In this interview, Norbert Schwaiger, former Head of the Press Office of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, gives an account of the decision-making process in the Community field. He outlines, in particular, the interaction between the Commission, the Parliament and the Council and recalls the preparatory work carried out in the Council by the working parties, the committees and Coreper before final decisions are taken at ministerial level.

In this interview, Norbert Schwaiger, former Head of the Press Office of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, outlines the role played by the Presidency in the organisation of the work of the institution. In addition, he emphasises the importance of planning which covers more than one Presidency and of the Presidency consulting the Commission and the General Secretariat of the Council.

In this interview, Norbert Schwaiger, former Head of the Press Office of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, outlines the role played by the Secretariat, in particular as the Presidency’s assistant, in the organisation of the work of the institution. He also emphasises the importance of its Legal Service and of its Translation Service.

In this interview, Norbert Schwaiger, former Head of the Press Office of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, outlines the development of the role of the General Secretariat of the Council, in particular following the entry into force of the Treaty on European Union in 1993 and following the development of the common foreign and security policy (CFSP).

In this interview, Norbert Schwaiger, former Head of the Press Office of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, outlines the specific features of the decision-making process in the areas covered by intergovernmental cooperation: the common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and justice and home affairs (JHA). He draws particular attention to the limited role of the Commission in these areas, to the existence of special preparatory bodies in the Council and to the interaction between Community policies and the areas covered by intergovernmental cooperation.

In this interview, Norbert Schwaiger, former Head of the Press Office of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, sets out the tasks of the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and speculates on the creation of a new post of European Union Minister for Foreign Affairs.