldo Moro (September 23, 1916 – May 9, 1978) was an Italian politician and five time Prime Minister of Italy, from 1963 to 1968 and then from 1974 to 1976. ... Gaston Egmond Thorn (born September 3, 1928), Luxembourg politician, was President of the European Commission, the executive body of the European Community, from 1981 to 1985. ... Pierre Charles José Marie Harmel (born March 16, 1911) was a Belgian lawyer, Christian Democratic politician and diplomat. ... Walter Scheel (born July 8, 1919) is a German politician (FDP). ... Jean Sauvagnargues (1915-2002) was a French politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs under Valéry Giscard dEstaing from 1974 to 1976. ... Garret FitzGerald (Irish: ; born February 9, 1926) was the seventh Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, serving two terms in office; July 1981 to February 1982, and December 1982 to March 1987. ... Mariano Rumor (Vicenza 1915 – Rome 1990) was an Italian politician, a member of the Democrazia Cristiana, and several times Prime Minister of Italy. ... Gaston Egmond Thorn (born September 3, 1928), Luxembourg politician, was President of the European Commission, the executive body of the European Community, from 1981 to 1985. ... Max van der Stoel (born August 3, 1924, Voorschoten) is a Dutch politician. ... Charles Anthony Raven Crosland (29 August 1918 - 19 February 1977) was a member of the Labour Party and an important socialist theorist. ... David Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen, CH, PC (born July 2, 1938) is a British politician, Chancellor of the University of Liverpool and one of the founders of the British Social Democratic Party (SDP). ... Henri Simonet (10 May 1931–15 February 1996) was a Belgian politician. ... Knud Børge Andersen (1914 - 23 March 1984) began his career as a journalist, but switched to politics in 1947, being elected to the Folketing as a Social Democrat. ... George H. W. Bush and Hans-Dietrich Genscher, November 21st, 1989. ... Jean François-Poncet (b. ... Michael OKennedy, (born February, 1936) was a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... Attilio Ruffini (born December 31, 1925 in Mantua) is an Italian politician. ... Colette Flesch (born 16 April 1937) is a Luxembourgian politician. ... Peter Alexander Rupert Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, KG, GCMG, CH, MC, PC, JP, DL (born June 6, 1919), was British Foreign Secretary (1979–1982) and Secretary-General of NATO (1984–1988). ... Leo Tindemans  listen? , born in Zwijndrecht on 16 April 1922, was prime minister (CVP) of six Belgian governments, from 25 April 1974 to 20 October 1978. ... Uffe Ellemann-Jensen (b. ... George H. W. Bush and Hans-Dietrich Genscher, November 21st, 1989. ... Roland Dumas (b. ... Peter Barry (Irish: ; born August 10, 1928) is a retired Irish Fine Gael politician and businessman. ... Giulio Andreotti Giulio Andreotti (born in Rome, 14 January 1919) is an Italian political figure, among the most powerful in post-war Italy. ... Jacques Poos (born 3 June 1935) is a Luxembourg politician. ... Hans van den Broek  listen (born 11 December 1936 in Paris) is a Dutch politician. ... Richard Edward Geoffrey Howe, Baron Howe of Aberavon, CH, PC, QC (born 20 December 1926), known until 1992 as Sir Geoffrey Howe, is a senior British Conservative politician. ... Leo Tindemans  listen? , born in Zwijndrecht on 16 April 1922, was prime minister (CVP) of six Belgian governments, from 25 April 1974 to 20 October 1978. ... Uffe Ellemann-Jensen (b. ... George H. W. Bush and Hans-Dietrich Genscher, November 21st, 1989. ... Theodoros Pangalos (Greek Θεόδωρος Παγγάλος) was a Greek general who briefly ruled Greece from 1925-26. ... Francisco Fernández Ordóñez (1930-1992) was a Spanish ´politician who became Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) government of Felipe González from 1985 until shortly before his death from a terminal illness in 1992. ... Roland Dumas (b. ... James Gerard Collins (born October, 1938) was a senior Irish politician. ... Gianni De Michelis Gianni De Michelis (born on 26 November 1940 in Venezia) is an Italian politician and Member of the European Parliament for Southern with the NPSI, and is therefore a Non-Inscrit in the European Parliament waiting for the acceptance of his partys request of membership in... Jacques Poos (born 3 June 1935) is a Luxembourg politician. ... Hans van den Broek  listen (born 11 December 1936 in Paris) is a Dutch politician. ... João de Deus Pinheiro, born 11 July 1945 in Lisbon, is a Portuguese politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Social Democratic Party–Peoples Party coalition; part of the European Peoples Party–European Democrats group. ... Douglas Richard Hurd, Baron Hurd of Westwell, CH, CBE, PC (born 8 March 1930), is a senior British Conservative politician and novelist, who served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major between 1979 and his retirement in 1995. ... Poul Nyrup Rasmussen Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (born June 15, 1943) was the Prime Minister of Denmark from January 25, 1993 to November 27, 2001. ... Willy Claes (born November 24, 1938) was Secretary General of NATO and a Belgian politician. ... Karolos Papoulias Karolos Papoulias (Greek: Κάρολος Παπούλιας) is the President of the Hellenic Republic, former minister and member of the Hellenic parliament. ... Dr. Klaus Kinkel (born December 17, 1936) is a German politician (FDP). ... Alain Marie Juppé (born 15 August 1945) is Frances Minister of State, Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Development ; among other positions, he was Prime Minister of France from 1995 to 1997. ... Javier Solana Francisco Javier Solana Madariaga (born July 14, 1942 in Madrid, Spain) is the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Secretary-General of both the Council of the European Union (EU) and the Western European Union (WEU). ... Created by Aris Katsaris. ... Lamberto Dini (right) with William Cohen Lamberto Dini (born in Florence, March 1, 1931), is a former Italian Prime Minister (1995-1996) and Foreign Minister (1996-2001). ... Richard Spring (born August 29, 1950 in Tralee County Kerry), is a businessman and former senior Irish politician. ... Henricus Antonius Franciscus Maria Oliva (Hans) van Mierlo (born August 18, 1931) is a Dutch journalist and politician. ... Jacques Poos (born 3 June 1935) is a Luxembourg politician. ... Robert Finlayson Cook (28 February 1946 – 6 August 2005) was a politician in the British Labour Party. ... Wolfgang Schüssel Wolfgang Schüssel (born on June 7, 1945 in Vienna, Austria) is a Christian Democratic Austrian politician. ... Joschka Fischer Joseph Martin Joschka Fischer (April 12, 1948 – ) was German foreign minister and Vice Chancellor in the government of Gerhard Schröder from 1998 to 2005. ... Tarja Kaarina Halonen (IPA: ) (born December 24, 1943, in Helsinki, Finland) is the President of Finland. ... Jaime Jose Matos Da Gama (born June 8, 1947) is a Portuguese diplomat. ... Hubert Védrine and Ben Ali Hubert Védrine (born July 31, 1947) is a French Socialist politician, who served as Foreign Minister in the government of Lionel Jospin from 1997 to 2002. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Louis Michel Louis Michel (born September 2, 1947) was until July 2004 the Belgian foreign minister. ... Josep Piqué (February 21, 1955) is a politician of Partido Popular in Spain. ... Per Stig Møller Per Stig Møller (born August 27, 1942 in Frederiksberg) is the current Foreign Minister, as of 2005. ... George Papandreou as Foreign Minister of Greece For George Papandreous grandfather, also called George Papandreou, see George Papandreou, senior. ... Franco Frattini (born 14 March 1957) is an Italian politician, currently serving as European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security. ... Patrick Bartholomew Ahern (known as Bertie Ahern, Irish: ; born 12 September 1951 in Dublin) is an Irish politician. ... Taken from http://www. ... Dr. Bernard Bot, born November 21, 1937 is the current Minister of Foreign affairs of The Netherlands. ... Taken from http://ue. ... Jean Asselborn (born 1949) is a politician from Luxembourg. ... John Whitaker Straw (born August 3, 1946) is a British Labour Party politician. ... The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (commonly referred to as Foreign Secretary) is a member of the British Government responsible for relations with foreign countries, heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (often called simply the Foreign Office). ... Douglas Garven Alexander (born October 26, 1967) is a British politician who is Secretary of State for Transport and Secretary of State for Scotland He is the Member of Parliament for the Scottish constituency of Paisley and Renfrewshire South representing the Labour Party. ... The Minister of State for Europe is an executive position in the Government of the United Kingdom, in charge of affairs with the European Union. ... Image File history File links This work is copyrighted. ... Ursula Plassnik Ursula Plassnik (born May 23, 1956 in Klagenfurt) is an Austrian diplomat and politician. ... Image File history File linksMetadata EUAT2006KoolhaasLogo. ... Matti Taneli Vanhanen ( ) (born November 4, 1955, in Jyväskylä) is the current Prime Minister of Finland, as well as Chairman of the Centre Party. ... Image File history File links Logo_2006_finland. ...

