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By most accounts, Lithuania had a good half-year in the rotating presidency of the European Union's Council of Ministers. EU officials and diplomats from other member states describe its performance as solid and competent, and it managed to bring to completion negotiations on a range of important files, from environmental legislation and the annual budget to banking union. (EuropeanVoice)

The centrepiece of the Lithuanian presidency was a summit of the Eastern Partnership, the European Union's still youthful outreach to six of its post-Soviet neighbours. The hope had been that the summit in Vilnius would enter history principally as the moment when Ukraine – 50% bigger than the five other neighbours combined – signed political and trade deals bringing it substantially closer to the EU. In the end, the summit was dominated by Ukraine's decision not to sign. “After Vilnius, we have more clarity and we really have less illusions, more reality about our relations and the future of this region,” said President Dalia Grybauskaite. (EuropeanVoice)

A bid to reduce indirect land use change (ILUC) caused by traditional biofuel was in trouble after member states rejected a compromise proposal from the Lithuanian presidency of the Council. The compromise was vetoed by member states such as Denmark and the Netherlands that want EU support for traditional biofuel severely restricted and those, such as Hungary and Poland, that want no change to existing policy. The European Parliament is also split on the issue. (EuropeanVoice)

When negotiators emerged from 15 hours of talks on the 2014 budget in the early hours of 12 November, they had a deal that gave something to everyone, to the great relief of Algimantas Rimkunas, Lithuania's deputy finance minister, who was in charge of the negotiations. The shifts between budget headings that made this possible were relatively minor, as was the increase over the European Commission's initial proposal in the money available to be pledged for future payments and the decrease in the money available for actual payments during 2014. That was smart politics, and deft diplomacy by Lithuania. (EuroepanVoice)

Other achievements also need to be put in perspective. For example, Lithuania did succeed in getting the member states to agree a common position on a controversial proposal to bolster control measures under the posting of workers directive, something that eluded both the Irish and the Cypriot presidencies. (EuropeanVoice)

A controversial proposal to revise EU rules on tobacco was guided to completion by the Lithuanian presidency just before the Christmas break. The entire package looked in jeopardy after MEPs and member states failed to agree on how to deal with electronic cigarettes. MEPs wanted them to be lightly regulated so they could help people quit smoking, but member states were worried about future health problems. Lithuania crafted a compromise that will use the Parliament's preferred method of regulating them as general products but allow member states to impose national restrictions if they choose. (EuropeanVoice)