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COUNCIL PRESIDENCIES

The Presidency of the Council plays a vital part in the organization of the work of the institution, notably as the driving force in the legislative and political decision-making process. It has to organize and chair all meetings and work out compromises capable of resolving difficulties.

The Council is presided over for a period of six months by each Member State in turn, in accordance with a pre-established rota (unless a new Council decision is taken).

From 2007 onwards the presidency is executed in a shared manner in order to compensate for rather short six month term of the presidency. Three successive presidencies forming a "triple-shared presidency" work together over a 1.5 year period on a common agenda by the current presidency continues the work of the previous presidency after the end of its term.

With the entry in force of the Treaty of Lisbon, the European Council, which has the role of driving EU policy-making, has become an official EU institution with an elected, permanent European President for 2, 5 years. Mr Herman Van Rompuy is the President of the European Council as from 1 December 2009.