What is the Council of the European Union?
The Council of the European Union is one of the EU’s two co-legislators, alongside the European Parliament. It is where the governments of the 27 member states meet to negotiate and adopt European legislation.
Ten configurations, one institution
The Council is technically a single institution, but it meets in ten different configurations depending on the topic. Foreign Affairs, Economic and Financial Affairs (Ecofin), Justice and Home Affairs, Environment, Agriculture, Transport — each brings together the relevant national ministers from the 27 member states.
The rotating presidency
Every six months, a different member state takes over the rotating presidency of the Council. The presidency country chairs almost all Council meetings, sets the agenda, and brokers compromises. The order is fixed years in advance, in groups of three (the trio) that share a common 18-month programme.
How votes work: qualified majority
The default voting rule is qualified majority voting (QMV): a measure passes if it has the support of at least 55% of member states (15 out of 27) representing at least 65% of the EU’s population. A blocking minority requires at least four member states.
Some sensitive areas still require unanimity: foreign and security policy, taxation, EU enlargement, treaty change. Unanimity gives every member state a veto.
COREPER: the diplomats who do the work
Most decisions are technically prepared by the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER), made up of the EU ambassadors of each member state. Working groups of national experts feed up technical compromises; COREPER turns them into political pre-agreements.
The Council vs. the European Council
The two are constantly confused. The European Council is made up of the heads of state or government of the member states. The Council of the EU, by contrast, meets at ministerial level, dozens of times a year, and adopts legislation jointly with the Parliament.
Why it matters
Because the Council represents national governments, every European law that affects citizens has to clear a chamber where 27 capitals weigh in. The Council is where intergovernmental Europe meets supranational Europe.
