Speech by Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt at the joint press conference with President of the Commission José Manuel Barroso the 1 July 2009.

"After over two years of preparation, Sweden today takes over the Presidency of the European Union.

“It is also 18 years to the day since Sweden submitted its application for membership to the EU.

“I am pleased to welcome the President of the Commission José Manuel Barroso and all the Commissioners to Stockholm to celebrate this day together with the Government and all the people of Sweden.

“We have had very good discussions in preparation for the work over the coming six months. The cooperation between the Government and the Commission is excellent. I look forward to close dialogue over the coming six months so that we can together take on all the challenges facing the EU this autumn.

“I will not shy away from saying that with a Presidency comes a great responsibility. Our task is to act in the interests of the entire EU. And to energetically pursue the issues on the EU agenda. The Presidency is not just the Government’s, it is the whole of Sweden’s – a Presidency that must look to the whole of Europe.

“We hope to be able to conduct an open, responsive and results-oriented Presidency, focusing on issues of interest to the almost 500 million people who live in Europe.

Sweden is expected to lead over 3000 meetings, most of them taking place in Brussels and Luxembourg. Over one hundred informal meetings will be held in different locations around Sweden.

“At the same time, the Swedish Presidency faces many challenges that are far from simple.

Europe and the world are in the midst of the most serious economic crisis of modern times. As holders of the Presidency, we will prioritise continued efforts to tackle the financial crisis and to deal with the rising unemployment that is currently affecting Europe. Our aim is for the EU to emerge strengthened from the financial crisis!

“At the same time, perhaps the greatest challenge of our generation is managing climate change. There is no time to lose. We will do everything in our power to reach an international climate agreement in Copenhagen in December.

“These two priorities will dominate our Presidency.

“However, we will also have a series of institutional changes to address. A newly elected European Parliament will begin its work and a new Commission will be appointed. There is also uncertainty as to whether the Treaty of Lisbon will be able to enter into force in the autumn. These will be important issues to address in order to create stability and efficiency in the EU’s future work.

“In addition, we hope to develop EU cooperation on justice and home affairs, by drawing up a Stockholm Programme.

“Another aim is to adopt an EU strategy that will strengthen environmental cooperation in the Baltic Sea region.

“We will also continue to work to strengthen EU policies on relations with its neighbouring countries to the south and east.

“Continuing the enlargement process is also of importance to ensure peace and progress in a united Europe.

“The Swedish Presidency will also work to strengthen the EU’s role as a global actor with a clear agenda for peace, development, democracy and human rights.

“Last but not least, experience has shown that all Presidencies must also be prepared to manage the unexpected.

“The most important thing is to ensure that we are able to gather the EU together to respond to the challenges that people face and where strong European cooperation can make a difference.

“Close cooperation between the Commission and the Presidency will be essential in order to make progress on all these issues. Today’s meeting is an excellent way to start what I hope will be an intensive and successful cooperation over the coming six months, in the interests of the entire EU.

“I myself, the Government, Sweden and the EU are ready to take on the challenge!”