Council, European Union

The Council of the European Union, often referred to in the treaties and other official documents simply as the Council, and less formally known as the Council of Ministers, is the third of the seven institutions of the European Union as listed in the Treaty on European Union. It is one of two legislative bodies and together with the European Parliament serves to amend and approve, or veto, the proposals of the European Commission, which holds the right of initiative. The Council of the European Union and the European Council are the only EU institutions that are explicitly intergovernmental, that is, forums whose attendees express and represent the position of their member state's executive, be they ambassadors, ministers or heads of state or government. The council meets in 10 different configurations of 27 national ministers. The precise membership of these configurations varies according to the topic under consideration; for example, when discussing agricultural policy the council is formed by the 27 national ministers whose portfolio includes this policy area.