The Netherlands 2004 EU Council Presidency: Dutch EU-Policymaking in the Spotlights (2004:1op)

This paper discusses the domestic backgrounds and challenges of the 2004 Netherlands European Union Council Presidency.

The paper reviews the national organisation and management of the Presidency with the use of empirical results from a written survey covering some 550 government officials. The Dutch government will be the first country to lead the presidency with the enlarged, 25-member EU, something that is also analysed in the report.