On 30 June, the Czech Republic concludes its half-year presidency of the EU Council as the second Member State of the 2004 enlargement process. The next in line is Sweden.  The Czech Presidency was marked by a series of challenges for EU foreign policy and the internal organisation of the Union. Furthermore, the Presidency continued to coordinate the Member States response to the financial crisis, and advocated EU positions within the frameworks of G8 and G20.

The beginning of the Czech Presidency was marked by the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute, which affected the majority of EU Member States, and by the Gaza conflict. In April, Prague hosted an informal EU-USA Summit, where the new President of the U.S.A. presented his vision of a peaceful and secure world without nuclear weapons.

 

 

Among the greatest achievements of the Czech EU Council Presidency is the new initiative - the Eastern Partnership - launched in May to strengthen relations between the EU and its east European neighbours. The Partnership, formed with six states of the former Soviet Union, envisages improvements in political cooperation in all fields (political, economic, visa, energy and financial).

 

The June elections to European Parliament, the 7th in a row, were held in all 27 EU Member States simultaneously. In June, the Heads of States also addressed concerns expressed by Ireland in the December 2008 European Council. This will facilitate further steps for the implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon.

 

 

During the Swedish EU Council Presidency, special emphasis will be placed on eliminating the negative consequences of the global economic crisis, reducing unemployment in the EU, and continuing to work in the field of climate change. A conference will be devoted to this issue in Copenhagen in December.  As Sweden is a Scandinavian country, it will dedicate most of its attention to the north of Europe and also pay special attention to ensuring the European Union’s openness, to strengthening strategic partnerships and the EU’s role in multilateral forums and the management of crisis situations.  The next six months will also be marked by institutional changes in the framework of the newly elected European parliament, new commission and other outstanding issues regarding the implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon.

The key role of the Swedish Presidency will be to provide joint EU answers to the challenges facing individual European citizens in which the Union can make a positive change.  And so Slovenia wishes Sweden every success and expresses its hope for and commitment to enhancing cooperation in the coming months.