The Council Decides‘: Does the Council Decide?*

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Abstract
What happens in the Council of Ministers? According to the Treaty, the Council is the major body of decision‐making. But with its notorious and contested secrecy, there is very little knowledge about what really happens in Council meetings.The author of this article gained full possession of the complete agendas and the comprehensive proceedings of all 20 meetings of the Agricultural Council in the years 1992–93. Almost 500 items were placed on the agenda for Council decision‐making. He examines how these items were handled by the Council and its preparatory bodies. He also finds that ministers dislike submitting an important issue to the higher level of the General Council; that the atmosphere among ministers is generally tough and businesslike; and that information given to national parliaments is very incomplete.The various findings are critically discussed in the perspectives of influence on Council decision‐making, potential lobby strategies and transparency.

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