On 1st January, 1999, Germany took over the EU-Presidency for half a year. While the new government still struggled to get organized, challenges both at home and abroad had profound effects on its leadership role within the first weeks of the presidency.

First, Oskar Lafontaine, the outspoken Finance Minister and Leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) resigned (11.03.99). Second, a series of developments on the European agenda, the resignation of the EU Commission and the Berlin Summit meeting to begin with, affected the German governments policy choices in the reform debate, centering on the successful conclusion of the Agenda 2000 negotiations. Thirdly, the war in Kosovo and its humanitarian, political effects again changed the focus of Germany's EU Presidency.

To better understand these changes and their consequences, the Project has collected Online-Resources on the German EU Presidency from a variety of sources. Published first on 17th of March 1999, the Dossier has been closed on the 13th of December 1999.