
COUNCIL DECISION of 1 December 2009 laying down measures for the implementation of the European Council Decision on the exercise of the Presidency of the Council, and on the chairmanship of preparatory bodies of the Council (2009/908/EU) 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 16(9) thereof,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 236(b) thereof,
Having regard to the European Council Decision of 1 December 2009 on the exercise of the Presidency of the Council, and in particular Article 2, third subparagraph, and Article 4 thereof,
Whereas:

(1) Measures should be laid down for the implementation of the European Council Decision on the exercise of the Presidency of the Council (hereinafter referred to as ‘the European Council Decision’).

(2) Those implementing measures include the order in which the pre-established groups of three Member States are to hold the Presidency in turn for consecutive periods of 18 months taking into account the fact that there exist since 1 January 2007, in accordance with the Council's Rules of Procedure, a system of Council 18-month programmes agreed between the three Presidencies which hold office during the period concerned.

(3) In accordance with Article 1 of the European Council Decision, the composition of the groups must take account of the diversity of the Member States and geographical balance within the Union.

(4) The division of responsibilities among the Member States within each group is determined by Article 1(2) of the European Council Decision. In either of the situations provided for in Article 2(1) of this Decision, the Member States within each group will by common accord determine the practical arrangements for their collaboration.

(5) In addition, those implementing measures should include specific rules with regard to the chairing of preparatory bodies of the Foreign Affairs Council as provided for in Article 2, third subparagraph, of the European Council Decision.

(6) Most of those preparatory bodies should be chaired by a representative of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (hereinafter ‘the High Representative’) while the rest of them should continue to be chaired by the six-monthly Presidency. Where the chair of such bodies is a representative of the High Representative, a transitional period may apply.

(7) Preparatory bodies which are not chaired by the six-monthly Presidency should also be listed in this Decision, as provided for in Article 2, third subparagraph, of the European Council Decision.

(8) The chairmanship of preparatory bodies not listed in this Decision will be chaired in accordance with Article 2 of the European Council Decision,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 
The order in which the Member States shall hold the Presidency of the Council as from 1 July 2017 and until 31 December 2030, as well as the division of this order of Presidencies into groups of three Member States is set out in Annex I to this Decision.
Article 2 

1. Each member of a group as referred to in Article 1, second subparagraph, shall in turn chair for a six-month period all configurations of the Council, with the exception of the Foreign Affairs configuration. The other members of the group shall assist the Chair in all its responsibilities on the basis of the Council's 18-month programme.
2. The members of a group as referred to in Article 1 may decide upon alternative arrangements among themselves.
3. In either of the situations provided for in paragraphs 1 and 2, the Member States within each group shall by common accord determine the practical arrangements for their collaboration.
Article 3 
The Council shall, before 31 December 2029, decide the order in which the Member States will hold the Presidency of the Council as from 1 January 2031.
Article 4 
The preparatory bodies of the Foreign Affairs Council shall be chaired in accordance with the rules set out in Annex II.
Article 5 
The Council preparatory bodies listed in Annex III shall be chaired by fixed chairs as set out in that Annex.
Article 6 
This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its adoption.
It shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
ANNEX I

Draft Table of Presidencies of the CouncilNetherlands January-June 2016
Slovakia July-December 2016
Malta January-June 2017
Estonia July-December 2017
Bulgaria January-June 2018
Austria July-December 2018
Romania January-June 2019
Finland July-December 2019
Croatia January-June 2020
Germany July-December 2020
Portugal January-June 2021
Slovenia July-December 2021
France January-June 2022
Czech Republic July-December 2022
Sweden January-June 2023
Spain July-December 2023
Belgium January-June 2024
Hungary July-December 2024
Poland January-June 2025
Denmark July-December 2025
Cyprus January-June 2026
Ireland July-December 2026
Lithuania January-June 2027
Greece July-December 2027
Italy January-June 2028
Latvia July-December 2028
Luxembourg January-June 2029
Netherlands July-December 2029
Slovakia January-June 2030
Malta July-December 2030


ANNEX II
CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE PREPARATORY BODIES OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNCIL
The chairmanship of the preparatory bodies of the Foreign Affairs Council referred to in categories 1 to 4 in the table below shall be organised as follows:

