Inside Europe | 28.06.2008 | 15:05
France prepares to take over the EU presidency but how much can it really achieve?
Next Tuesday, the Eiffel Tower will be lit up in the blue and gold colours of Europe. The event will mark France taking over the presidency of the EU for the next six months.
It does so at a particularly difficult time. Many plans are now up in the air following the result of the Irish referendum which saw the Lisbon treaty rejected by more than 53% of voters. It was a particular setback for President Nicolas Sarkozy, who'd personally put a lot of energy into promoting the treaty. As well as institutional reform, Sarkozy says he also wants Europe to develop common policies on immigration, defence and the environment by the end of France's term. Alasdair Sandford reports from Paris on what lies ahead for the French presidency.
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