Spain now holds the presidency of the Council of the EU. It will work in close coordination with the other members of the trio – Belgium and Hungary, as well as with the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, and the High Representative for the Foreign and Security Policy, Mrs. Catherine Ashton.
The Spanish presidency has four main priorities:
- Full and effective application of the Lisbon Treaty;
- Greater co-ordination of economic policies of Member States and the approval of the European strategy for sustainable growth for 2020;
- Reinforcement of the presence and influence of the European Union in the new world order;
- Placing European citizens at the centre of EU policy, with initiatives designed to develop their rights and freedoms.
