<sod>  {{Politics of the European Union}}
 The '''Council of the European Union''' forms, along with the [[European Parliament]], the legislative arm of the [[European Union]] (EU). It contains ministers of the governments of each of the [[European Union member states|member-states]]. The Council of the European Union is sometimes referred to in official European Union documents simply as the Council, and it is often informally referred to as the '''Council of Ministers''' (which will become its official name if the [[Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe]] is adopted).
 
The Council has a President and a Secretary-General. The President of the Council is a Minister of the state currently holding the [[Presidency of the Council of the European Union]]; while the Secretary-General is a civil servant, the head of the Council Secretariat. The Secretary-General also serves as the [[High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy]] ([[Common Foreign and Security Policy|CFSP]]). The Council is assisted by [[COREPER]], which consists of the ambassadors (Coreper II) or their deputies (Coreper I) from the diplomatic representations of the Member States to the European Communities. COREPER generally prepares the Council agenda, and negotiates minor and non-controversial matters, leaving controversial issues for discussion, and other issues for formal agreement, by the Council.  Below COREPER, civil servants from the member states negotiate in Council Working Groups, often reaching de facto agreement which is formalised through COREPER and the Council of Ministers. 
 
 The Council of the European Union is to be distinguished from the [[Council of Europe]] which is a completely separate [[international organizations|international organisation]]. It should also be distinguished from the [[European Council]], sometimes referred to as the 'European Summit', which is a separate but closely related institution.
 
 <eod> <sod> {{Politics of the European Union}}
 The '''Council of the European Union''' forms, along with the [[European Parliament]], the legislative arm of the [[European Union]] (EU). It contains ministers of the governments of each of the [[European Union member states|member-states]]. The Council of the European Union is sometimes referred to in official European Union documents simply as the Council, and it is often informally referred to as the '''Council of Ministers''' (which will become its official name if the [[Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe]] is adopted).
 
The Council has a President and a Secretary-General. The President of the Council is a Minister of the state currently holding the [[Presidency of the Council of the European Union]]; while the Secretary-General is a civil servant, the head of the Council Secretariat. The Secretary-General also serves as the [[High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy]] ([[Common Foreign and Security Policy|CFSP]]). The Council is assisted by Committee of Permanent Representatives&#65288;[[COREPER]]&#65289;, which consists of the ambassadors  or their deputies from the diplomatic representations of the Member States to the European Communities. COREPER generally prepares the Council agenda, and negotiates minor and non-controversial matters, leaving controversial issues for discussion, and other issues for formal agreement, by the Council.  Below COREPER, civil servants from the member states negotiate in Council Working Groups, often reaching de facto agreement which is formalised through COREPER and the Council of Ministers. 
 
 The Council of the European Union is to be distinguished from the [[Council of Europe]] which is a completely separate [[international organizations|international organisation]]. It should also be distinguished from the [[European Council]], sometimes referred to as the 'European Summit', which is a separate but closely related institution.
 
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