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Traités_Test.indd 1-3 23/11/2015 12:23 CONTENTS FOREWORD.....................................................................................................7 I. INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................9 THE PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL ............................................................................................9 THE ROLE OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT OF THE COUNCIL .................................. 11 II. GETTING READY FOR THE PRESIDENCY .......................................... 17 TRIO PROGRAMME AND TIMETABLE .......................................................................................17 INDICATIVE AGENDAS.......................................................................................................................19 CHAIRPERSONS AND OTHER KEY PERSONS ........................................................................19 DECORATION AND EXHIBITIONS ...............................................................................................21 III. DECISION-MAKING PROCESS ........................................................... 23 WORKING PARTIES AND COMMITTEES ..................................................................................25 COREPER — THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE .............................28 THE COUNCIL .........................................................................................................................................34 INFORMAL MEETINGS OF MINISTERS......................................................................................43 SPECIFIC TASKS OF THE PRESIDENCY ......................................................................................44 IV. THE PRESIDENCY’S RELATIONS WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS .. 47 THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ......................................................................................................47 THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND THE EUROPEAN EXTERNAL ACTION SERVICE ...............................................................................52 THE COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION .....................................................53 THE EUROPEAN COURT OF AUDITORS ..................................................................................53 THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE ..............................................53 AND THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS ...................................................53 NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS ...............................................................................................................53 January 2018 | EN | HANDBOOK OF THE PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION 3 V. PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS ............................................................ 55 SECURITY AND ACCESS TO COUNCIL BUILDINGS AND MEETING ROOMS ....................................................................................................................55 FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ..........................................................................................................57 INTERPRETING .......................................................................................................................................58 TRANSLATION ........................................................................................................................................59 PROTOCOL ...............................................................................................................................................60 ANNEXES ...................................................................................................... 69 I. GSC SERVICES FOR THE PRESIDENCY ........................................ 71 II. KEY CONTACT PERSONS IN THE GSC .......................................... 76 III. COUNCIL CONFIGURATIONS ........................................................ 78 IV. PUBLICATION OF VOTES ................................................................ 79 V. MEETINGS GIVING RIGHT TO REIMBURSEMENT OF TRAVEL EXPENSES ..................................................................... 81 VI. APPROACH TO INTERPRETING ..................................................... 91 VII. FINANCIAL PROVISIONS FOR INTERPRETATION ..................... 93 VIII. BREAKDOWN OF COSTS FOR INTERPRETATION FOR COUNTRIES SHARING THE SAME LANGUAGE .......................100 IX. MEMBER STATES AND CANDIDATE STATES ............................102 X. MEMBER STATES’ AND CANDIDATES STATES’ LANGUAGES .105 4 HANDBOOK OF THE PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION | EN | January 2018 Delegates Portal The Delegates Portal contains useful information on organising a Presidency under ‘Prepare your Presidency’. https://delegates.consilium.europa.eu For questions about how to prepare your Presidency, please contact: [email protected] January 2018 | EN | HANDBOOK OF THE PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION 5 FOREWORD This new edition of the Handbook of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union offers both an overview of the role of the Presidency and practical advice on how to best fulfil it. It updates essential information on the decision-making process and the evolving practical arrangements. Among these new arrangements, the Europa building became fully operational in 2017, significantly improving the working conditions for the Presidencies and the delegates. It offers state-of-the-art meeting facilities and office spaces for the delegations, with an up-to-date electronic infrastructure. The new building gives additional possibilities for holding meetings of the Council and its preparatory bodies at the same time. In addition to the press facilities in the Justus Lipsius building, the Europa building offers a press room with modern audio-visual equipment. This handbook has been drawn up under the sole responsibility of the General Secretariat of the Council (GSC) with a view to ensuring the smooth running of the European Council and the