Guide to the Czech Presidency of the European Union

On 1 January 2009, the Czech Republic has taken over the Presidency of the EU Council. EPHA has prepared a guide to this presidency, with information on its challenges, priorities and calendar.


The EU Presidency trio system [1] is designed to offer continuity in the leadership of the European Union, whilst giving each of the three Member States a large breathing space for activities.

The official motto of the Czech EU Presidency is "Europe without barriers", with the removal of labour market restrictions on newer Member States among its top priorities.

The Czech Presidency faces many challenges: the banking crisis, food shortages, climate change plus the parliamentary elections make for a very specific term at the helm of Europe. The Czech Republic will be asked to show responsiveness and leadership. Its term will also be marked by the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain and the nomination of the new Commission President. The schedule is also pre-determined by the Lisbon Treaty: choosing the new European Council President as well as the EU Foreign Minister might be on the agenda.

On 12 November 2008, the Czech Republic has unveiled its logo for their turn at EU presidency. "Colourful and playful - just like our nation," was how the Czech government described its official logo.

Economy, Energy and External Relations - the three "E"s - are the three priorities of the Czech EU presidency set to kick off on 1 January, Milena Vicenova, Prague’s ambassador to the European Union told the British Chamber of Commerce on 1 December 2008, the day the Presidency’s website went online.

Priorities of the Czech EU Presidency for health can be found here

Institutional calendar

Here are some institutional events during the first half of 2009:

- 22-24 January: informal EPSCO
- 5-6 February: Presidency Conference on "Parental childcare and employment policy"
- 9-10 March: EPSCO Meeting
- 19-20 March: European Council
- 25-26 March: Presidency Conference on ’Flexicurity: Lifelong learning and social protection components’
- 22-23 April: Presidency Conference on ’Social services’
- 27 April: Presidency Conference on ‘Safety and Health at Work in 21 Century – European Way (Better Regulation and/or Good Practice)’
- 4-5 May: Presidency Conference on ’A Europe of committed citizens’
- 10-12 May: Presidency Conference on ’High level conference on the financial sustainability of health systems’
- 25-26 May: Presidency Conference on ’European conference on dignity and hazard in the Elderly’
- 8-9 June: EPSCO Council
- 18-19 June: European Council.

EPHA related article

- Upcoming three Presidencies and their focus on health, 2008-2011

Footnotes

[1] The EU Presidency trio is the trinity comprising the current, next and next-but-one Member State to hold the EU Presidency. For October 2008 this is France, as current Presidency holders, the Czech Republic as the next holders and Sweden as the subsequent Presidency.

Last modified on February 4 2010.