Institutional organization

@European Parliament

On 1 Jan. 2010 Spain took over the European Union’s rotating Council Presidency from Sweden for six months.

Since Spain acceded to the European Union in 1986, the country now holds the EU Council Presidency for the fourth time. The Spanish Presidency also constitutes the start of a so-called Trio of Presidencies which also embraces the subsequent EU Council Presidencies of Belgium and Hungary.

The Spanish Presidency faces the challenge of being the first during which the changes ushered in by the Lisbon treaty will fully apply. In this regard, Spain is breaking new ground, because
the role of the Council Presidency rotating between member states every six months has changed and has to be remodelled to take account of the existence of the first permanent European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and first EU Foreign Minister Catherine Ashton.

The focus of the Council Presidency will be overcoming the global economic crisis. In particular, the Spaniards have their sights on adoption of the »EU 2020« strategy, which will supersede the Lisbon strategy. Spain wants to secure better coordination of EU economic policy. The Spanish Council Presidency’s work programme also includes rapid and full implementation of the Lisbon treaty as well as a strengthening of Europe’s role in the world and creation of a citizen-friendly Europe. The work programme is encapsulated in the motto »Innovating Europe « and is embedded in the 18-month programme of the Trio of Presidencies.

The fact that combating the financial and economic crisis is the Presidency’s central concern is witnessed by Spanish Premier Zapatero’s creation of an expert group in the very early days of January. Alongside Zapatero, the group of wise men includes former Commission President Jacques Delors, former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez, Spanish former Economic and
Financial Affairs Pedro Solbes and European Competition Commissioner Joaquín Almunia. It aims to identify solutions for possible ways out of the crisis. In addition, new European Council President Van Rompuy jointly with the Spanish Council Presidency have convened a special summit for 11 February to discuss economic strategies for getting out of the crisis.