Erasmu+ project - presentation

2. The Council of the EU is the institution representing the
member states governments.
Also known informally as the EU Council, it is
where national ministers from each EU country meet to
adopt laws and coordinate policies.

3. Summary
Website: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/home/
Role: Voice of EU member governments, adopting EU laws and coordinating EU policies.
Members: Government ministers from each EU country, according to the policy area to
be discussed.
President: Each EU country holds the presidency on a 6-month rotating basis.
Established in: 1958 (as Council of the European Economic Community)
Location: Brussels (Belgium)

4. Together with the European Parliament, the Council is the main decision-making
body of the EU.

5. What does the Council do?
1. Coordinates EU countries' policies;
2. Negotiates and adopts EU laws, together with the European Parliament, based on
proposals from the European Commission;
3. Adopts the annual EU budget - jointly with the European Parliament;
4. Develops the EU's foreign & security policy, based
on European Council guidelines;
5. Concludes agreements between the EU and
other countries or international organisations.

6. What does the Council do?
1. Coordinates member
states' policies
The Council is responsible for coordinating
member states' policies in specific fields,
such as:
 economic and fiscal policies;
 education, culture, youth and sport;
 employment policy.

7. The Council legislates on the basis of proposals
submitted by the European Commission.
What does the Council do?
2. Negotiates and adopts EU laws
The Council is an essential EU decision-maker.
It negotiates and adopts legislative acts in
most cases together with the European
Parliament through the ordinary legislative
procedure, also known as 'codecision'.

8. The budget period covers a calendar year.
What does the Council do?
3. Adopts the EU budget
The Council adopts the EU budget together with the Parliament.

9. This also includes the EU's development and humanitarian aid, defence and trade.
What does the Council do?
4. Develops the EU's common foreign and security policy
The Council defines and implements EU foreign and security policy on the basis of
guidelines set by the European Council.

10. The Council also adopts the final decision to conclude the agreement, once the
Parliament has given its consent and it has been ratified by all EU member states.
What does the Council do?
5. Concludes international agreements
The Council provides the mandate to the Commission to negotiate on behalf of the EU
agreements between the EU and non-EU countries and international organisations.
At the end of negotiations, the Council decides on the signature and conclusion of the
agreement, based on a proposal from the Commission.

11. The presidency of the Council of the EU
The presidency of the Council rotates among the EU member states every 6 months.
During this 6-month period, the presidency chairs meetings at every level in the Council,
helping to ensure the continuity of the EU's work in the Council.
A rotating presidency

12. 'United we stand strong', which is also
the motto of the coat of arms of the
Republic of Bulgaria.
The current trio is made up of the
presidencies of the Estonia, Bulgaria and
Austria.
Bulgaria: January-June 2018
Austria: July-December 2018
Romania: January-June 2019
Member states holding the presidency work
together closely in groups of three, called
'trios'.
The priorities of the Bulgarian
presidency are driven by its motto: