Slovakia · EU Council Presidency

Issue date7 Mar 2016

Total mintage1,000,000

EU maximum1,000,000

Editions5

Edge letteringSLOVENSKÁ REPUBLIKA + ★ + Linden leaf + ★

Inscription2016 / SLOVENSKO / PREDSEDNÍCTVO SR V RADE EÚ / MK / VP

DesignerVladimír Pavlica

mintMincovna Kremnica, š.p., Kremnica / Slovakia

Issue occasion

The coin commemorates Slovakia’s first presidency of the Council of the European Union. The design features the coat of arms of the Slovak Republic in front of fan-shaped, curved lines converging towards the centre, symbolising Slovakia’s position and importance during its EU Council presidency. It is complemented by the year “2016” and the inscriptions “SLOVENSKO” and “PREDSEDNÍCTVO SR V RADE EÚ”.

The design

The central element of the design is the coat of arms of the Slovak Republic against a background of fan-shaped curved lines converging toward the center. The design symbolizes the position and importance of the Slovak Republic during its presidency of the Council of the EU. To the right of the coat of arms of the Slovak Republic, the year “2016” can be seen. Along the inner ring of the coin run the country name “SLOVENSKO” (Slovakia) and the inscription “PREDSEDNÍCTVO SR V RADE EÚ” (Slovak presidency of the Council of the EU), separated by graphic symbols. The mint mark of the Kremnica Mint, consisting of the letters “MK” between two minting dies, and the stylized initials “VP” of the designer of the national side, Vladimír Pavlica, are located at the bottom edge of the design.

The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the outer ring of the coin.

Background on the topic

The Council of the European Union (Rat der Europäischen Union) is the body in which the governments of the member states are represented by their respective ministers responsible for the relevant policy areas. Depending on the topic, the finance, environment or interior ministers, for example, meet. The presidency rotates among the member states every six months. This should not be confused with the European Council (Europäischer Rat) of heads of state and government or the Council of Europe (Europarat), which is not an institution of the European Union (Europäische Union).

The presiding country chairs most Council meetings and the preparatory working groups, coordinates negotiations and seeks compromises between the member states. It also represents the Council in negotiations with the European Parliament (Europäisches Parlament) and the European Commission (Europäische Kommission). The presidency does not, however, give a state sole decision-making power. Political work is coordinated over the long term; three consecutive presidencies form what is known as a trio. Slovakia worked with the Netherlands and Malta in this trio.

The assumption of this task was connected with the gradual integration of Slovakia into the European institutions. The country had joined the European Union (Europäische Union) in 2004 and introduced the euro in 2009. The presidency thus followed twelve years after EU accession and was a new institutional task for the Slovak administration and diplomacy.

The Council’s work took place during a politically tense period. Topics included economic development, the deepening of the single market, migration and asylum, and the Union’s foreign-policy role. The consequences of the British referendum on leaving the EU were an additional issue. In September 2016, the heads of state and government of the other 27 member states met in Bratislava to discuss future cooperation without the United Kingdom. This resulted in the so-called Bratislava-Roadmap, with plans in areas including migration, internal and external security, and the economy.

The coin issue can therefore be understood as marking an institutional milestone: for the first time, Slovakia assumed the organisational and mediating role of a presiding country and was particularly visible at European level for six months.