The majority of proposals are nodded through in the ways outlined above, or agreement can be reached at the council level without the need for matters to go to a vote.
However, if agreement cannot be reached, the treaties provide for disagreements to be resolved by votes of the ministers present.
There are three procedures for votes, which apply to different policy areas.
Unanimity (ie the approval of every member state) is required in respect of matters relating to taxation, industry, culture, regional and social funds, research and development and 'constitutional matters'. In addition, most decision-making under pillars two and three require unanimity in the council. Abstentions do not count as votes against for the purposes of such votes.
A simple majority is required for the approval of procedural proposals and for anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs.
The most frequently used and most complex voting procedure, however, is qualified majority voting. The scope of QMV has been expanded dramatically since the Single European Act, prior to which unanimity was the norm.
Nonetheless, informal processes and relationships are critical to a proposal's progress through the council, at all stages – including private lunches, breaks in proceedings, off the record bilateral talks. Insofar as ministers frequently change, the relationships between members of COREPER are of critical importance to the negotiation processes.
The council also plays a crucial role further into the legislative process, in its interactions with the European parliament.
