The Council is composed of one representative at ministerial level from each Member State, who is empowered to commit their Government. Council members are politically accountable to their national parliaments.

Which Ministers attend each Council meeting varies according to the subject discussed, although its institutional unity remains intact. Thus, Ministers for Foreign Affairs attend in the configuration known as the General Affairs & External Relations Council to deal with external relations and general policy questions, while the Ministers responsible for economic and financial affairs meet as the Economic and Financial Affairs Council, and so on.

The frequency of Council meetings varies according to the urgency of the subjects dealt with. The General Affairs, Economic and Financial Affairs and Agriculture Councils meet once a month, while the Transport, Environment or Industry Councils meet two to four times a year.

Reports of these meetings can be found on the website of the Council of the European Union at this address:

• http://consilium.europa.eu/cms3_applications/applications/newsRoom/loadBook.asp?BID=71&LANG=1&cmsid=349