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This organisation used to be called the Council of Ministers, because it consists of government ministers from all EU member states. Now the Council of the European Union, it is the main decision-making body.
Committees
There are committees of officials from each of the member states on each of the matters that the EU deals with, for example, consumer affairs, agriculture, the environment, foreign affairs, justice and home affairs. These committees consider proposed legislation in their area of interest and assess it from the point of view of each of the member states.
The most senior committee is the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) on which sit the ambassadors of the member states. This committee takes decisions on major proposals. Those matters on which Coreper is unable to get agreement it refers to ministers of member states who meet as a Council of Ministers from time to time.
At least four times a year there is a meeting of heads of state or government in the European Council to determine major strategic issues and resolve any outstanding matters not dealt with at lower levels. The Presidency of the Council is held by a country not a person. It carries with it chairmanship of all committees and rotates at six monthly intervals among each of the member states in turn.
Decisions are made in one of three ways. Unanimously in some matters such as amending the Treaties of the Union or allowing a new country to join or tax matters; in a few cases by simple majority; in most other cases by qualified majority vote (QMV) with votes allocated to country roughly according to size. Under QMV, approval must be by a majority of member states and usually 62% of the EU’s population.