Council of the European Union and European Committees

The Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin) is made up of the Economics and Finance Ministers of the Member States. The Ecofin generally meets once a month under the chair of the rotating EU Presidency.

The Minister for Finance, represents Ireland at these meetings and chaired the Council during the first half of 2013.

The Ecofin Council covers EU policy in a number of areas including:

• economic policy coordination
• economic surveillance
• monitoring of Member States’ budgetary policy and public finances
• the euro (legal, practical and international aspects)
• financial markets and capital movements
• economic relations with third countries

It decides mainly by qualified majority, in consultation or co-decision with the European Parliament. Fiscal matters are generally decided by unanimity. The Ecofin Council also prepares and adopts every year, together with the European Parliament, the budget of the European Union.

On the council website you can find information on all Council meetings, including the agenda, background note, and webcasts of all open sessions.

The Eurogroup is a meeting of the Finance Ministers of the Member States, which have adopted the Euro as their official currency.

This meeting is chaired by the Eurogroup President (currently Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the Dutch Finance Minister). The Eurogroup typically meets ahead of each Ecofin council meeting.

Michael Noonan TD, Minister for Finance, represents Ireland at these meetings

More information can be found on the Eurogroup website.

The Presidency of the Council of the EU rotates among the 28 member states every six months. During this six-month period, the Presidency chairs meetings at every level, proposes guidelines and draws up the compromises needed for the Council to take decisions.

The Presidency also represents the Council in its dealings with other EU Institutions.

Ireland held the Presidency for the seventh time from January to June 2013.

Romania is the current holder of the Presidency.

There are many Committees involved in preparing the work of the Ecofin and Eurogroup. Officials from Member States participate in these Committees.

These include:

• Economic and Financial Committee (EFC)
• Eurogroup Working Group (EWG)
• Economic Policy Committee (EPC)
• The Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper)

The Permanent Representation, Ireland’s biggest diplomatic mission, is staffed by representatives from nearly every government department.

The Ambassador to the European Union is the lead official in the Permanent Representation.

The main function of the Permanent Representation is to promote and represent Ireland’s interests in the Council of Ministers and to work closely with the European Parliament and with the European Commission.

The Department of Finance currently has five staff in the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU.

The Finance team is comprised of a Financial Counsellor, two Financial Services Attachés, a Fiscal Attaché and a Budget Attaché.

Key elements of the role of the Finance Section include:

• supporting the Permanent Representative (Ambassador) to the EU, in particular at The Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper)
• assistance to Ministers and others during their visits to Brussels
• advancing Irish policy objectives and the department’s mission in EU matters under direction from the Department of Finance
• participation in the various Council working groups dealing with economic, financial, fiscal and EU Budget issues
• ensuring good communication between the department in Dublin and contacts in the EU institutions and other Member States

The current Irish Permanent Representative to the EU is Ambassador Declan Kelleher.