Nieuwe lidstaten treffen voorbereidingen voor EU-voorzitterschap (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - With still two years to go before a new member state takes over the political helm of the EU for the first time, preparations are already under way in Ljubljana and Prague to organise the diplomatic services for the huge task.

Slovenia and the Czech Republic are the first two member states who joined the bloc in 2004 set to take up the EU presidency.

Slovenia's presidency will start in January 2008, but it is already likely to be more involved in the planning and other presidency activities by next year.

"Our preparations are in full gear," a Slovenian diplomat told the EUobserver, adding that the country has chosen officials to head meetings for most portfolios and plans to send them for courses in French or negotiation techniques this summer.

Slovenian prime minister Janez Jansa said last week that Ljubljana's priorities will be the EU's future enlargement, with a focus on the Western Balkans, as well as the European neighbourhood policy.

The Czech Republic has also kicked off some planning for its six months under the spotlight in early 2009, but foreign minister Cyril Svoboda urged the country's officials to do more at a special meeting in Prague on Tuesday (7 March).

He indicated the Czechs will have to lead talks on difficult issues, such as a reform of the EU common agriculture policy or the future bloc's spending, but said the country has so far done very little in terms of preparations.

"We are underestimating the Czech Republic's preparation for taking up this task," he said, according to the CTK agency.

The six-month presidency of the 25-member EU is a particular challenge for small member states, such as both Slovenia and the Czech Republic.

Apart from deciding on priorities for the union's agenda, they have to prepare a special website and organise various formal and informal meetings.

They also have to employ more staff in their Brussels offices, with the Czech Republic planning to hire up to 100 more people for its presidency.

But more immediately, the EU has not agreed formal rules on the sharing of the presidency between three countries over a period of 18 months which is due to start in 2007.

The idea of "team presidencies" was envisaged by the new EU constitution, which has been put on ice after its rejection in a referendum by French and Dutch citizens.

While informal cooperation between the troika presidencies (past, current and future) has already been in place for some time, EU diplomats have been negotiating over formal rules on how to boost their coordination further.

Under a new proposal to be hammered out in the coming days, the council's planning procedures would be changed from the current one-year and three-year programmes to an 18-month plan, which the three presidencies would prepare and be involved in.

The text of the draft proposal avoids the term "team presidencies" though, as Dutch diplomats reportedly expressed some concerns the move could be viewed as pushing the EU constitution through the back door.

The forthcoming team - Germany, Portugal and Slovenia - has agreed to share personnel, work together on the training of officials and exchange information during their respective presidencies, but the countries will still head the EU individually.