The Council of Ministers, also called the Council of the European Union, or simply, the Council, is one of the two European Union (EU) legislative bodies -- the other being the European Parliament. Unlike the European Parliament, whose 736 members are directly elected by, and answerable to, the people, the Council is made up of 27 ministers, one from each of the EU's member states. Council members, therefore, represent their government's viewpoints. The size of a member state's population determines the number of votes its minister wields. Specific individuals are not assigned seats in the Council. Instead, the subject at hand determines which ministers are in attendance. For example, if the topic is railways, membership will be formed of transport ministers (or their equivalent); international affairs would be handled by foreign ministers, and so on.
The Council is the main decision-making body of the European Union. Along with the European Parliament, it passes laws and controls the budget. In addition, the Council defines and implements the EU's foreign policy, coordinates broad economic policy, concludes international agreements and coordinates the actions of member states. Neither the Council nor the European Parliament propose new legislation, as that is a function of the Commission.