EU Council

The internal structure of the Council is organised in a hierarchical manner, as shown below. The lowest policy-making level within the Council is made up by the working groups, of which there are more than 150. These working parties deal with very specific policy questions, are composed of experts from each member state, and are chaired by representatives of the member state holding the Council Presidency. At the intermediate level within the Council, we find COREPER, and a series of permanent and ad-hoc special committees set up by the treaties and secondary EU legislation. At the highest level of the Council, in the centre of the diagram below, the Member state ministers meet in ten distinct configuration, depending upon the policy area under discussion. A full list of all Council configurations, special committees, and working groups can be found here.