Publication

This paper reviews the achievements and set-backs of the 2009 Swedish EU Presidency. In style, the Presidency is better characterized by pragmatic brokerage than by providing leadership for the Union. Progress was made on a number of issues, most notably the ratification and implementation of the Lisbon Treaty and the adoption of the Stockholm Programme concerning future cooperation in the field of freedom, security and justice. Among the setbacks, the failure to reach a comprehensive and legally-binding deal in Copenhagen on climate change stands out.