Poland for EU president in 2011

When Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen visited Warsaw recently, in an effort to save the EU-Russia summit from Poland's veto, the significance and responsibility of the EU Presidency was clearly demonstrated.

The Presidency of the Council of the EU changes hands every six months and according to the EU calendar Poland is due to take on the role in July 2011, following Hungary's tenure. 

"The EU presidency gives a unique chance to shape events in the EU," said Paweł Świebioda, director of the Demos Europa-Center for European Strategy. "Poland has never been given a similar chance in the country's entire history to influence events in Europe."

Besides its political responsibility, the EU Presidency also requires a major logistic and administrative effort. Świeboda recommends that Poland start hosting major international conferences. It should also identify, train and prepare experts who will chair sittings of a few hundred working groups. 

According to Martin Sajdak, the director general of European integration and economic affairs in the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who recently visited Warsaw, the country's preparations to head the EU should begin three years before taking on the position. He said that new member states should aim to do a good job during their presidencies and that Austria held its first EU presidency in 1998, just three and a half years after joining the bloc.

However, Sajdak added: "The first presidency cannot be spectacular and it should be focused on Poland's presentation to other countries."