The General Secretariat of the Council provides support to two institutions :
*The Council of the European Union
*The European Council
The Council of the European Union is made up of a representative of each member state at ministerial level who is able to speak for the government of that member state. It is the main decision making and legislative body of the EU but, in many areas, it shares that role with the European Parliament. The presidency of the Council is held by one of the member states in turn for a period of six months.
The ministers are not present on a permanent basis since they have their role in their respective governments, thus continuity is provided for by ambassadors who meet in the Permanent Representatives committee known by its French acronym COREPER. COREPER prepares the decisions of the Council.
The European Council is made up of the Heads of State or Government of the 28 member states. It gives impetuous and direction to the other European institutions. It is presided over by Donald Tusk (with a two and a half year term of office), it meets at least four times a year but, in practice, much more frequently.
Approximately three thousand civil servants and other agents assist the Council of the European Union and the European Council under the authority of the Secretary General.
The Council section of the Union Syndicale Brussels is led by the seven members of the executive committee elected directly by the members in the Council Secretariat.