1.. Category 1 (preparatory bodies in the area of trade and development):
The preparatory bodies shall be chaired by the six-monthly Presidency.
2.. Category 2 (geographic preparatory bodies)
The preparatory bodies shall be chaired by a representative of the High Representative.
3.. Category 3 (horizontal preparatory bodies, mainly CFSP)
The preparatory bodies shall be chaired by a representative of the High Representative, except the following preparatory bodies, which shall be chaired by the six-monthly Presidency:

— Working Party of Foreign Relations Counsellors (RELEX),
— Working Party on Terrorism (International Aspects) (COTER),
— Working Party on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism (COCOP),
— Working Party on Consular Affairs (COCON),
— Working Party on Public International Law (COJUR), and
— Working Party on the Law of the Sea (COMAR).
4.. Category 4 (CSDP-related preparatory bodies)
The CSDP-related preparatory bodies shall be chaired by a representative of the High Representative.
The High Representative and the six-monthly Presidency shall closely cooperate in order to ensure coherence among all the preparatory bodies for the Foreign Affairs Council.
For categories 3 and 4, the six-monthly Presidency shall continue to chair the preparatory bodies during a transitional period of up to six months after the adoption of the Council Decision on the organisation and functioning of the European External Action Service (EEAS). For category 2 this transitional period shall last up to 12 months.
Modalities for appointment of chairs 

Where the European Council Decision or this Decision stipulates that a preparatory body (PSC and relevant working parties) shall be chaired by a representative of the High Representative, the responsibility for appointing the chair shall belong to the High Representative. These appointments shall be made on the basis of competence, while ensuring adequate geographical balance and transparency. The High Representative shall ensure that the person he or she intends to appoint as chairperson will enjoy the confidence of Member States. If that person is not yet a member of the EEAS, he or she shall become one in accordance with the EEAS recruitment procedures, at least for the time of the appointment. An evaluation of the functioning of this arrangement shall be made in the framework of the status report on the EEAS foreseen for 2012.


 1. Preparatory bodies in the areas of trade and development
 Article 207 Committee
ACP Working Party
Working Party on Development Cooperation (DEVGEN)
Working Party on EFTA
Working Party on Dual-Use Goods
Working Party on Trade Questions
Working Party on Commodities
Working Party on the Generalised System of Preferences
Working Party on Preparation for International Development Conferences/UNCCD Desertification/UNCTAD
Working Party on Humanitarian Aid and Food Aid
Export Credits Group
 2. Geographic preparatory bodies
 Mashreq/Maghreb Working Party (COMAG/MaMa )
Working Party on Eastern Europe and Central Asia (COEST)
Working Party on the Western Balkans Region (COWEB)
Middle East/Gulf Working Party (COMEM/MOG)
Asia-Oceania Working Party (COASI)
Working Party on Latin America (COLAT)
Working Party on Transatlantic Relations (COTRA)
Africa Working Party (COAFR)
 3. Horizontal preparatory bodies (mostly CFSP)
 Working Party of Foreign Relations Counsellors (RELEX)
Nicolaidis Group
Working Party on Global Disarmament and Arms Control (CODUN)
Working Party on Non-Proliferation (CONOP)
Working Party on Conventional Arms Export (COARM)
Working Party on Human Rights (COHOM)
Working Party on Terrorism (International Aspects) (COTER)
Working Party on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism (COCOP)
Working Party on OSCE and the Council of Europe (COSCE)
United Nations Working Party (CONUN)
Ad hoc Working Party on the Middle East Peace Process (COMEP)
Working Party on Public International Law (COJUR, COJUR-ICC)
Working Party on the Law of the Sea (COMAR)
Working Party on Consular Affairs (COCON)
Working Party on CFSP Administrative Affairs and Protocol (COADM)
 4. CSDP-related preparatory bodies
 Military Committee (EUMC)
Military Committee Working Group (EUMCWG)
Politico-Military Working Party (PMG)
Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (CIVCOM)
Working Party on European Arms Policy


ANNEX III
CHAIRPERSONS OF COUNCIL PREPARATORY BODIES WITH A FIXED CHAIRElected chairs 


 Economic and Financial Committee
 Employment Committee
 Social Protection Committee
 Military Committee
 Economic Policy Committee
 Financial Services Committee
 Military Committee Working Group
 Code of Conduct Group (Business Taxation)
Chaired by the General Secretariat of the Council 


 Security Committee
 Working Party on Information
 Working Party on Legal Data Processing
 Working Party on Electronic Communications
 Working Party on Codification of Legislation
 Working Party of Legal-Linguistic Experts
 Working Party on New Buildings
