From apprentice to partner: The 1992 Portuguese Council presidency

Portugal joined the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1986 and, after a relatively small six-year apprenticeship period, in which the country met the accession terms and started learning the Community policy-making processes, held its first Council’s presidency in 1992. This article analyses broadly the performance of the first Portuguese Council’s presidency, from the point of view of both Portuguese history and the history of the EEC/European Union. It highlights the distinctive features of the Portuguese presidency, and provides an overview of the presidency’s programme and its ensuing results. It also shows how Portugal handled the early years of membership and presidency planning, while running the presidency provided an opportunity to show its European political skills and enhance its state image.