The Presidency of the Council of the European Union reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
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Presidency of the Council of the European Union

The Presidency of the Council of the European Union refers to the responsibility of presiding over all aspects of the Council of the European Union, when exercised collectively by a government, on a pre-established rota of the member states, of the European Union. The Presidency, which is sometimes called the European Presidency, has as its primary responsibility to organize and chair all meetings of the Council. However, working out compromises capable of resolving difficulties is in practice also a primary responsibility.

The post as President of the Council of the European Union is for each separate meeting held by the responsible government minister of the member state holding the Presidency. Separate from the Council of the European Union there is also the European Council, which meets at European summits at about four times per year. The task as President of the assembled European Council, is similarly performed by the head of government or head of state of the member state holding the Presidency.

Rota

The Council of the European Union is presided over for a period of six months by each member state of the European Union in turn, in accordance with a pre-established rota unless the Council makes a new decision.

1958First half-yearBelgiumVictor Larock
Second half-yearGermanySiegfried Balke
1959First half-yearFranceMaurice Couve de Murville
Second half-yearItalyGiuseppe Pella
1960First half-yearLuxembourgEugène Schaus
Second half-yearNetherlandsJoseph Luns
1961First half-yearBelgiumPaul-Henri Spaak
Second half-yearGermanyGerhard Schröder
1962First half-yearFranceMaurice Couve de Murville
Second half-yearItalyEmilio Colombo
1963First half-yearLuxembourgEugène Schaus
Second half-yearNetherlandsJoseph Luns
1964First half-yearBelgiumHendrik Fayat
Second half-yearGermanyGerhard Schröder
1965First half-yearFranceMaurice Couve de Murville
Second half-yearItalyAmintore Fanfani
1966First half-yearLuxembourgPierre Werner
Second half-yearNetherlandsBarend Biesheuvel
1967First half-yearBelgiumRenaat Van Elslande
Second half-yearGermanyWilly Brandt
1968First half-yearFranceMaurice Couve de Murville
Second half-yearItalyGiuseppe Medici
1969First half-yearLuxembourgPierre Grégoire
Second half-yearNetherlandsJoseph Luns
1970First half-yearBelgiumPierre Harmel
Second half-yearGermanyWalter Scheel
1971First half-yearFranceMaurice Schumann
Second half-yearItalyAldo Moro
1972First half-yearLuxembourgGaston Thorn
Second half-yearNetherlandsNorbert Schmelzer
1973First half-yearBelgiumPierre Harmel
Second half-yearDenmarkIvar Nørgaard
1974First half-yearGermanyWalter Scheel
Second half-yearFranceJean Sauvagnargues
1975First half-yearIrelandGarret FitzGerald
Second half-yearItalyMariano Rumor
1976First half-yearLuxembourgGaston Thorn
Second half-yearNetherlandsMax van der Stoel
1977First half-yearUnited KingdomAnthony Crosland, then David Owen
Second half-yearBelgiumHenri Simonet
1978First half-yearDenmarkKnud Børge Andersen
Second half-yearGermanyHans-Dietrich Genscher
1979First half-yearFranceJean François-Poncet
Second half-yearIrelandJack Lynch
1980First half-yearItalyAttilio Ruffini
Second half-yearLuxembourgColette Flesch
1981First half-yearNetherlandsChris van der Klaauw
Second half-yearUnited KingdomPeter Carrington
1982First half-yearBelgiumLéo Tindemans
Second half-yearDenmarkUffe Ellemann-Jensen
1983First half-yearGermanyHans-Dietrich Genscher
Second half-yearGreeceGrigoris Varfis
1984First half-yearFranceRoland Dumas
Second half-yearIrelandPeter Barry
1985First half-yearItalyGiulio Andreotti
Second half-yearLuxembourgJacques Poos
1986First half-yearNetherlandsHans van den Broek
Second half-yearUnited KingdomGeoffrey Howe
1987First half-yearBelgiumLéo Tindemans
Second half-yearDenmarkUffe Ellemann-Jensen
1988First half-yearGermanyHans-Dietrich Genscher
Second half-yearGreeceTheodoros Pangalos
1989First half-yearSpainFrancisco Fernández Ordóñez
Second half-yearFranceRoland Dumas
1990First half-yearIrelandGerard Collins
Second half-yearItalyGianni De Michelis
1991First half-yearLuxembourgJacques Poos
Second half-yearNetherlandsHans van den Broek
1992First half-yearPortugalJoão de Deus Pinheiro
Second half-yearUnited KingdomDouglas Hurd
1993First half-yearDenmarkPoul Nyrup Rasmussen
Second half-yearBelgiumWilly Claes
1994First half-yearGreeceKarolos Papoulias
Second half-yearGermanyKlaus Kinkel
1995First half-yearFranceAlain Juppé
Second half-yearSpainJavier Solana
1996First half-yearItalyLamberto Dini
Second half-yearIrelandDick Spring
1997First half-yearNetherlandsHans van Mierlo
Second half-yearLuxembourgJacques Poos
1998First half-yearUnited KingdomRobin Cook
Second half-yearAustriaWolfgang Schüssel
1999First half-yearGermanyJoschka Fischer
Second half-yearFinlandTarja Halonen
2000First half-yearPortugalJaime Gama
Second half-yearFranceHubert Védrine
2001First half-yearSwedenAnna Lindh
Second half-yearBelgiumLouis Michel
2002First half-yearSpainJosep Piqué i Camps
Second half-yearDenmarkPer Stig Møller
2003First half-yearGreeceGeorge Papandreou
Second half-yearItalyFranco Frattini
2004First half-yearIrelandBrian Cowen
Second half-yearNetherlands 
2005First half-yearLuxembourg 
Second half-yearUnited Kingdom 
2006First half-yearAustria 
Second half-yearFinland 

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