After the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the role of the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union has been perceptibly reduced. Nevertheless, the six-month Presidency has a number of tasks to complete, which predominantly include moderating the sectoral council meetings, aimed at achieving consensus among the 27 Member States - write dr Jacek Kucharczyk and dr Agnieszka Łada on www.boell.eu.
Working out a compromise between the Presidency of the EU Council and the remaining Community institutions will certainly prove a challenge for Poland, which assumes EU Presidency as of 1 July 2011. Although the Presidency no longer formally represents the European Union in relations with third countries, it can still influence many of its internal and external policies, albeit on a lesser scale. As was aptly observed by Minister Mikołaj Dowgielewicz, the official in charge of the Polish Presidency, its role is not reduced to attending cocktail parties.The full article can be downloaded here.