What is Council of the European Union?

It is one of the seven Institutions of the European Union and listed as a third. It is part of the essentially bicameral EU legislature and represents the executive governments of the EU's member states. The Council of the European Union, together with the European Council, is the only EU institution that is not "European".

The presidency of the Council of the European Union is Austria.

What does the Council of the European Union do?
Adopts the EU budget
- It adopts the EU budget together with the Parliament.
Concludes international agreements
- The Council provides the mandate to the Commission to negotiate on behalf of the EU agreements between the international organisations and non-EU and EU countries.
Negotiates and adopts EU laws
- It adopts and negotiates legislative acts.
Develops the EU's common foreign and security policy
- The Council implements and defines security policy and EU foreign on the basis of guidelines set by the European Council.
Coordinates member states' policies
- economic and fiscal policies;
- education, culture, youth and sport;
- employment policy.

History
The Council first appeared in the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) as the "Special Council of Ministers", set up to counterbalance the High Authority (the supranational executive, now the Commission). The original Council had limited powers: issues relating only to coal and steel were in the Authority's domain, and the Council's consent was only required on decisions outside coal and steel. As a whole, the Council only scrutinised the High Authority (the executive). In 1957, the Treaties of Rome established two new communities, and with the two new Councils: the Council of the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC) and the Council of the European Economic Community (EEC). However, due to objections over the supranational power of the Authority, their Councils had more powers; the new executive bodies were known as "Commissions".