Council meetings explained

One Council, 10 configurations

The Council of the EU is a single legal entity. However, in practice, ministers meet in the Council in different thematic groups, known as 'Council configurations'.

The 10 Council configurations are organised by policy areas. The national ministers holding the portfolio at national level corresponding to a Council configuration's policy area come together to discuss policies and adopt legislation in that specific field.

There are Council meetings on economic and financial affairs, environment, energy, justice and so on – each bringing together the national ministers of the EU member states responsible for the policy area in question.

Who takes part in Council meetings

Ministers from all EU member states

Council meetings are attended by ministerial-level representatives from the government of each EU member states. They can be ministers or state secretaries. 

For example, justice ministers take part in the Justice and Home Affairs Council and finance ministers in the Economy and Financial Affairs Council. 

As representatives of member states' governments, they can make commitments on behalf of their government and cast a vote at Council meetings. 

Chair: rotating presidency

The meetings of the Council configurations are chaired by the responsible minister of the member state holding the 6-month rotating Council presidency.  

This applies to all Council meetings, except the Foreign Affairs Council, which has a permanent chair – the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. 

The Council presidency also sets the overall work programme of the configurations and organises informal meetings of the ministers in the context of its activities. 

• The presidency of the Council of the EU
• EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

European Commissioners and other guests

European Commissioners responsible for the policy areas covered by the configurations are also invited to Council meetings.

Representatives of other EU institutions, such as the European Central Bank or agencies, representatives of non-EU countries or of international organisations or other guests may be invited to take part in a Council meeting.

What happens at Council meetings

During Council meetings, national ministers from each member state negotiate and adopt EU laws, coordinate policies, and develop foreign policy.

The ministers' job is to work towards EU-level solutions to common problems, taking into account the particular interests of their individual countries. This often requires flexibility and compromise.

Decisions in the Council

Every Council meeting has a meeting agenda that lists items to be discussed or decided. 

As the Council is a single legal entity, any of its 10 configurations can adopt a Council act that falls under the remit of another policy area.

The Council takes decisions by a vote. The outcomes of Council meetings can be decisions that are either legislative, political or administrative.

Adoption of EU laws

Discussion or vote on a proposal for a legislative act. This includes the so called 'general approach' (Council's position).

Conclusions and resolutions

Conclusions, recommendations, statements, resolutions setting up political commitments or positions.

Other acts

Nominations and appointments to official EU positions, inter-institutional agreements.

You can find the main results of Council meetings in the past meeting calendar. The results of Council votes are automatically made public when the Council acts to adopt EU laws.

• Calendar of past Council meetings
• Results of public votes

How are Council meetings prepared

Council meetings are prepared by ambassadors to the EU of all member states in Coreper (committee of permanent representatives) and other national officials and experts in various working groups and committees. In these meetings, they prepare the groundwork for all the Council decisions.

1. 1

   Working parties

   Every legislative proposal or political commitment is first examined at the technical level by national experts from all member states in specialised working parties.

2. 2

   Coreper

   Working with instructions from their government, EU ambassadors look at the agenda of Council meetings and search for common ground where they can agree.

   This is an essential final stage to allow for the smooth organisation of Council meetings.

3. 3

   Council

   Finally, ministers take decisions in the Council meetings. For the most sensitive political issues, they might also discuss and reach an agreement in the Council.

This multi-level structure, involving representatives of every EU member state in different capacities, allows for the discussion and examination of legislative proposals with the ultimate goal of facilitating the Council to adopt EU legislation and take decisions.

• How the work of the Council is organised

How does the agenda of a Council meeting look like?

The agenda of Council meetings is divided in 'A' items and 'B' items. Each section can contain both legislative deliberations and non-legislative activities.

'A' items are items that do not require discussion at the Council meeting.

Generally, around two-thirds of the items on a Council agenda are 'A' items. If Coreper has been able to finalise discussions on a proposal, it becomes an 'A' item on the Council agenda, meaning that agreement is expected without debate. However, discussions on these items can be re-opened if one or more member states request it.

An ‘A’ item can be adopted by any Council configuration, regardless of the subject matter.

'B' items are items that imply discussion at the Council meeting. The 'B' items on the Council agenda include points:

• left over from previous Council meetings
• upon which no agreement was reached in Coreper or at working party level
• that are too politically sensitive to be settled at a lower level

Agendas of Council meetings are published ahead of time and can be also found in the Council meeting calendar.

• Agendas of Council meetings

When and where Council meetings take place

Council meetings take place regularly. Some Council configurations meet every month, some 3-4 times a year, and some on an ad-hoc basis. Around 70 to 80 Council meetings are held every year.

Most meetings last for a full day, although some are half-day and some are two-day sessions.

Council meetings take place in Brussels, except in the months of April, June and October when they take place in Luxembourg.

See also