At the last month of the Danish Presidency of the Council, this presidency has been certified as sustainable under the new international ISO20121 standard for sustainable events. On the other hand, the Cyprus Presidency of the Council that will start in July 2012 has already a website where consult the priorities of this presidency.

The new international ISO20121 standard for sustainable events has been obtained by the Danish Presidency of the Council. By rethinking all the processes and by constantly focusing on doing things smarter, we have reached our goal of being certified, said Danish Minister for European Affairs Nicolai Wammen. The standard is developed for large events such as the Olympic Games in London and the Danish Presidency is one of the first major international events to be organized and implemented in a certifiable sustainable manner. The Danish Presidency of the Council will end in 30 of June. It will be followed by the Cyprus Presidency of the Council.

During this past six months, the Danish Presidency has become known internationally "The Tap Water Presidency" because all participants - including ministers - have been served tap water at meetings in Denmark. The Presidency also highlighted that the sustainability efforts covered many other initiatives and sustainability has been an integral part of the logistical planning and execution of the presidency. The challenge has been to implement an effective and efficient presidency in a sustainable manner, without substantial additional costs.

Prior to Denmark’s term as President of the Council, the Presidency's central logistical team in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs designed a concept that ensured a sustainable implementation of the Presidency, without entailing significant additional costs. This was done by making demands on suppliers, abandoning certain benefits (such as merchandise like umbrellas and key chains) and by entering into sponsorships with clean-tech companies.