The Council (Transport, Telecommunications and Energy) works among other things to promote transportation by land, sea and air, to liberalize markets for IT and telecommunications as well as to promote reliable and climate friendly energy supplies at reasonable prices. The Council comprises of the Ministers responsible for either transportation, telecommunications or energy, depending on which items are on the agenda, and they typically meet every second month.

In the General Affairs Council (GAC) the ministers coordinates the preparation of and follow-up on meetings in the European Council and covers dossiers of cross-cutting nature, thus affecting more than one EU policies - including negotiations on EU enlargement, preparation of the EU's multiannual financial frameworks and institutional and administrative matters. The council typically meets once a month and the Member States are represented by either their Minister of Foreign or European Affairs.

The European Parliament is in session in Strasbourg from 21 to 24 May 2012.

Foreign Affairs Council sets the course for the EU's external action and ensures coherence of the EU’s different efforts in the area. The Council deals with issues concerning the common foreign and security policy, the security and defence cooperation, trade and development policy and the Member States are represented by different ministers depending on what is on the agenda. The Council is chaired by the permanent EU high representative Catherine Ashton, and it meets app. once a month.