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The Portuguese Presidency published the final text of the reform treaty, which will be signed in
“The ratification of the Lisbon Treaty will introduce a number of significant changes in our institution”, Javier Solana said. “One of those is the change of the six-month presidency system. Under the new arrangements, the European Council will elect its President for a term of two and a half years, renewable once. The External Relations Council will be chaired by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. For the other configurations of the Council there will be a rotating system, guaranteeing both continuity and a smooth transition between succeeding Member States.”