The Contribution of the Regions to the Council of the European Union Presidency The Case of Flanders in the Context of the Belgian Presidency of 2010

The paper explores the possibilities of regional actors to maximize their visibility and influence in the Council of Ministers, especially in the context of a country holding the rotating Presidency. The research focuses on the case of Flanders during the 2010 Belgian Presidency as a fine example of a regional actor's good performance in the supranational institutional setting due to facilitating factors such as: the Belgian unique power-sharing system enabling regions to uphold their interests in external relations; the provisions in the Union's Treaties ensuring direct representation at ministerial level of federal subunits; and a highly skilled and efficient Presidency corps that allowed Flanders to prove its resourcefulness in promoting the Union's objectives, chairing the Council's formations at all levels, ensuring compromise in decision-making and most importantly raising its profile in the European framework