Formations

Legally speaking, the Council is a single entity, but it is in practice divided into several different councils that meet in Brussels, each dealing with a different functional area. Each council is attended by a different type of minister. Thus, for example, meetings of the Council in its Agriculture and Fisheries formation are attended by the agriculture ministers of each member state. There are currently nine formations:

· General Affairs and External Relations (GAERC): The most important of the formations, GAERC is composed of ministers for foreign affairs and meets once a month. Since June 2002 it has held separate meetings on general affairs and external relations.

o The GAERC also coordinates preparation for and follow-up to meetings of the European Council.

o At its sessions on External Relations, under the context of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy also takes part.

· Economic and Financial Affairs (Ecofin): Composed of economics and finance ministers of the member states.

· Agriculture and Fisheries: One of the oldest configurations, this brings together once a month the ministers for agriculture and fisheries, and the commissioners responsible for agriculture, fisheries, food safety, veterinary questions and public health matters.

· Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA): This configuration brings together Justice ministers and Interior Ministers of the Member States.

· Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO): Composed of employment, social protection, consumer protection, health and equal opportunities ministers.

· Competitiveness: Created in June 2002 through the merging of three previous configurations (Internal Market, Industry and Research). Depending on the items on the agenda, this formation is composed of ministers responsible for areas such as European affairs, industry and scientific research.

· Transport, Telecommunications and Energy: Also created in June 2002, through the merging of three policies under one configuration, and with a composition also varying according to the specific items on its agenda. This formation meets approximately once every two months.

· Environment: Composed of environment ministers, who meet about four times a year.

· Education, Youth and Culture (EYC): Composed of education, culture, youth and communications ministers, who meet around three or four times a year.