Zweden tevreden over eigen prestaties als EU-voorziter

After steering the EU during six months complicated by challenges such as the economic crisis and disagreement over climate change, Sweden reckons it has past the test.

On the Web site of the Swedish Presidency-in-turn, the prime minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt i, describes the six months as ‘a unique experience’ in which Sweden has ‘brought the EU back on track’.

‘Before we took over, many joked that they were longing for a Swedish Presidency. They expected it to be characterised by order and an ability to drive the process forward. My impression is that we have partly lived up to those expectations.’

The priorities of the Swedish Presidency have focused on the economic crisis, the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen and the institutional crisis in the EU.

In this period, the twenty-seven Member States have been given a new financial supervisory architecture, they have agreed on a common mandate on the climate change issue and the Treaty of Lisbon has come into effect.

Now Spain takes on the complicated challenge of overseeing the implementation of these policies.