General Secretariat of the Council

General Secretariat of the Council
Name	General Secretariat of the Council
Formation	1958
Headquarters	Brussels
Region served	European Union
Parent organization	Council of the European Union

General Secretariat of the Council The General Secretariat supports the activities of the Council of the European Union, the Presidency of the Council, and the European Council by providing administrative, legal, and policy services. It interfaces with institutions such as the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Court of Justice of the European Union while servicing meetings linked to treaties like the Treaty of Rome and the Treaty of Maastricht. Based in Brussels, it operates within the institutional framework of the European Union alongside bodies including the European Central Bank, the European Court of Auditors, and the European External Action Service.

History

The Secretariat evolved from administrative services created after the Treaties of Paris and Rome, tracing institutional development through the Treaties of Rome, Maastricht, Amsterdam, Nice, and Lisbon and interactions with events such as the Single European Act and the Schengen Agreement. Early functions paralleled those in institutions like the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community, adapting through enlargement rounds involving the United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Baltic states, Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia. Its role was shaped during crises and milestones associated with the European Monetary System, the introduction of the euro via the Maastricht criteria, the Lisbon Treaty changes affecting the European Council presidency, and negotiations linked to the Treaty of Nice and the Constitutional Treaty. Interactions with actors such as the European Commission under presidents like Jacques Delors, Romano Prodi, José Manuel Barroso, and Ursula von der Leyen influenced Secretariat practice, as did rulings from the Court of Justice of the European Union and opinions from the European Ombudsman.

Organisation and Structure

The Secretariat is organised into directorates and units resembling structures found in national ministries and international organisations like NATO and the United Nations Secretariat. It comprises services that support formations of the Council such as the Foreign Affairs Council, the Economic and Financial Affairs Council, and the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, and it liaises with bodies including the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the European Stability Mechanism. The administrative hierarchy includes directors-general, legal advisers, and unit heads who coordinate work across directorates comparable to units in the European Commission's Directorate-Generals and the European External Action Service. Physical divisions reside in Council buildings in Brussels and are shaped by protocols used by the European Parliament, the European Council, and delegations to NATO and the United Nations.

Functions and Responsibilities

The Secretariat provides procedural support for Council presidencies, prepares agendas for meetings attended by heads of state and government, ministers, and sherpas associated with summits such as the G7 and G20, and drafts conclusions, recommendations, and negotiating positions relevant to EU law, directives, and regulations. It offers legal services that interact with instruments adjudicated by the Court of Justice of the European Union and produces preparatory documentation for policy domains involving the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the Common Agricultural Policy, competition policy seen in cases involving companies like Volkswagen and Microsoft, and external trade negotiations with partners such as the United States, China, Russia, and Mercosur. It also manages confidentiality, register systems, and transparency mechanisms parallel to practices in the European Parliament and national cabinets of member states such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland.

Leadership

The Secretariat is led by a Secretary-General appointed by the Council, a post comparable in protocol to roles in the European Council and national cabinets. Secretaries-General have operated alongside prominent leaders and negotiators including Herman Van Rompuy, Jean-Claude Juncker, and Donald Tusk through periods marked by events like Brexit and the signing of the Maastricht and Lisbon Treaties. The Secretary-General oversees directors-general and senior officials who coordinate with commissioners, presidents, and foreign ministers from member states including the United Kingdom (pre-Brexit), Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Greece.

Relations with EU Institutions

The Secretariat maintains formal relations with the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Council, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Central Bank, and agencies such as Frontex and Europol. It facilitates interinstitutional agreements and trilogue processes involving rapporteurs, shadow rapporteurs, and committees from the European Parliament and coordinates with the European External Action Service on Common Foreign and Security Policy matters involving negotiations with NATO, the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and partners such as the United States and China. It also supports the Council in interactions with the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and agencies administering cohesion policy impacting regions like Catalonia, Bavaria, Lombardy, and Andalusia.

Staff, Language and Working Methods

The Secretariat employs multilingual staff drawn from member states and utilises translation and interpretation services similar to those used by the European Parliament and the European Commission, handling languages of countries such as France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, Romania, the Netherlands, and Hungary. Working methods include the use of COREPER (the Committee of Permanent Representatives), preparatory committees, and working parties that mirror practices in national foreign ministries and international organisations such as the United Nations and NATO. Staff recruitment and career progression echo procedures found in the European Personnel Selection Office and follow principles comparable to those applied in the European Court of Auditors and the European Central Bank.

Notable Events and Controversies

The Secretariat has been involved in controversies connected to transparency and document access debated in the European Ombudsman, disputes around the sequencing of Council presidencies during enlargements, and questions of legal advice in political crises like the eurozone sovereign debt crisis, the migration crisis, and Brexit negotiations. High-profile procedural episodes intersected with legal challenges before the Court of Justice of the European Union and with public scrutiny involving leaders such as Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron, Pedro Sánchez, Viktor Orbán, and António Costa. Its role in drafting Council conclusions during summitry including EU–US, EU–China, and EU–Russia meetings has sometimes prompted debate among member state delegations, the European Parliament, and civil society organisations.

Category:European Union