According to the rules for the institutions of the European Union and other organs, the presidency of the Council of the European Union, the most important decision-making body of the EU, changes every six months. This means that all the EU member states take turns to assume responsibility for the agenda of the Council for a period of six months, chairing all the sessions, pushing forward the legislative and political decisions and brokering compromises between the member states.
Austria will take over the Presidency of the EU from Great Britain on January 1, 2006, and will occupy this office until June 30, 2006, when it will hand over to Finland.
