Sweden at midnight Thursday (2300 GMT) handed over the rotating presidency of the European Union to Spain, ending its six-month period at the helm of the 27-nation bloc, dpa reported. The Spanish EU presidency will be the first under the Lisbon Treaty that entered into force December 1. The treaty created a full-time chairman of the EU council, and the first holder of the position is Belgium"s former premier, Herman Van Rompuy. Climate change issues and securing the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty proved to be the most difficult issues during the six-month presidency, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said.
