Irish EU Presidency Hotel Dublin

Dublin City EU Presidency Hotel

The Presidency of the Council of the EU rotates among the 27 Member States every six months. Ireland will hold the Presidency for the 7th time from January to June 2013. The presiding Member State advances the Union’s ongoing work agenda, and has an opportunity to shape and influence EU policy and legislation. The Presidency also represents the Council in its dealings with other EU Institutions.

‌‌The Presidency plans and chairs most meetings of the Council of the EU, which will be chaired by Irish Ministers for the first half of 2013. These Ministerial meetings are prepared by over 150 official-level committees and preparatory bodies, which will also be chaired by Irish officials.

The Presidency sets out its own programme and priorities for its six month term. These provide the context within which the Presidency sets the agenda for Council meetings. The Presidency seeks to deliver results, which often means putting forward compromise proposals and negotiating agreements. To achieve this, the Presidency must act as an honest, impartial broker.

The Presidency also represents the Council in its dealings with the other EU Institutions, particularly the Commission and the Parliament.