Aftrap Spaans voorzitterschap wordt begeleid door het in de schijnwerpers zetten van monumenten (en)

Some of the cities that are to host the different meetings during the six-month term welcome the Spanish Presidency of the EU i by lighting up their landmark buildings in blue, to reflect the European flag

On 1 January, an impressive light and sound display entitled 'Puerta del Sol, Puerta de Europe' (Puerta del Sol, Gateway to Europe) will usher in the Spanish Presidency of the European Union in Madrid.

After the last stroke of the clock in the Puerta del Sol, which will mark the beginning of 2010, the facade of the Real Casa de Correos de Madrid (the former post office building which now houses the regional government of Madrid), in the heart of the Spanish capital, will be lit up with the logo of the Spanish Presidency, with images of the European Union's most emblematic buildings, the flags of its member states and its most representative icons.

At the same time, the logo of the Spanish Presidency will be projected onto the facade of the Royal Palace and Torre Picasso, one of the buildings in central Madrid that stands out on the capital's skyline. It will appear on the Royal Palace every night until 8 January and every night for the next six months on Torre Picasso.

Some of the cities that are to host the different meetings during the six-month term welcome the Spanish Presidency of the EU by lighting up their landmark buildings in blue, to reflect the European flag.

The aqueduct in Segovia, the Trajan Arch in Mérida, the Tower of Hercules in A Coruña, Bellver Castle in Palma, Mallorca, the Quart Towers in Valencia, the Agbar Tower in Barcelona, the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, the Monumento a las Cortes in Cádiz and the Puerta de Alcalá in Madrid will be swathed in blue to reflect their direct involvement in the Spanish Presidency of the EU.

Other towns and cities will also echo the inauguration of the Spanish Presidency, lighting up their best-known monuments and town or city halls in blue.