Role of consultation

Role of consultation of the Council of the European Union


The 1951 Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) —expired on 23 July 2002— assigned an advisory role to the Council. In some cases, the opinions delivered by the Council must constitute assent, but it rarely has the authority to adopt decisions. Where the Council is consulted by the Commission, it deliberates without necessarily taking a vote. In certain cases, the ECSC Treaty requires unanimous opinion (Article 28 of the ECSC Treaty).


The Council and the Commission exchange information and consult each other [Article 26 of the ECSC Treaty, Article 218 of the Treaty establishing the European Community (EC) and Article 131 of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom)].

Consult in PDF format