EU Council

The Council of the European Union (informally, the Council of Ministers or just the Council) is one of the two legislative institutions of the European Union, the other being the European Parliament. This Council should be distinguished from the European Council and the Council of Europe.The Council, together with the Parliament, form the highest legislative body within the Union, but only within the competencies of the European Community. It is composed of twenty-seven national ministers (one per state). However the exact membership depends upon the topic being discussed, for example; when discussing the agricultural policy the twenty-seven national agriculture ministers form the Council. The ministers are accountable to their national electorates and together serve the second largest democratic electorate in the world (492 million). The Union's law is limited to specific policy areas, however it does override national law. As the Union operates on supranational and intergovernmental platforms, in some areas the Council is superior to the Parliament, having only to consult to get assent from the body. In many areas, however, the Union uses the legislative process of codecision procedure, in which the two bodies are equal in power.
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An institution of the European Community. It is made up of representatives of the governments of the Member States, normally the ministers responsible for the matters under consideration (therefore often referred to as the Council of Ministers). The EU Council meeting in the composition of the ministers of economics and finance is often referred to as the ECOFIN Council. In addition, the EU Council may meet in the composition of the Heads of State or Government.
See also:
 European Council