EU 6 - Council of the European Union

Council Presidency

• Rotating-Presidency: 6-months once; Presidencies arranged into groupings of 3 states: „trio“

• Current trio (Jul 2026 - Dec 2027): Ireland, Lithuania & Greece

Tasks of Presidency

• Arrange & chair meetings at all levels

• Compromise-building

• Political leadership, but cannot openly pursue only national interests

• Ensure continuity & consistency

• Represent the Council

  • In relations with other EU institutions

  • In relations with third (non-member) countries

Council: Powers & Functions 1

• Legislative: Negotiates & adopts EU laws (co-legislator with the European Parliament)

• Budgetary: Adopts the EU budget, together with the European Parliament

• Executive: Committees that work with the Commission; Declarations on foreign policy matters

• Coordinating: Responsible for coordinating member states‘ policies in specific fields (economic & fiscal, education, employment, …) & co-operation between the national courts & co-operation between the national courts & police forces in criminal matters

• Policy Development: Defines & implements EU foreign & security policy on the basis of guidelines set by the European Council

Council: Powers & Functions 2 - Role in International Agreements

• provides the mandate to the Commission to negotiate international agreements on behalf of the EU

• at the end of negotiations, the Council decides on the signature & conclusion of the agreement

• adopts the final decision to conclude the agreement, once the Parliament has given its consent (required in areas subject to co-decision)

• Can also adopt a decision to suspend the application of an international agreement or to terminate an agreement

Council of the European Union

• Council (Ministers)

Below:

• General Secretariat (Administrative/Civil servants of the EU/no country representation)

• Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER): Permanent representation of each MS at the Ambassador level; COREPER II (Senior level - Ambassadors); COREPER I (Deputy Ambassadors)

Below COREPER:

• Committees & Working Parties: National officials - providing advice to the Council & the Commission; WP - Carry out detailed analysis of Commission proposals

How does the Council work?

• Commission proposal at level: Working parties - experts from the member states

• Coreper ambassadors

• Decision adoption at level: Council ministers

Council Configurations/Formations

1. Agriculture and fisheries

2. Foreign affairs!

3. Economic and financial affairs

4. Education, youth, culture and sport

5. Employment, social policy, health and consumer affairs

6. Environment

7. General affairs!

8. Competitiveness

9. Justice and home affairs

10. Transport, telecommunications and energy

→ Ministers differ by policy expertise; different policy areas require different national ministers

→ Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) is chaired by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy (HR/VP) & General Affairs Council (GAC) coordinates different policy areas, institutional & administrative matters; preparing & following up on European Council meetings

Voting Procedure

• Simple majority: for procedural questions (rarely used)

• Unanimity: Tax harmonization, anti-discrimination legislation, amendments to treaties, launching a new common policy, accession to the EU

• QMV: Majority of the decision-making happens through QMV (based on „double majority“) → approval of 55% of member states ( at least 15 states); approval of states that represent 65% of the Union‘s population; Blocking minority - at least 4 member states (35% of the population)

Critical Evaluation

• Why might decision-making among 27 governments become difficult? → Different national interests, economy, migration, domestic politics, ideology…

• Which countries usually cooperate more closely? → France-Germany, Nordics, Visegrad, Southern states…

• Basis for coalition-building in the Council → For or against integration, big states (financial contribution) vs small, strong national parliaments vs weak, politicization of policy issue, left-right axis, issue-based interests

• What happens if states cannot agree? → Delays, weaker laws, compromise, no-decision…

• Ways to resolve gridlock → Bilateral meetings, package deals, limiting the scope of EU legislation, extending the transition period, coalition-buidling…