Rotating Away From Leadership? A Study of the Rotating Presidency of the European Union and its Effects on EU Leadership in the International Negotiations on Climate Change

Abstract: The EU has claimed a leadership role in the climate change negotiations ever since their creation under the United Nations Framework on the Climate Change Convention. By going ahead in the formulation of its own emission targets and acting as a pusher in urging others to realise the urgency of adopting ambitious targets and timetables, the EU has taken the lead. Responsible for EU's performance stands the rotating Presidency, with responsibilities of the work of the Council as well as the Council of Ministers. As member states have delegated further resonsibilities to the Presidency it has step by step moved into the driver's seat of the Union. But steering towards a leading postition in climate change negotiations has been claimed to be rather difficult with a rotating chair. According to my interviews, conducted with persons in central positions in the negotiations of the Trio-programme and in the climate negotiations, the system of rotation does not constitute a challenge to EU's leadership in the climate change negotiations. Nyckelord: Presidency, Climate Change, Leadership, Actorness, Trio-presidency Word count: 8535