Belgium assumes EU Council Presidency

Belgium took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 1, 2010. The Belgian Presidency is focused on these major projects: Implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon, which comes into force on December 1, 2010; launch of the EU 2020 strategy, which will guide EU policies in the coming decade; pursuit of international climate and energy negotiations; implementation of the Stockholm Program-me in the areas of justice, asylum and immigration; continuation of enlargement negotiations; and, pre-paration of the 2011 budget and mid-term revision of financial perspectives.