Council of the European Union

The Council (not to be confused with the European Council) is the Union’s main decision-making institution and constitutes the EU institution in which the governments are represented.

 

The Council, together with the European Parliament, acts in a legislative and budgetary capacity. It is also the lead institution for decision-making, on the common foreign and security policy (CFSP), and on the coordination of economic policies.

Composition

Competences
  • Presidency: heads the Troika (Presidency, incoming Presidency, Commission, Council Secretariat)
  • Ministers of the 25 Member States
Each Member State in turn presides over the Council for six months (known as the Presidency).
  • Legislative body
  • Decision-making body regarding EU foreign policies
  • Conclusion of international agreements
  • Adoption of ENP Action Plans

 

Instruments

The Council adopts a number of documents among these:

  • Regulations, directives, decisions, common actions, common positions, recommendations, opinions, conclusions, declarations, resolutions, demarches
  • Human Rights Guidelines on:
    • HR Defenders
    • Death Penalty
    • Torture
    • HR Dialogue with 3rd Countries
    • Children in Armed Conflict, etc.

The Council is assisted by:

Secretariat of the Council

COREPER
  • Secretary General/High Representative for the CFSP: Mr. Javier Solana
  • Council Secretariat Staff
    • Policy Unit
    • Unit for the Middle East, Mediterranean, Barcelona Process
  • Representatives of the Member States (MS) to prepare work of Ministers:
    • in permanent representations of MS in Brussels
    • in MS foreign ministries
    • in MS embassies in third countries
  • Divided into working groups, eg:
    • COHOM for HR
    • Maghreb-Mashrek Group