Council of the European Union

E10024

EU institution decision-making body legislative body

The Council of the European Union is one of the main decision-making institutions of the European Union, where government ministers from each member state meet to adopt laws and coordinate policies.

Aliases (19)

Statements (57)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	EU institution → decision-making body → legislative body →
alsoKnownAs	Council of Ministers → the Council →
compositionBasedOn	one minister per member state →
country	European Union →
decisionMakingProcess	qualified majority voting → unanimity in specific areas →
distinctFrom	Council of Europe → European Council →
establishedIn	1958 →
hasConfiguration	Agriculture and Fisheries Council → Competitiveness Council → Economic and Financial Affairs Council → Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council → Environment Council → Foreign Affairs Council → General Affairs Council → Justice and Home Affairs Council → Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council →
hasMember	government ministers of EU member states →
headquartersLocation	Belgium → Brussels →
legalBasis	Treaty of Rome → Treaty on European Union → Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union →
meetsIn	Europa building → Justus Lipsius building →
numberOfMembers	27 →
officialLanguagePolicy	multilingual with all official EU languages →
partOf	European Union →
policyArea	agriculture and fisheries → common foreign and security policy → consumer protection → economic policy coordination → education and culture → employment and social policy → environment policy → internal market → justice and home affairs → transport policy →
presidency	rotating presidency held by each member state in turn →
presidencyTermLength	six months →
primaryFunction	adopts EU legislation → adopts the EU budget with the European Parliament → concludes international agreements on behalf of the EU → coordinates policies of EU member states →
replaced	Special Council of Ministers of the ECSC →
represents	governments of the EU member states →
sharesBudgetaryPowerWith	European Parliament →
sharesLegislativePowerWith	European Parliament →
supportedBy	Committee of Permanent Representatives → General Secretariat of the Council →
votingSystem	double majority of member states and population →
website	https://www.consilium.europa.eu/ →
worksWith	European Commission →

Referenced by (119)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
ERA Policy Agenda 2022–2024 → European Peace Facility for military operations → GDPR → Regulation (EC) No 294/2008 → Regulation (EU) No 1292/2013 → Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 → Statute of the European Ombudsman → United in diversity →	adoptedBy
Agriculture and Fisheries Council → Committee of Permanent Representatives → Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council → Environment Council → Foreign Affairs Council → General Affairs Council → Political and Security Committee → Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council →	partOf
ACP Group of States → European Commission → European Court of Auditors → European External Action Service → Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States → Overseas Countries and Territories Association of the European Union (pre-Brexit via UK) →	cooperatesWith
Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations → Directorate-General for Trade → European Academies Science Advisory Council → European Economic and Social Committee → Office of European Union and Regional Affairs → United States Ambassador to the European Union →	worksWith
Committee of Permanent Representatives → EUMM Georgia → European Systemic Risk Board → High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy → Political and Security Committee →	reportsTo
EUAM Ukraine → EUBAM Rafah → European Atomic Energy Community → Justus Lipsius building →	governingBody
Civil Service Tribunal → EUBAM Libya → EUBAM Rafah →	establishedBy
Annual Report of the European Central Bank → EUNAVFOR Atalanta → European Union crisis management operations →	mandatedBy
European Employment Strategy → European Union customs union → Europol →	overseenBy
Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany ("European Union Foreign Affairs Council") → Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs ("European Union foreign affairs councils") → Minister of the Environment of Finland ("EU Council configuration for environment (when applicable)") →	participatesIn
Council of the European Union Justus Lipsius building → EU Member States armed forces → Justus Lipsius building ("Council of the European Union delegations") →	usedBy
Council of the European Union ("Justice and Home Affairs Council") → Council of the European Union ("Competitiveness Council") →	hasConfiguration
European Court of Auditors → European Economic and Social Committee →	memberAppointmentBy
Emmanuel Macron ("Council of the European Union (as head of state of France)") → High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy →	memberOf
Special Council of Ministers of the ECSC → Special Council of Ministers of the ECSC ("Council of the European Communities") →	replacedBy
Brussels-Schuman railway station → General Secretariat of the Council →	serves
Annual Report of the European Central Bank ("EU Council") → ERA Policy Agenda 2022–2024 ("EU Member State governments") →	targetAudience
Governing Council of the European Central Bank →	accountableTo
European Qualifications Framework ("European Parliament and Council") →	adoptedAsRecommendationBy
Eurogroup Working Group →	affiliatedWith
Council of Ministers of the European Union →	alsoKnownAs
European Data Protection Supervisor →	appointmentBy
European People’s Party →	associatedWithInstitution
European Parliament →	budgetaryAuthorityWith
European Parliament →	coLegislatesWith
Committee of the Regions →	consultedBy
Committee of Governors of the Central Banks of the Member States of the EEC ("Council of Ministers of the European Communities") →	cooperatedWith
European Union area of freedom, security and justice ("Justice and Home Affairs Council") →	coordinatedBy
European Union in G7 finance ministers meetings ("Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN)") →	coordinatedWith
Merger Treaty ("single Council of the European Communities") →	created
Treaty of Rome ("Council of Ministers of the European Economic Community") →	createdInstitution
Common Security and Defence Policy →	decisionMakingBody
EUCO →	distinctFrom
Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe →	endorsedBy
Foreign Affairs Council ("Council of the European Union in 1993 (Maastricht Treaty context)") →	establishedAsConfigurationOf
European Institute of Innovation and Technology →	foundingActAdoptedBy
European Union economic and monetary union ("Economic and Financial Affairs Council") →	governedBy
European integration →	hasKeyFramework
European Union–United States relations →	hasKeyInstitution
European Union →	hasLegislativeBody
Schuman roundabout →	hasNearbyInstitution
Brussels-Capital Region →	hosts
Belgium →	hostsHeadquartersOf
European institutions →	includes
European Currency Unit ("Council of the European Communities") →	introducedBy
European Council →	isDistinctFrom
Brussels →	isSeatOf
Civil Service Tribunal →	judgesAppointedBy
EUFOR Althea →	launchedBy
European Union legal order →	legislatedBy
European Union fisheries policy →	managedBy
EUMM Georgia →	mandateFrom
EUTM Mali →	mandateGivenBy
EUCAP Sahel Mali →	mandateRenewedBy
Merger Treaty ("Council of the European Economic Community") →	mergedInstitution
Regulation (EU) No 1292/2013 →	monitoredBy
Justus Lipsius building →	occupant
the Council →	officialName
Europa building →	operatedBy
European Parliament →	oversees
Eurogroup →	parentOrganization
Bert Koenders ("European Union foreign affairs councils") →	participatedIn
Withdrawal Agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union →	ratifiedBy
European Currency Unit ("Council of Ministers of the European Community") →	regulator
National Reform Programmes →	reportedTo
Merger Treaty ("Council of the European Communities") →	resultedIn
Member States of the European Union →	sharesInstitution
EUCAP Sahel Niger →	sponsor
Eurojust →	supervisedBy
European Data Protection Supervisor →	supervises
European Qualifications Framework →	supportedBy
Committee of Permanent Representatives →	underAuthorityOf