UK takes over European Union presidency

The United Kingdom took on the role of President of the European Union for a period of six months from July 1, 2005. In Sri Lanka the British High Commission will perform the duties of the Presidency.

The "President" of the European Union is not a person, but the member state currently holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The Presidency rotates among the member states, each of which holds it for six months. This is the sixth time the UK has held the Presidency, having last held it in 1998. The UK takes over from Luxembourg (represented in Sri Lanka by the Netherlands), and will be handing over to Austria on January 1, 2006.

The EU Presidency is responsible for the external representation of the European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy, as well as Justice and Home Affairs. The Presidency draws up the agenda for the Council of the European Union and chairs its many official meetings.

It also maintains close ties with all the other member states so that it can identify potential problems quickly and suggest compromises at an early stage.

The Delegation of the European Commission in Sri Lanka represents the European Union when other matters, such as economic cooperation, transport, healthcare, social policy, and the environment, are concerned.