This website contains information on the events organised by the Senate of the Republic and the Chamber of Deputies during the Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The Presidency of the Council of the European Union is a period of six months when a member State holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union according to a rotation system. This should not be confused with the "European Semester", which is a cycle of economic and fiscal policy coordination within the EU, which takes place during the first half of each year.

Italy will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1st July 2014 to 31st December 2014, after Greece and before Latvia. Previously, Italy held the EU Council presidency in 1990 (July-December; Head of Government Giulio Andreotti), in 1996 (January-June; Head of Government Lamberto Dini and, after 18 May, Romano Prodi) and in 2003 (July-December; Head of Government Silvio Berlusconi).

The presidency country defines the Council's political priorities during that half-year. It organises and chairs meetings of the various Council configurations (with the exception of the Foreign Affairs Council) and the Council's preparatory bodies, and sets the agenda of meetings. It also represents the Council of the European Union in relations and negotiations with the other EU institutions, particularly the Commission and the European Parliament.

The EU Council presidency rotates among member States every six months, according to an order established by consensus in the Council. Since 2009, with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, a system has been in place whereby three successive presidencies, known as presidency "trio", cooperate for an 18-month period to provide continuity through a common agenda. The Italian Presidency is the first of a trio that also includes Latvia (early 2015) and Luxembourg (late 2015) and which tables the programme of the EU Council activity for the entire 18 months from 1 July 2014 to 31 December 2015.

Like all parliaments of countries holding the Council presidency, also the Italian Parliament organises a number of meetings of members from the parliaments of EU member States and the European Parliament, taking into account the priorities agreed with Government for the presidency. Some meetings are held regularly, while others are convened by the presidency Parliament, in order to address the issues and challenges that are viewed as more compelling for citizens and the European Union.

The Council of the European Union shares legislative and budgetary powers with the European Parliament and contributes to the drafting of European Union policies. Depending on the topics addressed, the Council meets in several configurations of national ministers or other national governmental officers responsible for the policy areas concerned. The Council of the European Union should not be confused with the European Council and the Council of Europe. The European Council is an EU institution which defines the general political direction and priorities of the EU and does not have law-making powers. It consists of the Heads of State and Government of member States, together with its President - elected for a two-and-a-half year term - and the President of the European Commission. The Council of Europe is not an EU institution, but a separate international human rights organisation which includes 47 member States, 28 of which are also members of the European Union.