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Preparation for the Presidency of the EU council: Lithuania’s experience of the priority... 125
hindered by any political power change. 1 However, one vital question still
needed to be answered — what will be the priorities of Lithuania’s Presidency?
The Presidency Programme listed four top priorities: (i) energy security,
(ii) EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, (iii) Eastern Partnership issue,
(iv) protection of external EU borders. Following approval of these priority
areas the preparation process moved on to a more technical level.
It is clear that Lithuania will have to deal with some difficult issues
during its Presidency, especially regarding the extremely crowded agenda of
the European Union institutions. Due to this, Lithuania has already stressed
the importance of a smooth chairmanship, pre-supposing that it will leave
its national interests in the background, in the name of EU issues.
Political outlook: the cruel summer of 2013
The council Presidency is without doubt a significant arrangement in
the governance of the EU. But what does the presiding state actually do?
The principal functions of a presiding country include those of manager,
mediator, supervisor and progress seeker. 2 Unfortunately, even when all the
“preparation homework” has been done properly, this doesn’t exclude the
possibility that the functions of the presiding country will be extended. The
President therefore has to make sure that the EU reacts properly to unpredictable
events. For instance, Slovenia, which held the Presidency in the first
half of 2008, was forced to balance between its own and the EU interests
in Kosovo, which decided to declare independence. 3 Poland, which held
the Presidency in the second half of 2011, had to change its Presidency
plans due to the crisis of the Euro zone. In this regard, some clairvoyance
and flexibility is an inevitable requirement when taking on this task.
Lithuania’s politicians will have responsibility for the various complex
operations of the EU council such as passing legal acts, coordinating
1 Political Parties Represented at the Seimas Signed the Accord on Lithuania’s EU Presidency
in July-December 2013. Report. 2011, October 14. http://www3.lrs.lt/pls/inter/w5_show?p_
r=8296&p_d=116591&p_k=2 (Home page of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania; date accessed
10.12.2012.).
2 Thomson R. The Council Presidency in the European Union: Responsibility with Power.
Journal of Common Market Studies. 2008, vol. 46, no.3, pp. 593–617.
3 Udovič B., Zupančič R., Svetličič M. Coping with the challenges of the Presidency of the
EU Council: a view from Slovenia. Latvijas Intereses Eiropas Savienībā. 2013/3, pp. 22–33.