How Does the Council of the EU Work?
The role of national governments in EU law-making.
The Council represents national governments
The Council of the EU (not to be confused with the European Council) is where national government ministers discuss and adopt EU laws. The minister who attends depends on the topic: agriculture ministers discuss farming policy, finance ministers discuss economic policy, etc.
How the Council votes
Most decisions are taken by qualified majority voting (QMV). This requires at least 55% of member states (15 out of 27) representing at least 65% of the EU population. Some sensitive areas (taxation, foreign policy) require unanimity.
The rotating presidency
Every six months, a different member state takes over the Council presidency. The presidency country chairs meetings and sets priorities. It rotates in a predetermined order among all member states.
Working with the Parliament
In the ordinary legislative procedure, the Council and Parliament must agree on the same legal text. If they disagree after two readings, a conciliation committee is formed. In practice, most laws are agreed through informal negotiations called trilogues.