The Council of the European Union, usually known as the Council of Ministers, brings together member states' representatives, usually Ministers, to ensure the objectives set out in the treaty are attained. The European Counci,l or, as it has more commonly become known, the European Summit, is where Heads of State or Government meet. This normally takes place twice a year.
Nowadays there are regular meetings of different types of Council of Ministers, which address particular issues. The Council of Education Ministers is one such council meeting, and it is the one, which is most appropriate for the Minister for Education and Science to attend.
Since taking office, I have attended three formal meetings of the Council of Ministers and one informal meeting of the Council of Ministers. Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, attended an informal Educational Council in Baden, Austria, in October 1998 on my behalf. I also attended one meeting of European Ministers for Education, which brought together Ministers from the EU and Ministers from the countries of central and eastern Europe. In addition I have held various bilateral discussions with ministerial colleagues and the relevant commissioners.
Within the framework of the Council of Ministers, officials from my Department regularly attended Education Committee meetings, that is, the working group which prepares education matters for Council. This committee generally meets on a monthly basis.
Officials from my Department regularly attend meetings with the Commission in relation to the current EU education and training programmes: SOCRATES, LEONARDO DA VINCI and YOUTH FOR EUROPE programmes. There are normally two or three meetings a year for each of the three programmes. In addition, my Department would also be represented on various ad-hoc working groups that are set up from time to time to discuss specific areas for co-operation in education and training matters.
