~ooCrm

26

The Council of the European UnionAiso informally known as the EU Couneil, this is wherenational ministers from eaeh EU eountry meet in Brusselsto adopt laws and coordinate polieies.In fact, EU member countries have deeided they want anoverall economie poliey for Europe, eoordinated by theeeonomies and fìnanee ministers of eaeh eountryFor this reason, there are no fìxed members as sueh.At eaeh Couneil meeting, eaeh eountry sends theminister for the poliey fìeld being diseussed - e.g. theenvironment minister for the meeting dealing withenvironmental matters.That meeting will then be knownas the "Environment Couneil".The ministers are authorized to eommit their owngovernments and to exereise the right to vote.Deeisions in the Couneil of the EU are taken by qualifìedmajority as a generai rule. The bigger a country'spopulation, the more votes it has,but in fact the numbersare weighted in favour of the less populous eountries:• Germany, Franee, Italy and the United Kingdom: 29

votes;• Spain and Poland: 27;• Romania: 14;• Netherlands: 13;• Belgium, Czeeh Republie, Greeee, Hungary and

Portugal: 12;• Austria, Bulgaria and Sweden: IO;• Croatia, Denmark, Ireland, Lithuania, Slovakia and

Finland: 7;• Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg and Siovenia: 4• Malta: 3.

Ali other Counei! meetings are ehaired by the relevantministerofthe eountry holdingthe rotating EU presideney.For example, any environment Couneil meeting, in theperiod when Estonia holds the presideney, will be ehairedby the Estonian environment minister.

The foreign ministers' Couneil has a permanentehairperson - the EU's High Representative for Foreignand Seeurity Poliey

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

The EU Couneil has six main fundions:• it passes EU laws;• it eoordinates the broad economie polieies of EU

member eountries;• it signs agreements between the EU and other

countries;• it approves the annual EU budget;• it develops the EU's foreign and defenee polieies;• it coordinates eooperation between eourts and poliee

forees of member eountries.

A further objedive is to create more jobs and improveedueation, healtheare and welfare systems.Although eaehcountry is responsible for its own poliey, they ean agree oneommon goals and learn from eaeh other's experienee.The Couneil signs agreements on behalf of the EU- on subjeds as diverse as the environment, trade,development, textiles, fìsheries, seienee, teehnology andtransport.The money the EU ean spend every year is deeidedjointly by the Couneil and the European Parliament.It does not have to be confused with the EuropeanCouneil, another EU institution, where EU leaders meetaround four times a year to diseuss the EU's politiealpriorities, or with the Couneil of Europe, that is not a EUbody at alI.

1 Who chairs the meetings of the Council of the European Union?

2 How are its decisions taken?

3 What are its functions?

The Counci/ of the European Union.