How the Presidency works

On 1 July, Sweden takes over the Presidency of the EU. The country holding the Presidency leads the Council of the European Union and acts as the driving force behind the EU’s legislative and political work.

An important task for the country holding the Presidency is to broker compromises between the Member States. It is also the country holding the Presidency which leads the meetings of the European Council, the EU summits where the EU heads of state or government meet.

The EU Member States take it in turns to preside over the Council. The Presidency rotates every six months. The Member States have together decided on the order in which they will hold the Presidency.

Together with the two previous presidencies - the French Presidency in the second half of 2008 and the Czech Presidency in the first half of 2009 - Sweden forms part of a “three-Presidency team”.

The most important task for the three-Presidency team is to work out a common 18-month programme for all three presidencies.

Presidency order of rotation

The rota of countries holding the EU Presidency until 2020 is as follows:

Year First half of the year Second half of the year
2009 Czech Republic Sweden
2010 Spain Belgium
2011 Hungary Poland
2012 Denmark Cyprus
2013 Ireland Lithuania
2014 Greece Italy
2015 Latvia Luxembourg
2016 The Netherlands Slovakia
2017 Malta United Kingdom
2018 Estonia Bulgaria
2019 Austria Romania
2020 Finland  

The Presidency’s tasks comprise leading the work of the Council and representing the Council in relations with other EU institutions, such as the Commission and the European Parliament. The Presidency also represents the EU to other countries and international organisations.

Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt is ultimately responsible for the work of the Swedish Presidency, and Minister for EU Affairs Cecilia Malmström is responsible for the coordination of the preparations for the Presidency. The work of the Presidency is coordinated within the Government Offices by the Prime Minister’s Office.

The cost of preparing and holding the Swedish Presidency is estimated at SEK 971 million. Around half of this amount will go to covering the cost of the more than one hundred meetings that will take place in Sweden. Other expenses include communication, media and cultural activities, skills development and extra staff in the ministries and certain important missions abroad.

Together with the previous French and Czech Presidencies, Sweden has drawn up an 18‑month programme. The programme contains both long-term goals, drawn up in consultation with the succeeding Presidency holders, and issues from each of the EU’s activity areas that are expected to arise during the 18 months of the programme. Before 1 July, the Swedish Presidency will present its six-month programme – a work programme for the coming six months.

Frequently asked questions

To make it easier for you, we have gathered the most frequently asked questions with answers below. Click on the relevant question to reveal the answer.

  • What does it mean to be the holder of the EU Presidency?

    The Presidency’s main task is to lead the work of the Council and to be responsible for moving forward important issues in the EU’s work. Sweden will chair the Council's meetings at all levels and has the important task of helping to broker agreements between Member States. The holder of the Presidency also represents the Council in its dealings with other EU institutions, as well as in relations with countries outside the EU and international organisations.

  • How will the Presidency be visible in Sweden?

    As holder of the Presidency, Sweden will lead more than 3000 meetings over the coming six months. Of these meetings, 111 will be held in Sweden, of which 11 will be informal ministerial meetings. These will be held in seven different locations around the country. A range of cultural events for the public, as well as seminars and conferences, will take place in different parts of the country.

  • How is the Presidency taking the environment into consideration when planning meetings and meeting locations?

    Environmental issues are a priority during the Swedish EU Presidency. This will also be reflected in the arrangement of meetings. The meetings secretariat, which works with the practical arrangements for the meetings, will require of all their suppliers to consider the environment. Where possible, the Presidency will use low-emission modes of transport. Considerable environmental benefits will also be gained by reducing the regional spread of the meetings, planning several meetings in the same location and holding the majority of meetings in the same conference facility in Frösundavik.