The Council of the European Union (informally known as ‘the Council’) is a key EU decision-maker and an institution where government representatives from the 27 Member States meet to negotiate and adopt new laws.

 

The Council’s work is carried out across three levels, each involving representatives of every EU Member State in different capacities. The first and second levels consist of the Council’s so-called preparatory bodies, which include around 150 highly specialized working parties and committees responsible for preparing the Council’s work.

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At the first level, working parties composed of national experts examine the more technical aspects of draft legislation. They carry out preparatory work for Coreper (the Committee of the Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States of the European Union), which constitutes the second level of the process. At this stage, Member States’ permanent representatives assess the various aspects of a proposal and define the available options. Following Coreper, the proposal is submitted to the Council, where national ministers representing their governments meet to agree on the Council’s position on the proposal. The ministers meet in ten different thematic groups, known as 'Council configurations', each corresponding to the policy area being discussed. Depending on the configuration, each country sends their minister responsible for that policy area.

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Coreper II carries out preparatory work for the Council in four main policy areas corresponding to the following Council configurations: the General Affairs Council, the Foreign Affairs Council, the Justice and Home Affairs Council, and the Economic and Financial Affairs Council.

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​In the Council of the EU, delegates shall represent one of the 27 current Member States. The working procedure of the Committee will be led by the Committee Directors. Delegates must write a position paper for the announced topics and submit it to the MUNLawS Academic team. Position papers will be reviewed and scored by the Committee Directors and the Academic team, and shall contribute to the final scores of delegates, upon which Committee awards will be based. Instructions on how to write the position paper are published on this website. Failure to follow these instructions or to meet the deadline for the submission of the position papers will result in negative points for the position paper. All delegates shall present their opening statements on the discussed topic after setting the agenda. Once every delegate presents their opening statement, which must not exceed 2 minutes, a general speakers list will be established and the floor shall be open to points or motions, as described in the General Rules of Procedure. Delegates recognized from the general speakers' list shall have no more than one and a half minute to address the Committee.

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​The main goal of the Committee is to adopt a final document. Issues that have not been discussed during formal debate may not be included in the final document. Every delegate shall read the General Rules of Procedure prior to the start of the MUNLawS Conference for a further detailed description of the procedure.