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The Council of the European Union

The Council of the EU is where national ministers from each EU country meet to negotiate and adopt EU laws.

Highlights

A large warehouse filled with tightly packed stacks of cardboard boxes on pallets, suggesting a high volume of small parcels awaiting storage or distribution.
  • 1 July 2026
EU introduces €3 customs duty on low-value parcels

EU introduces €3 customs duty on low-value parcels

On 1 July 2026, the EU introduced a €3 customs duty on low-value parcels imported from outside the EU, ending the long-standing exemption that allowed consignments valued at under €150 to be imported duty-free. The duty is calculated per category of goods, not per parcel, and will remain in place until standard EU tariffs apply.

Ireland currently holds the presidency of the Council

Ireland holds the presidency of the Council until 31 December 2026. It is the eighth time that the country has been at the helm of the Council, this time as part of a presidency trio with Lithuania and Greece. The Irish presidency will be guided by the principle of strength with unity.

A meeting call bell raised from its box, next to the logo of the Irish presidency.

What the Council does

The Council of the European Union (often referred to simply as 'the Council') brings together the ministers from the governments of the 27 EU member states. The Council's main task is law-making.

It also adopts the EU budget, coordinates policies, concludes international agreements on behalf of the EU and develops the EU's foreign and security policy.

The Council of the EU is a single legal entity. However, in practice, ministers meet in the Council in different thematic groups, known as 'Council configurations'.

Areas of work

Council meetings

How the Council works

National government ministers adopt EU legislation at Council meetings. Before the member states' ministers vote on an issue, it is first examined and discussed by the Council's preparatory bodies. For a majority of legislation, the Council co-decides with the European Parliament through the ordinary legislative procedure.

The presidency of the Council of the EU, which rotates every six months from one EU country to the next, is responsible for driving the Council's work forward.

All items go through the preparatory bodies (the working parties and Coreper) before ministers take a decision on them.

The Council acts as a co-legislator with the European Parliament in most areas. It also takes decisions to express political positions.

The Council uses three different kinds of voting system depending on the topic: qualified majority, simple majority and unanimity. Qualified majority is used in most cases.

The presidency of the Council sets the agenda and drives the work of the Council forward. The presidency rotates every six months from one EU country to the next.

More than 4 000 meetings are held on average every year across the different levels of the Council. Around 70 to 80 of them are ministerial meetings. The ministerial meetings mostly take place in Brussels, except in the months of April, June and October, when they are held in Luxembourg.

History

See the Council's milestones, from its birth to the present day.

  • 1958

    • 25 January

      The Council is born

      The first meeting of the Council of the EEC takes place under the chairmanship of the Belgian foreign affairs minister.

  • 1993

    • 1 November

      Maastricht Treaty

      The Maastricht Treaty sees the creation of new policy areas such as common foreign and security policy and justice and home affairs.

  • 2009

    • 1 December

      The Lisbon Treaty

      The use of qualified majority voting for decision-making within the Council is extended under the Lisbon Treaty.