The Council is the main decision-making body of the European Union and is made up of the ministers of all the member states. It meets in nine different configurations depending on the issues under discussion. The work of the Council is coordinated by the Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER) with delegates of each member state, based in Brussels, and divided into several thematic committees and working groups.

The Education, Youth and Culture Committee brings together education, culture, youth and communication ministers around three or four times a year. It usually adopts its decisions by a qualified majority (apart from on cultural affairs, where it acts unanimously) and in codecision with the European Parliament.