Council voting methods - Main contents
The Council of the European Union, better known as the Council of Ministers or simply, the Council, takes votes on proposals submitted by the European Commission, the EU member states or the European Central Bank. The voting method used depends on the type of proposal submitted as well as the policy field it concerns.
The Treaties on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union stipulate which voting method is used for any given policy area.
Voting methods used by the Council:
- qualified majority voting; standard method, most frequently used i
- unanimity; method used for politically sensitive policy areas i
- simple majority voting; primarily used for technical issues and matter of limited importance i
- voting with a four-fifths majority; used when voting on the suspension of a member state i
Council voting in practice
The Council does not on proposals very often. Instead it aims to reach a concensus. Regardless, any member state can request the Council to vote on a proposal. Should a majority of member states support such a request an actual vote will be held.
It is common practice the Council does not take a decision, let alone votes on it, when a proposal touches upon eminent national vital interests of one or more member states.
Emergency procedures
Should the Council be unable to hold formal meetings (such as being unable to meet physically during the coronacrisis) formal decisions are made via the written procedure. The permanent representatives of the member states (Coreper) can then hold a formal vote.