Portugal no Centro da Europa: As Presidências Portuguesas do Conselho da União Europeia (1992, 2000 e 2007)

The European Union is a living organism in constant reinvention, to what regards its common policies, number of Member States, and goals to pursue. In the framework of its institutions the Council advocates member States’ interests. As an intergovernmental institution, it is up to each Member State to ensure the rotating presidency of the Council for a period of six months. Portugal held, up to this day, three times the presidency in 1992, 2000 and 2007. This article analyzes the performance of these three presidencies, from the history of the European Union point of view and the Portuguese participation on it.