2007 onwards

From 2007 the presidency will be triple-shared for periods of 1.5 years with one of the three countries assuming "leading role" during each half-year. This change was made so that the new member states get to hold a presidency sooner, but at the same time the triplets are arranged so that in each of them there are both new and old member states - with the assumption that the old member states will pass their experience to the co-presidency new-members. It is also assumed that 1.5 year presidencies (even triple-shared) will be better at accomplishing policies, because the main agenda items will not be changed each half-year, but each 1.5 years (each three states will execute a common programme).

A minister for foreign affairs, or foreign minister, is a governmental cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign nation. ... Steinmeier and Condoleezza Rice in Berlin Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier (born 5 January 1956 in Detmold, Germany) is a German politician and, since November 22, 2005, Foreign Minister of Germany in the Grand Coalition of Angela Merkel. ... Luís Filipe Marques Amado (b. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ...

See also

• Presidents of the European Union
  • President of the European Parliament
  • President-in-Office of the European Council
  • President of the European Commission

The President of the European Parliament oversees all the activities of the European Parliament and its constituent bodies. ... The European Council, informally called the European summit, is a meeting of the heads of state or government of the European Union, and the President of the European Commission. ... François-Xavier Ortoli, Romano Prodi, José Manuel Barroso and Jacques Delors The President of the European Commission is notionally the highest ranking unelected official within the European Union bureaucracy. ...

External links

• Presidency of the Council of the European Union
• Logos of the Council Presidencies
• Presidency order of Rotation List to 2020