Editor's note

Already a month before the event, i.e. on the 1^st of June the Swedish European Affairs Minister, Cecilia Malmström launched the website of the future Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union: www.se2009.eu. Sweden takes over from the Czech Republic on 1st July and hold office until 31st December 2009.

It was in 2001 when Sweden had been at the EU “governance chair” for the last time; at that time it was the EU-15 and the program was much more modest; the country joined the Union in 1995.

The Swedish website aims at "transparency and accessibility" and presents various aspects of the future presidency: e.g. there is a calendar of upcoming political events, an explanation of the running of the European and Swedish institutions and a presentation of the various aspects of Swedish culture. Particular attention is paid to culture, because "Europe is not just about steel and coal, politics and economy but also culture", the site says. The country’s working program explained on 45 pages for the Presidency can be seen on the site: www.se2009.eu. Officials in the EU headquarters have said that this website is the most impressive so far.

Main priorities

It is important to mention that Sweden’s Presidency has to be regarded as a “team event”: two previous Presidencies (France and Czech Republic) made up the trio presidency already in July 2008. Thus, the three EU countries elaborated joint 18-months program. It does not though deprive the participating countries of their own specific approaches to Presidency’ main aims and purposes, which means that the member states can use such opportunity to streamline their own interests.    

However, main Sweden’s themes and priorities have been formulated in the following way:

• Climate, energy and environment;
• Jobs, growth and competitiveness;
• A safer and more open Europe;
• The Baltic Sea Strategy; and
• The EU as a global actor and further enlargement.

Important to mention that the country’s presidency will include the UN Climate Change Conference (COP-15), which will take place in December in Copenhagen covering global approaches to a vital humankind issue. At COP-15 the EU is expected to stand firm with a solid common position. 

Some priority spheres are becoming more important for the three Baltic States driving them into a certain “common Baltic course”, i.e. through the Baltic Sea Strategy, energy and environment, growth and competitiveness efforts. With certain efforts the Baltic States can achieve definite advantages from active cooperation during the Swedish presidency.