ENS Guide to European web sites

• Research, Framework Programme, ERA
• Joint Research Centre (JRC) & JRC Institutes
• Energy & Transport (TREN)
• Agencies of the European Community
• European Parliament (EP)
• EP Committees
• Council of the European Union
• European Economic and Social Committee
• EU services: publications, libraries, statistics, public opinion, recruitment
• Scientific institutions
• International organisations
• Lobbying associations
• Nuclear links

Council of the European Union

The Council is the main decision-making body of the EU: the Ministers of the EU Member States meet within the EU Council and, depending on the issue, each country will be represented by the Minister responsible for that subject (research, energy, transport, environment, etc...). The Presidency of the Council is held for six months by each member state on a rotational basis: Netherlands until 31 December 2004, followed by Luxembourg and United Kingdom in 2005, Austria and Finland in 2006. The various acts of the Council are: regulations, directives, decisions, common actions, common positions, recommendations, opinions, conclusions, declarations, resolutions. The number of votes (between 3 and 29) that each Member State can cast is set by the Treaties which also define cases in which a simple majority, qualified majority or unanimity are required. Qualified majority is reached if the following 2 conditions are met: if a majority of Member States approves (in some cases a 2/3 majority); a minimum of 72.3 % of the total is cast in favour of the proposal. The EP is an active participant in the legislative process: on a broad range of issues, Community legislation is adopted jointly by the EP and the Council (so–called «co-decision»). Javier Solana, Secretary General of the Council, is also High Representative for the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP):
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/showPage.ASP?lang=en