The Council of the European Union
The Council of Ministers
The Council of the European Union, usually known as the Council of Ministers, has no equivalent anywhere in the world. It comprises government ministers from each Member State, who discuss the proposals put forward by the European Commission and ensure that national interests are represented.
The Council is the EU's main decision-making body, but most of its decisions now have to be taken in conjunction with the European Parliament. It is the embodiment of the Member States, whose representatives it brings together regularly at ministerial level. According to the matters on the agenda, the relevant minister will represent his or her Member State; for example Jack Straw would represent the UK when a decision on foreign affairs was being discussed.
The Council meetings are chaired by the representative of the country which holds the Presidency of the EU. This position is held for 6 months and is shared by the governments on a rotational basis.
The Council has a number of key responsibilities:
- It is the Union's legislative body; for a wide range of EU issues, it shares that legislative power with the European Parliament;
- It coordinates the broad economic policies of the Member States;
- It concludes, on behalf of the EU, international agreements with one or more States or international organisations;
- It shares budgetary authority with Parliament;
- It takes the decisions necessary for framing and implementing the common foreign and security policy, on the basis of general guidelines established by the European Council;
- It coordinates the activities of Member States and adopts measures in the field of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters.
For more information:
Council of the European Union Website
The European CouncilThe European Council consists of the Heads of State or Government of each Member State along with the President of the Commission, who meet twice a year to give political direction to the EU's programme. The President of the European Parliament is invited to make a presentation at the opening session.
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