Council of the European Union

The Council of the European Union, often called simply "the Council" or informally the "Council of Ministers," is one of the EU's seven institutions listed in Article 13 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). It represents the governments of the 27 member states, with each country sending the minister responsible for the policy area under discussion. It should not be confused with the European Council (heads of state or government setting strategic direction) or the Council of Europe (a separate 46-member human rights organisation based in Strasbourg).

The Council meets in ten configurations, including the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), and the General Affairs Council (GAC). The presidency rotates among member states every six months, except for the FAC, which is chaired by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Preparatory work is carried out by the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) and numerous working parties.

Under the Treaty of Lisbon (in force since 1 December 2009), the Council shares legislative power with the European Parliament under the ordinary legislative procedure (Article 294 TFEU). Most decisions are taken by qualified majority voting (QMV), defined since 1 November 2014 as the "double majority": at least 55% of member states representing at least 65% of the EU population (Article 16(4) TEU). Sensitive areas such as taxation, foreign and security policy, and treaty change still require unanimity.

The Council also concludes international agreements on behalf of the EU, adopts the EU budget jointly with Parliament, and coordinates member states' economic and employment policies. Its General Secretariat is based in the Europa and Justus Lipsius buildings in Brussels, though meetings are held in Luxembourg in April, June, and October.