EU Council Organization: Presidency, COREPER, and Secretariat Roles

Organization of the Council of the European Union

The Presidency

The Council is chaired by a Presidency that is held by each of the member states in turn for a period of six months. Thus, ministers, or the Head of Government or State, chair the Council meetings or summit for this six-month period.

The Troika and the High Representative

The term ‘Troika’ is used in conjunction with the Council to describe the situation in which, to provide continuity in policy, the current President and both the previous and succeeding Presidents act in conjunction, particularly in the pursuit of international relations.

The Lisbon Treaty provides that the Foreign Affairs Council is chaired by the High Representative.

COREPER: Committee of Permanent Representatives

COREPER (the Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union) prepares the agenda for the ministerial Council of the European Union meetings. It is important to note that COREPER is not an EU decision-making body, and any agreement it reaches can be called into question by the Council.

COREPER is divided into two committees:

Coreper I

Coreper I is composed of each country’s Deputy Permanent Representatives. Its meetings are chaired by the Deputy Permanent Representative of the country holding the Presidency of the General Affairs Council. It prepares the work of 6 Council configurations:

• Agriculture and Fisheries
• Competitiveness
• Education, Youth, Culture, and Sport
• Employment, Social Policy, Health, and Consumer Affairs
• Environment
• Transport, Telecommunications, and Energy

Coreper II

Coreper II is composed of each member state’s Permanent Representatives. It prepares the work of 4 Council configurations:

• Economic and Financial Affairs
• Foreign Affairs
• General Affairs
• Justice and Home Affairs

The General Secretariat of the Council (GSC)

The General Secretariat of the Council (GSC) is the body of staff responsible for assisting the Council and the European Council. It supports the Council Presidency in negotiations within the Council and with other EU institutions.

Key functions of the GSC legal services include:

• Giving opinions to the Council and its committees to ensure that Council acts are lawful and well-drafted.
• Representing the Council in judicial proceedings.