The new logo for the upcoming Swedish presidency was unveiled on March 2 by Sweden’s European minister Cecilia Malmstrom. “Openness and Nordic light,” is how she described what will be dominating the EU agenda-setting for the second half of this year, after Sweden will take up its rotation presidency of the European Council on July 1. The design, a golden S-shaped curve wandering around a blue coloured globe encircled with a Nordic light is, putting forward a message and focus on the global climate challenge the world faces.

“Stockholm leading the EU to the Copenhagen UN conference on climate change scheduled in December is due to take care of the preparations of the new global climate convention that is to be adopted after the Kyoto Protocol expiring in 2012,” said Lisa Dahlen Jonsson, press officer of the Sweden’s permanent representation to the EU adding, that her country is “very ambitious also about the Baltic Sea strategy.”

In her speech at the College of Europe during Scandinavian cultural week in Brugge, Malmstromdrew a Swedish vision for Europe – a typical Scandinavian call for transparency and the environment: “We are going to play a crucial role in ensuring that the EU delivers on important issues relating to climate, environment and energy. We want to see a Europe that is eco-friendly, enables economic growth and increasing welfare, that is secure and open, and that takes an important role in world politics promoting democracy, peace and stability. We want Europe to be democratic and make sure that it enjoys the trust of its citizens,” she said.

Apart from the environment other three sets of priorities were mentioned by the country’s European minister. Reflecting longer-term challenges of growth and competitiveness, mobility, migration and enlargement, she resumes: “We need a strategic, ambitious and well-coordinated policy for research and innovation in Europe. During the Swedish presidency we will lay the foundations for a renewed strategy for growth - post Lisbon. “We need an open global trading system.” In connection of the economy and mobility, “We must avoid building closed walls along the borders of Europe.”

In the area of migration and asylum, the Presidency has planned for a Stockholm programme on immigration which is already on the table and should be launched in October. The five-year programme in justice and home affairs policy will serve as a successor to the Hague programme. Goran von Sydow, researcher form Swedish Institute for European Political Studies sees the Presidency as ambiguous to begin with, “it is actually hard to say what the Swedish government may do when it comes to the economic crisis. It goes into the climate issue, because it may be harder to agree on progressive measures in area of climate change combat in times of economic crisis. There is of course also problem in sense that Sweden is not part of the Euro group, so being outside the Euro may perhaps make it more difficult in the negotiation of the common position.”

On behalf of enlargement, traditionally high on Sweden’s agenda, Malmstrompoints out that the country’s “strong interest lies in the membership of Turkey, as should the EU as a whole.” The country will have to challenge the newly elected European Parliament and supervise the national nomination of candidates for the upcoming Commission to be appointed on November 1. “Before that date the governments of the Member States must agree on the individuals who are to be nominated for the post of President of the Commission and as members of the Commission, “states Sweden government’s website. The Swedish government has also indicated its preparedness for all scenarios arising from the Lisbon treaty ratification either with positive or with negative results.