Transparency and access to documents

According to the transparency rules as set out in the Lisbon Treaty, EU institutions work as openly and as closely as possible to citizens. Ministers at the Council legislate in public and citizens have a right to request access to Council documents.

The rules of procedure of the Council and the European Council set out basic rules for meetings, including voting rules, which sessions should be public and when documents should be published.

• Council's rules of procedure and comments on Council's rules of procedure

Legislative transparency

EU ministers meet in public when they discuss or vote on draft legislative acts.

The Council also meets in public when its ministers debate important issues affecting the EU and its citizens or when they discuss the Council's work programme, the priorities of its presidency and the Commission's work programmes and policy strategy. 

You can watch the Council's public sessions live in all EU languages via our webcast. Recorded sessions are also available for browsing.

• Watch the live or recorded public sessions of the Council

Agendas and calendar of Council meetings

The Council meets in Brussels and Luxembourg (in April, June and October). The meeting agendas of the Council and of most its preparatory bodies are public. 

• Council of the European Union
• Coreper I
• Coreper II
• Special committee on agriculture
• Other Council preparatory bodies

Minutes and voting results 

When a Council meeting is public, so are its minutes, including votes on draft laws, explanations of vote and statements made by member states. In the minutes you can also find information about documents under discussion and the main conclusions reached by the Council.

Voting results are also public and you can see how individual EU countries voted.

• Consult the Council minutes
• Search for voting results

This information is also published in a monthly summary of Council acts. 

• Consult the monthly summary of Council acts

Access to documents

Regulation 1049/2001 provides the rules for access to documents. Specific implementing rules for the Council are established in annex II to its rules of procedure. These rules also apply to European Council documents.  

The Council publishes an annual report on the application of Regulation 1049/2001. 

Public register of Council documents

You can access Council documents via the public register. It has the contents of or references to official Council documents from 1999 onwards. About 80 % of these documents are immediately accessible online. You may apply for access to any of the remaining 20 %. These documents are made public, subject to exceptions laid down under the EU rules on transparency.

• Search for documents
• Browse requests for access to Council documents

Archives

The Council's archives collect and process the documents produced or received by the Council of the European Union in the exercise of its functions. Archives relating to files closed more than 30 years ago are accessible to the public.  

The original documents are sent to the EU's historical archives, which are stored at the European University Institute in Florence. Microfiches and/or electronic copies of the documents can be consulted at the Council's archives in Brussels.

• Council archives

General enquiries

General questions about the organisation, work and activities of the European Council and the Council can be addressed to the public information service. Please note that this service cannot provide legal advice or comment on specific issues.  

You can submit your question in any of the 24 official languages of the EU.