The Council of the European Union (often called ‘the Council’) is where government ministers from all 27 EU countries meet to make decisions. Together, they negotiate and agree EU laws, policies and the EU budget, based on proposals from the European Commission.

Unlike the European Commission or the European Parliament, the Council does not have an elected president. Instead, each EU country takes turns leading the Council for six months. During its Presidency, the country chairs meetings, helps broker agreement between member states and guides work on the EU’s legislative agenda.

To help provide continuity, Presidencies work in groups of three countries, known as ‘trios’, which cooperate on a shared programme over an 18-month period.

On 1 July 2026, Ireland begins its eighth Presidency of the Council of the European Union, having last held the role in 2013. Ireland’s Presidency marks the start of a new trio with Lithuania and Greece, following the trio of Poland, Denmark and Cyprus.

Want to know more? Read our Just the Facts – What is the Council of the European Union? 

The European Union has four key decision-making bodies: the European Commission, the European Parliament, Council of the European Union, and the European Council. The Council of the European Union is the voice of member state governments at the EU level, and alongside the European Parliament, is responsible for negotiating and adopting new EU legislation.  

The Council meets in ten different configurations, in which national governments send their minister(s) responsible for that policy area. For example, meetings of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council are attended by finance ministers and chaired by the minister from the country holding the presidency. The exception to this is the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), which is chaired by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, currently Kaja Kallas.   

The Council of the EU differs from the European Council, which is composed of the heads of state or government of the 27 EU Member States.   The European Council defines the overall political direction of the European Union and plays an important role in ensuring cooperation among EU member states and third countries but does not negotiate or adopt EU legislation.    

Want to know more? Read our Just the Facts – What is the Council of the European Union? 

When holding the Presidency, Ireland must act as a neutral and honest broker, steering negotiations on key EU files and finding consensus among member states.  It cannot propose new legislation but will be responsible for setting the agenda of the Council of the EU and advancing legislation that it believes is in the best interests of the EU and its citizens.   

During the presidency, Ireland will host more than 250 presidency events, 22 informal ministerial meetings, an informal meeting of the European Council, and welcome over 30,000 visitors.  Most meetings will be held in Dublin Castle, with meetings also taking place in Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Mayo, and Wicklow to ensure a regionally balanced Presidency.   

In Brussels and Luxembourg, Irish ministers and officials will chair meetings of the Council of the EU in its various configurations and will also chair 170 preparatory meetings for the Council.  

 Ireland will also be responsible for hosting the European Political Community, which will be the largest international meeting Ireland has ever hosted at that level. The European Political Community fosters political cooperation, dialogue and security across the continent. It usually meets twice a year, with host countries alternating between a non-EU country and an EU member state (hosting the Council presidency).  

You can find the full calendar of events here.

The Irish government’s Presidency programme – “Ní neart go cur le chéile – Strength with unity” –  sets out the main policy files which the Presidency aims to progress.

The priorities are centred around three distinct pillars: competitiveness, values and security. Ireland will also take on a number of key ongoing files from the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, including negotiations for the next EU long-term budget, the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework, which will be a top priority for the Irish Presidency.

Want to know more? Read our Just the Facts: Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU .

European Movement Ireland has an ambitious programme of events, campaigns, education initiatives and public engagement planned aimed at strengthening citizen participation in the EU, raising awareness of the EU’s impact, deepening youth engagement with Europe, and helping broaden the national conversation around the EU and the values we take pride in.  Further information on these activities will be shared on our website and social media accounts. 

To find out more about Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, you can visit the official website here.

If you would like to find out more information about how to become a member of European Movement Ireland, click here.

All of our events can be accessed here.