Finland’s presidency of the EU

The Finns have a hard act to follow, but they have no one but themselves to blame.

Their first EU presidency in 1999, four years after joining the Union, was widely acclaimed as an impressive feat of diplomatic skill, delivering key decisions on Turkey's candidacy and paving the way for developing the Union's security and defence capabilities. This was from a neutral country where opposition to joining NATO is still strong. While Helsinki's ambitions for its second turn at the reins will inevitably be curtailed by being followed by Germany's under Chancellor Angela Merkel, it is clear that Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and his team have no intention of simply keeping seats in the Council of Ministers warm until the Germans arrive.

Vanhanen's approach to the EU fits very much with the mood of the times. While not a card-carrying Euro-enthusiast like his predecessor Paavo Lipponen, Vanhanen is a pragmatic politician who recognises the Union's potential for concrete actions to deal with the major policy challenges of the day. He has endorsed Commission President José Manual Barroso's call for a "twin-track approach" to the EU so that the absence of an agreement on the EU constitution does not plunge the Union into self-willed paralysis. Vanhanen believes that, by delivering concrete results, the EU will overcome its lack of popularity with citizens and the sense that it delivers few benefits, leading the way to new enthusiasm for institutional change in a few years' time.

The Finns do not intend to wait for the Germans on the constitution. They will probably start a round of consultations with national capitals to see which options for renegotiation of the treaty member states favour in time for the December summit. The fact that their own parliament is to ratify the constitution during the presidency will also win friends among those member states, such as Germany, which fear that the gains of the constitution could be lost through insufficient public support.

To demonstrate tangible results, the Finns want to keep up momentum in the decision-making process over the next six months and will push forprogress on dossiers such as the services directive, the chemicals policy overhaul REACH and others, while pursing the agenda for better regulation and boosting innovation.

There are a number of areas where the Finns know they have to move forward without being able to reach any groundbreaking decisions. These include the EU's new energy strategy where the main progress is supposed to be made under the Germans next year.

They will also try to lay the foundations for movement on justice and home affairs by using the so-called passarelle clause to boost the efficiency of decision-making on police and judicial co-operation.

Officials in Brussels are sure that the Finns will do a good job, saying that the presidency has been very well-prepared and that the team of ministers and senior officials includes experienced and competent players.

The expectation is that Finland's low-key but efficient, open and pragmatic way of conducting business will deliver another successful presidency, showing that small countries are often best placed to keep the EU on track.

The Finns have a hard act to follow, but they have no one but themselves to blame.

• Primary Source