EU Squad Huddle

In the Council of the European Union, the squad of gov ministers from each EU country pull up to chat, tweak, and agree on laws, and vibe on policies. 😎

It’s lowkey known as the EU Council.

The Council of the European Union lays down the sick beats for the EU’s political jam session and goals.

Heads up fam, it's NOT a law-making spot, like, no cap, it doesn’t lock in EU laws. 🚫

Instead, it sets the EU’s policy playlist, and it usually drops hot "conclusions" during the Council meetings that show what's the tea and what to do about it. 🔥 conclusions

The ministers can totally flex and make their governments follow the vibes agreed on in the meet-ups. 💪

Together with the European Parliament, the Council is the main decision-making squad of the EU. 🏆

The Council of the European Union shouldn’t be mixed up with:

• European Council: quarterly hangouts where EU big shots link up to decide on the broad strokes of policymaking.🌍
• Council of Europe: lol, not even an EU thing, fam. 😂

What’s the Council up to?

• Negotiates and adopts EU laws, side by side with the European Parliament, based on the deets from the European Commission. 📜
• Syncs up the EU countries’ policies.
• Crafts the EU’s foreign & security vibes, using the European Council's roadmap.
• Seals the deal on agreements between the EU and other crews or organizations.
• Approves the yearly EU budget, vibing with the European Parliament.💸

What’s the Council's squad look like?

The lineup of the European Council is basically the head honchos or OGs of the 27 EU member states, the European Council President, and the main boss from the European Commission. 😎

The High Rep for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy also joins in the European gatherings when foreign deets are on the table.

There are no perm members of the EU Council, no cap. 🤷‍♀️

The Council links up in 10 different formations, each based on what policy they’re jamming on. 🚀

Depending on the vibe, each country sends their real ones for that area. 💼

For example, when the squad’s getting into economic and financial beats (the “Ecofin Council”), each country’s finance boss clocks in. 💰

Who’s running the show?

The Foreign Affairs Council’s always got a set emcee: the EU High Rep for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. 🎤

All other Council hangs are hosted by the relevant minister from the country with the rolling EU presidency. 🔄

So, during an Environment Council hang while Estonia’s got the mic, their environment minister is running the floor. 🌿

Overall, the General Affairs Council makes sure everything stays Gucci, with help from the Permanent Reps Committee. 😊

This consists of each country’s Permanent Reps to the EU, aka their ambassador squad to the EU. 🌐

Eurozone fam

Eurozone vibers sync up on their economic policy through the Eurogroup, which is their lineup of economy and finance bosses. They link up the day before the Economic & Financial Affairs Council hangs. 🗓️

Deals reached in these Eurogroup meet-ups are signed off formally the day after, where only the ministers from Eurozone fam have a say. 💪🇪🇺

What’s the Council’s groove?

The European Council usually claps back with decisions by consensus. ✨

If a vote pops off, neither the European Council Prez nor the Commission Prez jumps in. 🙅

All chats & votes are out there in public, 100% transparency vibes. 🌟

To seal the deal, a decision typically needs a qualified majority:

• 55% of countries, so with 27 peeps in the squad, that’s 15 countries
• reppin’ at least 65% of Europe’s pop squad 🌍

To block a move, at least 4 countries need to step up, covering at least 35% of Europe’s peeps. 🛑

In certain sitches mentioned in the EU treaties, it's all about unanimity or by qualified majority. 👥

• Sensitive chats like foreign policy and taxes need everyone on board (unanimous vote) – no outliers here peeps.🌐
• A simple majority is what's needed for the procedural low-key stuff. 🤝