Council of the European Union
International Relations
- PYQs8
- Articles1
Background
Understanding the institutional structure and decision-making processes of major international organizations like the EU, which significantly impact global politics and India's foreign policy.
The Council of the European Union is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union, representing the governments of the EU member states. Together with the European Parliament, it forms the bicameral legislature of the EU, playing a central role in decision-making and law-making.
Facts & tables
- Role
- One of the EU's main decision-making bodies.
- Presidency
- Ireland assumes its rotating Presidency from July 1 to December 31, 2026.
- Rotation mechanism
- The Presidency rotates among member states every six months.
- Representation
- Represents the governments of the EU member states.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | International Relations |
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| European Union | Parent organization |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Statement-based questions
Prelims angle: Conceptual understanding
- EU's main decision-making body.
- Represents member state governments.
- Presidency rotates every six months.
- Ireland holds Presidency July-Dec 2026.
- Key legislative role with European Parliament.
Treaty = agreement between states; body = institution.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis |
| 2025 | Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis |
| 2023 | Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding |
| 2022 | Multi-statement analysis, Institutional roles and functions |
| 2022 | Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis |
| 2022 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2016 | Factual recall, Institutional roles and functions |
| 2015 | Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis |
Timeline
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International Relations
Conceptual area
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Prelims 2015
Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis
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Prelims 2016
Factual recall, Institutional roles and functions
-
Prelims 2022
Multi-statement analysis, Institutional roles and functions
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Prelims 2022
Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis
-
Prelims 2022
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2023
Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding
-
Prelims 2025
Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis
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Prelims 2026
Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis
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Jaishankar speaks with Ireland Foreign Minister, discusses ways to deepen ties
The Council of the European Union is a key legislative and decision-making body of the EU, where member state governments are represented. Its presidency rotates among member states every six months, influencing the EU's agenda.
See also
No related topics linked yet.
Past papers
2015–2026 · 8 questions
In the news
Jaishankar speaks with Ireland Foreign Minister, discusses ways to deepen ties
The Council of the European Union is a key legislative and decision-making body of the EU, where member state governments are represented. Its presidency rotates among member states every six months, influencing the EU's agenda.
Try these PYQs
Consider the following statements :
Statement-I: Recently, the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU) have launched the 'Trade and Technology Council'
Statement-II: The USA and the EU claim that through this they are trying to begin technological progress and physical productivity under their control.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statement?
* Statement 1 is correct: Trade and Technology Council was launched by the the United States of America and the European Union during the EU-US Summit on 15 June 2021 in Brussels. * Statement 2 is incorrect: Trade and Technology council, the USA and EU does not aim to bring technological progress and physical productivity under their control. Rather the initiative intends to promote pooling of digital resources such as AI models and computing power, and make them available to partner countries to address challenges in areas such as climate change and extreme weather, healthcare or smart agriculture.
Which of the following countries are members of the European Union ?
1. Belarus
2. Poland
3. Germany
4. Switzerland
Select the answer using the code given below :
Statement 1 is Incorrect: Belarus is an Eastern European country that is not a member of the European Union. It maintains close political and economic ties with Russia and has never formally applied for EU membership. Statement 2 is Correct: Poland is a full member state of the European Union. It joined the bloc during the major eastward expansion in May 2004. Statement 3 is Correct: Germany is a full member state of the European Union. It is one of the original six founding members of the EU's predecessor, the European Economic Community, established in 1957. Statement 4 is Incorrect: Switzerland is not an EU member state. Although it is geographically surrounded by the EU and participates in the EU's single market and the Schengen Area through a series of bilateral treaties, it maintains its historic neutrality. It is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) instead. Therefore, the correct answer is 2 and 3.
With reference to the “United Nations Credentials Committee”, consider the following statements:
1. It is a committee set up by the UN Security Council and works under its supervision.
2. It traditionally meets in March, June and September every year.
3. It assesses the credentials of all UN members before submitting a report to the General Assembly for approval.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect. The United Nations Credentials Committee is a committee of the United Nations General Assembly. Statement 2 is incorrect. A Credentials Committee is appointed at the beginning of each regular session of the General Assembly. It consists of nine members, who are appointed by the General Assembly on the proposal of the President. Statement 3 is correct. The Committee reports to the Assembly on the credentials of representatives. The Committee is mandated to examine the credentials of representatives of Member States and to report to the General Assembly thereon (Rule 28 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly). The credentials of representatives and the names of members of the delegation of each Member State are submitted to the Secretary-General and are issued either by the Head of the State or Government or by the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Rule 27 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly).
With reference to the United Nations General Assembly, consider the following statements:
1. The UN General Assembly can grant observer status to the non-member States.
2. Inter-governmental organisations can seek observer status in the UN General Assembly.
3. Permanent Observers in the UN General Assembly can maintain missions at the UN headquarters.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
Statement 1 is correct. The United Nations General Assembly may grant non-member states, international organizations, and other entities Permanent Observer Status. Statement 2 is correct. The General Assembly decided that observer status would be confined to States and intergovernmental organizations whose activities cover matters of interest to the Assembly. Statement 3 is correct. Permanent Observers may participate in the sessions and workings of the General Assembly and maintain missions at the UN Headquarters.
In the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation, an initiative of six countries, which of the following is/are not participant/ participants?
1. Bangladesh
2. Cambodia
3. China
4. Myanmar
5. Thailand
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
All 6 participants of the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation are member countries bordering the basins of the Mekong and Ganga rivers, aiming to collaborate on various initiatives. These countries are: - India - Cambodia - Laos - Myanmar - Thailand - Vietnam Hence, China & Bangladesh are not part of the Mekong-Ganga Corporation.
Show 3 more PYQs
Which of the following is not a member of ‘Gulf Cooperation Council’?
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, originally (and still colloquially) known as the Gulf Cooperation Council, is a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf except Iran. Its member states are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The Charter of the Gulf Cooperation Council was signed on 25 May 1981, formally establishing the institution. Hence, option A is the correct answer.
Consider the following countries
1. Armenia
2. Azerbaijan
3. Croatia
4. Romania
5. Uzbekistan
Which of the above are members of the Organization of Turkic States?
The Organization of Turkic States, formerly called the Turkic Council or the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States, is an international organization comprising prominent independent Turkic countries - Azerbaijan
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan - Turkey
- Uzbekistan
Consider the following countries:
I. Austria
II. Bulgaria
III. Croatia
IV. Serbia
V. Sweden
VI. North Macedonia
How many of the above are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization?
❌ I. Austria - Not a NATO member (maintains neutrality). ✅ II.Bulgaria - NATO member (joined in 2004). ✅ III. Croatia - NATO member (joined in 2009). ❌ IV.Serbia - Not a NATO member (participates in Partnership for Peace, but not a full member). ✅ V. Sweden - NATO member (officially joined in March 2024). ✅ VI. North Macedonia - NATO member (joined in 2020). So, four of the listed countries are members of NATO: Bulgaria, Croatia, Sweden, and North Macedonia.