ABSTRACT
Presidencies play an important role in the European Union (EU) and a dysfunctional Presidency has a significant impact on its effectiveness. The Treaty of Rome articles 203204 and the Treaty on European Union article 48 detail the anticipated role for the Presidency. A number of commentators disparaged the UK's EU Presidency for failing to address the fundamental disagreements at the heart of the European project. The work programme for the UK's six-month Presidency was a part of the Multi-annual Strategic Programme for the period 20046, designed for the Irish, Dutch, Luxembourg, UK, Austrian and Finnish Presidencies. Europe's foreign policy has remained cohesive during the UK's Presidency. The EU maintained a united front with regard to Iran. Despite considerable efforts the Presidency was impotent to enhance the prospects of the EU being able offer anything that overcame the current obstacles to the conclusion of the Doha Round.
