The European Council is the EU institution that defines the general political direction and priorities of the European Union. The press office holds press events, offers audiovisual coverage of major events and provides facilities for journalists. The European Council shall provide the Union with the necessary impetus for its development and shall define the general political directions and priorities thereof. The new directive – adopted in April 2009 – is the outcome of an intense legislative process that took place throughout 2008. It helps organise and ensure the coherence of the Council's work and the implementation of its 18-month programme. Ahead of the 21-22 March European Council discussion on innovation, industry and competitiveness, the Commission takes decisive steps to set up a European Innovation Council. These agreements may cover broad areas, such as trade, cooperation and development, or they may deal with specific subjects such as textiles, fisheries, customs, transport, science and technology, etc. [MUSIC] The European Council is the major European political institution and it can be seen as the assembly of the kings of Europe. One of the EU's 7 official institutions, the European Council takes the form of (usually quarterly) summit meetings between EU leaders, chaired by a permanent president. The European Council can also be seen as the institution where the power lies. Video: Differences between the European Council and the Council of the European Union, Give feedback about this website or report a problem, Institutions, bodies & agencies – contact & visit details, Public contracts in the EU – rules and guidelines, heads of state or government of all EU countries, Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), The European Data Protection Board (EDPB), nominates and appoints candidates to certain high profile EU level roles, such as the ECB and the Commission. The UK became a member of the CoE at its inception in 1949, some 24 years before joining the EU. Find out more about documents and publications. It is one of three legislative bodies and together with the European Parliament serves to amend and approve the proposals of the European Commission, which holds legislative initiative. It is not related to the European Union. The Council is a key EU decision-maker. Codecision is used for policy areas where the EU has exclusive or shared competence with the member states. The budget period covers a calendar year. European Union vs Council of Europe. The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) protects the human rights of people in countries that belong to the Council of Europe. All 47 Member States of the Council, including the UK, have signed the Convention. Learn more about the EU … The Council of the European Union, often referred to in the treaties and other official documents simply as the Council, and informally known as the Council of Ministers, is the third of the seven Institutions of the European Union (EU) as listed in the Treaty on European Union. The Council of the EU is the institution representing the member states' governments. Definition of European Council in the Definitions.net dictionary. The General Secretariat of the Council is a body of staff responsible for assisting the European Council and the Council of the EU. The EU was created by the Maastricht Treaty, which entered into force on November 1, 1993. The other three are the Court of Justice, the Council of the European Union, and the European Parliament. Since the changes of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009, both have new roles that this course discusses in detail: decision-making, EU level policy coordination, economic affairs, foreign policy, strategic guidance and adopting European legislation. The council is a stand-alone body, and not a branch of the European Union. Committees and working parties handle the preparatory work on files before they are discussed at Council meetings. Information and translations of European Council in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. What is the European Council? 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