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.

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