Volgorde EU-voorzitterschappen tot 2018 vastgesteld (en)

EU foreign ministers have agreed the order of future EU presidencies for the coming 13 years, with Estonia to take the helm in June 2018 as the last of the current 25 EU member states.

The EU presidency hosts the meetings of the European Council, the diplomatic seat of the member states, and arranges and chairs all the council's meetings and working groups.

This gives the country holding the presidency significant control over how often the council and council bodies meet, the items they discuss and what happens during the meetings.

The presidency is held for six months (from January to June, and from July to December) by each member state on a rotating basis.

The EU constitution, which has been shelved by EU leaders following the French and Dutch "no" to the text, had proposed creating the post of a permanent president of the European Council.

The order is as follows:

Austria: January - June 2006

Finland: July - December 2006

Germany: January - June 2007

Portugal: July - December 2007

Slovenia: January - June 2008

France: July - December 2008

Czech Republic: January - June 2009

Sweden: July - December 2009

Spain: January - June 2010

Belgium: July - December 2010

Hungary: January - June 2011

Poland: July - December 2011

Denmark: January - June 2012

Cyprus: July - December 2012

Ireland: January - June 2013

Lithuania: July - December 2013

Greece: January - June 2014

Italy: July - December 2014

Latvia: January - June 2015

Luxembourg: July - December 2015

Netherlands: January - June 2016

Slovakia: July - December 2016

Malta: January - June 2017

UK: July - December 2017

Estonia: January - June 2018