The Spanish six-months Presidency has come to an end with the approval of what will be the roadmap for European growth and economic modernisation, the EU 2020 Strategy, and a series of measures which will allow the economic union to be consolidated, both key priorities of the Spanish programme.

On June 30th , the period of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union will come to an end, a semester which has been marked by the measures against international economic crisis and the future challenges European Union will have to face to ensure growth and stability. From July 1st the rotating Council presidency will be occupied by Belgium.

Already on June 23th, the President of the Spanish Government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, speaking in the Spanish Congress of Deputies, gave an overview of the six-month period of the Spanish Presidency, which he described as "positive" and "useful". On the 30th Spanish Secretary of State for the EU, Diego Lopez Garrido, will make the final assessment of the Presidency.

Following the conclusion of the summit of the Council of the European Union held in Brussels on June 17th, the president highlighted the support received by partners and EU institutions to the efforts made by Spain to take the necessary measures before the crisis.

According to the president the two main objectives set out by the Spanish Presidency at the beginning of the period have been met: achieving the full application of the Treaty of Lisbon with the full support of the new institutions, and making progress on economic coordination between the member states in order to tackle the crisis and promote recovery.

Among the main agreements reached during the semester of Spanish Presidency the approval of Europe 2020 Strategy for growth and employment will introduce the reforms needed in Europe in order to deal with challenges such as globalisation, the ageing population and the battle against climate change. Furthermore, in the last Council, European leaders agreed to publish the results of the stress tests carried out on European credit entities in the second half of July, a measure seen as fundamental for restoring calm in the markets, discouraging unjustified speculation and returning trust to the inter-bank market.