Council of the European Union
Council of the European Union
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EAEC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leadership | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Structure | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Seats | 27 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Committees | 10 configurations
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Motto | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
United in Diversity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Meeting place | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Europa building Brussels, Belgium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
consilium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Constitution | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Treaties of the European Union |
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50°50′33.00″N 4°22′50.99″E / 50.8425000°N 4.3808306°E
The Council of the European Union, often referred to in the treaties and other official documents simply as the Council,
The Council of the European Union and the
The Council meets in 10 different configurations of 27 national ministers (one per state). The precise membership of these configurations varies according to the topic under consideration; for example, when discussing agricultural policy the Council is formed by the 27 national ministers whose portfolio includes this policy area (with the related European Commissioners contributing but not voting).
Composition
The
Its decisions are made by
The
History
The Council first appeared in the
In 1965, the Council was hit by the "empty chair crisis". Due to disagreements between
Under the
The
The development of the Council has been characterised by the rise in power of the Parliament, with which the Council has had to share its legislative powers. The Parliament has often provided opposition to the Council's wishes. This has in some cases led to clashes between both bodies with the Council's system of intergovernmentalism contradicting the developing parliamentary system and supranational principles.[12]
Powers and functions
The primary purpose of the Council is to act as one of two vetoing bodies of the
Legislative procedure
The EU's legislative authority is divided between the Council, the Parliament and the Commission. As the relationships and powers of these institutions have developed, various legislative procedures have been created for adopting laws.
Under this procedure, the Commission presents a proposal to Parliament and the Council. Following its first
The few other areas that operate the special legislative procedures are justice & home affairs, budget and taxation and certain aspects of other policy areas: such as the fiscal aspects of environmental policy. In these areas, the Council or Parliament decide law alone.
The Council votes in one of three ways;
Resolutions
Council resolutions have no legal effect. Usually the Council's intention is to set out future work foreseen in a specific policy area or to invite action by the Commission. If a resolution covers a policy area which is not entirely within an area of EU competency, the resolution will be issued as a "resolution of the Council and the representatives of the governments of the member states".
Foreign affairs
This section relies largely or entirely on a single source. (December 2015) |
The legal instruments used by the Council for the
Budgetary authority
The legislative branch officially holds the Union's budgetary authority. The EU's budget (which is around 155 billion euro)[30] is subject to a form of the ordinary legislative procedure with a single reading giving Parliament power over the entire budget (prior to 2009, its influence was limited to certain areas) on an equal footing with the Council. If there is a disagreement between them, it is taken to a conciliation committee as it is for legislative proposals. But if the joint conciliation text is not approved, the Parliament may adopt the budget definitively.[22] In addition to the budget, the Council coordinates the economic policy of members.[7]
Organisation
The Council's rules of procedure contain the provisions necessary for its organisation and functioning.[31]
Presidency
The Presidency of the Council is not a single post, but is held by a member state's government. Every six months the presidency rotates among the states, in an order predefined by the Council's members, allowing each state to preside over the body. From 2007, every three member states co-operate for their combined eighteen months on a common agenda, although only one formally holds the presidency for the normal six-month period. For example, the President for the second half of 2007, Portugal, was the second in a trio of states alongside Germany and
The role of the Presidency is administrative and political. On the administrative side it is responsible for procedures and organising the work of the Council during its term. This includes summoning the Council for meetings along with directing the work of
Configurations
Legally speaking, the Council is a single entity (this means that technically any Council configuration can adopt decisions that fall within the remit of any other Council configuration)[36] but it is in practice divided into several different council configurations (or ‘(con)formations’). Article 16(6) of the Treaty on European Union provides:
The Council shall meet in different configurations, the list of which shall be adopted in accordance with Article 236 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
The General Affairs Council shall ensure consistency in the work of the different Council configurations. It shall prepare and ensure the follow-up to meetings of the European Council, in liaison with the President of the European Council and the Commission.
The Foreign Affairs Council shall elaborate the Union's external action on the basis of strategic guidelines laid down by the European Council and ensure that the Union's action is consistent.
Each council configuration deals with a different functional area, for example agriculture and fisheries. In this formation, the council is composed of ministers from each state government who are responsible for this area: the agriculture and fisheries ministers. The
- General Affairs (GAC)
- General affairs co-ordinates the work of the Council, prepares for European Council meetings and deals with issues crossing various council formations.
- Foreign Affairs (FAC)
- Chaired by the
- Economic and Financial Affairs (Ecofin)
- Composed of economics and finance ministers of the member states. It includes
- Agriculture and Fisheries (Agrifish)
- Composed of the agriculture and fisheries ministers of the member states. It considers matters concerning the Common Agricultural Policy, the Common Fisheries Policy, forestry, organic farming, food and feed safety, seeds, pesticides, and fisheries.[41]
- Justice and Home Affairs (JHA)
- This configuration brings together Justice ministers and Interior Ministers of the Member States. Includes civil protection.
- Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO)
- Composed of employment, social protection, consumer protection, health and equal opportunities ministers.
- Competitiveness (COMPET)
- Created in June 2002 through the merging of three previous configurations (Internal Market, Industry and Research). Depending on the items on the agenda, this formation is composed of ministers responsible for areas such as European affairs, industry, tourism and scientific research. With the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU acquired competence in space matters,[42] and space policy has been attributed to the Competitiveness Council.[43]
- Transport, Telecommunications and Energy (TTE)
- Created in June 2002, through the merging of three policies under one configuration, and with a composition varying according to the specific items on its agenda. This formation meets approximately once every two months.
- Environment (ENV)
- Composed of environment ministers, who meet about four times a year.
- Education, Youth, Culture and Sport (EYC)
- Composed of education, culture, youth, communications and sport ministers, who meet around three or four times a year.[44] Includes audiovisual issues.
Complementing these, the Political and Security Committee (PSC) brings together ambassadors to monitor international situations and define policies within the CSDP, particularly in crises.[38] The European Council is similar to a configuration of the Council and operates in a similar way, but is composed of the national leaders (heads of government or state) and has its own President,[45] since 2019, Charles Michel. The body's purpose is to define the general "impetus" of the Union.[46] The European Council deals with the major issues such as the appointment of the President of the European Commission who takes part in the body's meetings.[47]
Following the entry into force of a framework agreement between the EU and
Administration
The General Secretariat of the Council provides the continuous infrastructure of the Council, carrying out preparation for meetings, draft reports, translation, records, documents, agendas and assisting the presidency.[51] The Secretary General of the Council is head of the Secretariat. The Secretariat is divided into seven directorates-general, each administered by a director-general.
The Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) is a body composed of representatives from the states (ambassadors, civil servants etc.) who meet each week to prepare the work and tasks of the Council. It monitors and co-ordinates work and deals with the Parliament on co-decision legislation.[52] It is divided into two groups of the representatives (Coreper II) and their deputies (Coreper I). Agriculture is dealt with separately by the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA). The numerous working groups submit their reports to the Council through Coreper or SCA.[38]
Governments represented in the Council
The
Almost all members of the Council are members of a political party at national level, and most of these are members of a European-level political party. However the Council is composed to represent the Member States rather than political parties[7] and the nature of coalition governments in a number of states means that party breakdown at different configuration of the Council vary depending on which domestic party was assigned the portfolio. However, the broad ideological alignment of the government in each state does influence the nature of the law the Council produces and the extent to which the link between domestic parties puts pressure on the members in the European Parliament to vote a certain way.
Location
By a decision of the European Council at Edinburgh in December 1992, the Council has its seat in Brussels but in April, June, and October, it holds its meetings in
The 1965 agreement (finalised by the Edinburgh agreement and annexed to the treaties) on the location of the newly merged institutions, the Council was to be in Brussels but would meet in Luxembourg City during April, June, and October. The ECSC secretariat moved from Luxembourg City to the merged body Council secretariat in the Ravenstein building of Brussels. In 1971 the Council and its secretariat moved into the
In 1995, the Council moved into the Justus Lipsius building, across the road from Charlemagne.[clarification needed] However, its staff was still increasing, so it continued to rent the Frère Orban building to house the Finnish and Swedish language divisions. Staff continued to increase and the Council rented, in addition to owning Justus Lipsius, the Kortenberg, Froissart, Espace Rolin, and Woluwe Heights buildings. Since acquiring the Lex building in 2008, the three aforementioned buildings are no longer in use by the Council services.
When the Council is meeting in Luxembourg City, it meets in the Kirchberg Conference Centre,[54] and its offices are based at the European Centre on the plateau du Kirchberg.[38] The Council has also met occasionally in Strasbourg, in various other cities, and also outside the Union: for example in 1974 when it met in Tokyo and Washington, D. C. while trade and energy talks were taking place. Under the Council's present rules of procedures the Council can, in extraordinary circumstances, hold one of its meetings outside Brussels and Luxembourg.[54]
From 2017, both the Council of the European Union and the European Council adopted the purpose-built Europa building as their official headquarters, although they continue to utilise the facilities afforded by the adjacent Justus Lipsius building. The focal point of the new building, the distinctive multi-storey "lantern" shaped structure in which the main meeting room is located, is utilised in both EU institutions' new official logos.[18][55]
See also
Notes
- ^ In the treaties and legislative documents, the institution is referred to simply as "the Council". The Latin word consilium is also found as a "language-neutral" name in signage, website names, etc.
References
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- ^ a b "The Presidency". 2007 Portuguese Presidency website. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
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External links
- Official Council website – Europa
- Access to documents of the EU Council on EUR-Lex
- Council of the European Union Archived 7 June 2011 at the European NAvigator
- Archival material concerning the Council of the European Union can be consulted at the Historical Archives of the European Union in Florence