European Community: The Evolving Role of the Presidency of the Council

Abstract

F ROM January to June 1977 the British government will take over for the first time the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the European Community.' A coincidence of timing will also give the Commission its first British President, Roy Jenkins, who will assume office for a two to four-year term. Greater attention has so far been focused on the British Presidency of the Commission; but the hot seat of the Council Presidency will present the British government with a much more direct challenge. The Presidency of the Council is an elusive and complex responsibility. The heaviest burden will fall on the Foreign Secretary, as chairman of the General Council of Foreign Ministers, a role commonly referred to as ' the President of the Council '. But the responsibilities of the Presidency spread far more widely. Other ministers will be called on to chair the various specialist Technical Councils; British officials will be taking the chair in most of the many committees that negotiate poilicies among the member states, both within the framework of the Council of Ministers and in the parallel procedures for political co-operation. For six months London will also become the centre of intensive activity. The British will play host to a two-day meeting of the European Council, bringing together heads of govemment from the member states and a caravan of attendant officials and press. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will greet wavels of visiting diplomats, coming to London for political co-operation meetings. Meanwhile in Brussels British ministers and officials will be trying to steer through agreements on issues as varied as the common fisheries policy and the Greek application for Community membership, and trying to, balance British interests with those of the Community as a whole. The initial conception of the Presidency was of a fairly modest role of chairmanship. The Paris Treaty stated that each government would