The Council of

the European Union

T H E H O U S E O F T H E M E M B E R S TAT E S
The Council of the European Union

AN ESSENTIAL EU
DECISION-MAKER

The Council of the European Union — also known

informally as the Council — is a key EU decision-maker.
The institution brings together the ministers of the 27
EU member states. They represent their elected national
governments in those areas where the EU treaties —
adopted by the member states — allow the Union to
act. The Council mostly adopts laws and coordinates pol-
icies in order to reach the objectives set in the European
Council by the EU’s heads of state or government. The
Council also develops the EU’s common foreign and
security policy, concludes international agreements and,
together with the European Parliament, adopts the EU
budget.
Almost all law-making requires a proposal from the
European Commission. In most cases, these propos-
als demand joint adoption by the Council and the
European Parliament. Together with the Commission
and the Parliament, the Council is therefore one of the
three interdependent players in the Union’s law-making
process.
The Council may vote by a simple majority (14 member
states vote in favour — used for non-legislative issues),
unanimity (all countries vote in favour — in matters which
the member states consider to be sensitive) or a
qualified majority (55 % of the member states, represent-
ing at least 65 % of the EU population, vote in favour). A
qualified majority is the standard voting method, used for
about 80 % of EU legislation. This method is used when
the Council votes on a proposal by the Commission or the
High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy.
Council meetings take place in Brussels and for three
months a year — April, June and October — in
Luxembourg. They are organised according to
subject. This means that there are Council meetings on
finance, environment, energy, justice and so on, bringing
together ministers with responsibilities in such areas.
Officially there are ten specialised formats, called ‘Council
configurations’. Some 70 to 80 Council meetings take
place every year and each of these meetings is presided
by the minister responsible for the subject under discus-
sion from the member state
holding the Council Presidency. European Commissioners
responsible for the areas concerned also take part in
Council meetings, although they cannot vote.

Employment and Social Affairs Council, Luxembourg, 14 June 2021

Illumination of Rua Augusta’s Arch marking the Portuguese Presidency of
the Council of the EU, Lisbon, Portugal, 30 June 2021

THE COUNCIL PRESIDENCY

The Council Presidency rotates among the EU mem-
ber states every six months. The Presidency organises
and chairs meetings of the Council and its prepara-
tory bodies, and draws up compromises that facilitate
Council decisions. It also represents the Council in
relations with the other EU institutions, particularly with
the Commission and the European Parliament. The
Presidency is supported by the permanent General
Secretariat of the Council.
Member states holding the Presidency work together
closely in teams of three, called ‘trios’. The trio sets long-
term goals and prepares a common agenda that will be
addressed by the Council over an 18 month period.
The Foreign Affairs Council is the only Council configu-
ration that is not chaired by the rotating Presidency: it is
chaired, instead, by the High Representative for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy. The informal Eurogroup meet-
ings — in which the ministers of the euro area member
states discuss matters relating to their shared responsi-
bilities with regard to the euro — also have a permanent
President, who is elected among its members.
 EU Council presidencies up to 2025:

2022

January-June : France

July-December : Czech Republic

2023

January-June : Sweden

July-December : Spain

2024

January-June : Belgium

July-December : Hungary

2025

January-June : Poland

July-December : Denmark

FOLLOW THE WORK OF THE

COUNCIL
The Council’s work is as open as possible. Agendas for
Council meetings and many of the papers discussed can
be downloaded from the Council’s website. When the
Council discusses the adoption of a law, the debate is
web-streamed and made available online. In addition,
Council votes on law-making are automatically made
public. Similarly, you can follow press conferences and
read and subscribe to other press related products
published on the website.
 European Council Council of the
European Union
sets the EU’s political negotiates and votes on
agenda legislation

General Secretariat of the Council

supports the work of both institutions

EUROPEAN COUNCIL VS COUNCIL

OF THE EU VS COUNCIL OF EUROPE
– CONFUSED?
Both the European Council and the Council of the EU
represent the views of the governments of the EU
member states. The European Council determines the
EU’s general political direction and priorities, whereas the
Council mostly adopts laws and coordinates policies. The
European Council — which consists of the heads of state
or governme policy agenda.
The European Council and the Council should not be
confused with the Council of Europe, an international
organisation based in Strasbourg which protects human
rights, democracy and the rule of law and promotes
European culture. It is totally separate from the EU.
 Conseil de
l'Union européenne

Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 175

1048 Bruxelles • Brussel
Belgique • België
Tel. +32 (0)2 281 61 11

www.consilium.europa.eu
—
/eucouncil

© European Union, 2022

Europa building:
© Philippe Samyn, Valle, Happold,
architects and engineers;
colour compositions: © Georges
Meurant, 2016
—
Print ISBN 978-92-824- 8553-8
doi: 10.2860/73880
QC-06-21-169- EN-C

Pdf ISBN 978-92-824- 8527-9

doi: 10.2860/292159
QC-06-21-169- EN-N

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