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The Council of the European Union

The Council of the European Union

The Council of Ministers enacts EU laws, acting on proposals submitted by the Commission. Since the implementation of the Maastricht Treaty, its official name is the Council of the European Union.

Comprising Ministers from each member state, the Council strikes a balance between national and Union interests. Different Ministers participate in the Council according to the subject under discussion. Agricultural Ministers, for instance, discuss farm prices in the Agriculture Council, and Economic and Finance Ministers discuss monetary affairs in the ECOFIN Council. The Ministers for Foreign Affairs provide overall coordination in the General Affairs Council. They are also responsible for foreign policy in the framework of the Common Foreign and Security Policy.

Presidency: Each Government acts as President of the Council for six months in rotation.

Coreper: The Council is assisted by a Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper), comprising member state officials holding ambassadorial rank, and a Secretariat, with a staff of about 2000.

 

Voting in the Council: The Council takes most decisions by qualified majority vote (QMV). Five member states and 25 votes are necessary for a blocking minority. Unanimity is still required for areas like amendments to the treaties, taxation, the launch of a new common policy, or the admission of a new member state.

In the area of CFSP, the Amsterdam Treaty provides that as many as one-third of member states may "constructively abstain" from a decision while allowing the others to act together on behalf of the EU. Member states which constructively abstain may not take any action which impedes the decision made by the majority. Amsterdam also provides for qualified majority voting in implementing basic political decisions.

MAJORITY VOTING IN THE EU COUNCIL
Member State Votes The Council takes most dicisions by qualified majority vote (QMV), which will be extended upon ratification of the Amsterdam Treaty.
Unanimity is still required for areas like amendments to the treaties, taxation, the launch of a new common policy, the admission of a new member state, or the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).

Five menber states and 25 votes are necessary for a blocking minority.

In the area of CFSP, the Amsterdam Treaty proposes that as many as one-third of member states may "constructively abstain" from a decision while allowing the others to act together on behalf of the EU. Member states which constructively abstain may not take any action which impedes the decision made by the majority.

France
Germany
Italy
United Kingdom
10
10
10
10

Spain 8

Belgium
Greece
Netherlands
Portugal
5
5
5
5

Austria
Sweden
4
4

Denmark
Finland
Ireland
3
3
3

Luxembourg 2

Unanimity
Qualified Majority
87
62

Blocking Minority
25

The European Council

The European Council brings together Heads of State and Government and the President of the Commission. It meets at least twice a year, at the end of each EU member state's six-month presidency. The Single European Act formalized the European Council, which was not foreseen in the original EC treaties.

Council of Ministers
The European Council