ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the role of national governments in European Union (EU) decision-making. It explores the ability of national governments to affect the pace, scope, and content of the EU's policy agenda, and to use the Council and its summits to pursue both EU and national goals. The chapter suggests that agenda-setting powers result in considerably weaker influence over outcomes in the EU than is common in national policy-making systems. It reviews the literature on EU policy-making, with special emphasis on studies of the European Council. The chapter compares the Austrian and German presidencies along several dimensions. It explores the agendas both states brought to the presidencies. The chapter examines the fit between agendas and outcomes. At the time Austria joined the EU in 1995, its turn as president was fixed for the latter half of 1998. Germany was set to assume the European Council presidency immediately after the Austrian presidency.
