Council decides by qualified majority vote - Montesquieu Institute

For a proposal to be adopted a minimum number of votes (see below) of 255 in favour out of a 345 total (73,91%) must be reached, as well a minimum number of 14 member states in favour.

At the behest of a member state a check is made whether the total population of the countries that voted in favour amounts to a minimum of 62% of the population of the EU as a whole.

Half the member states plus one need to be present in order to call a vote.

Distribution of votes

The number of votes each country holds in the Council is determined to means of the Treaties. It is based on the principle that countries with a larger population have more votes then countries with a small population. The division of votes is corrected in favour of countries with a small population.

Near blocking minorities: the Ioannina compromise

When a vote has passed in favour but the number of votes against surpusses the threshold of 75% needed for a blocking minority those member states who voted against may call to postpone a decision. The Council then proceeds to find a satisfactory solution that meets the objections raised by opposing member states, within a reasonable time.

Contents of this page

Uitgebreid

Sharing

1. Voting from November 2014 onwards
2. Application of voting method

3. Legal framework

From November 1st 2014 qualified majority voting in the Council will be subject to a new set of rules.

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Member states are allowed to abstain from voting. Not all member states need to be present at a vote, a minimum of half the member states plus one is required.

This voting method uses a 'one member state, one vote' system; weighed voting is not applied.

Limited composition of the Council

In a number of policy areas not all member states participate. In such cases only those member states that are subject to European decision-making may cast a vote. A proposal is adopted if half plus one of the participating member states vote in favour.

This voting method is used only when it is explicitly mentioned in the European treaties. In practice, under the Lisbon Treaty this method is applied when the Council of Ministers take decisions on issues of minor importance or affairs of a technical nature. 

Voting by simple majority is based on the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

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  application voting method: in cases decision making is based on simple majority voting this is explicitly mentioned in the Treaties
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  on weighing votes: part six TFEU title I chapter 1 section 3 art. 238 paragraph 1
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  limited composition: part six TFEU title III art. 330