The Council of the European Union

What exactly is the Council of the European Union?

The Council of the European Union consists of the governments of the EU member countries. It is also called the Council of Ministers because not all members of the governments meet at once, but only individual ministers at a time. For example, all the Ministers for the Environment of all member states meet to debate the EU’s environmental policy.

Hard Facts

Members:
Ministers from the 27 member countries, each responsible for a certain topic of policy.

Ministers responsible in Germany:
Carsten Schneider (SPD)

Presidency:
Denmark
(1 July – 31 December 2025)

What does the Council of Ministers do?

Legislation:
The Council shares responsibility for an consistent European legislation. Although it cannot start its own legislative initiatives (these come from the Commission), it votes on the Commission’s proposals. The votes of the individual countries are weighted differently. The larger the population, the more votes a country receives.

What else?
The Council of Ministers tasks also include approving the EU budget and concluding international treaties with countries outside the EU.

Find out what your country’s positions are on the environment and climate!

Open the position paper and take notes!

Did you know…

…that the chair of the Council rotates every half year between the member countries? During that period of presidency the member countries take over the organisational responsibilities and direct the terms of content.

Did you know…

… that on the european level, only the European Commission has the right to draft legislative proposals and submit them into the legislative process. This is called the right of initiative.

German Minister for the Environment

Who am I?

You are the German Minister for the Environment. Your task is to represent the interests of your country. As the country with the strongest economy, Germany plays a leading role within the EU. In general you have a positive attitude toward the EU. However, you tend to reject bans and requirements for the economy.

What are your goals in climate and environmental policy?

In a nutshell!

You consider it important to pursue an ambitious climate and environmental policy while also taking into account economic impacts and social fairness. Since both the automobile and chemical industries are key sectors, your goal is to make these industries more climate- and environmentally-friendly through new technologies.

What does that mean exactly?

Strengthening renewable energy!
You rely on generous investments! Both the EU and the individual member states should spend a lot of money on the development and expansion of renewable energies. You oppose classifying nuclear energy as sustainable, and see the switch from gas to green hydrogen (hydrogen produced from renewable energy) as a promising alternative that must be actively promoted.

Environmental protection through economic growth!
Regarding the transition to CO₂-neutral mobility, you are against outright bans. Instead of prohibiting vehicles with combustion engines, you advocate for the promotion of e-fuels (artificial, synthetic fuels made from renewable sources). Furthermore, the EU should financially support the development and adoption of sustainable mobility, aiming for the EU to become a global leader in climate-neutral transport.

Sharing social costs fairly!
You support the financing of the EU Social Climate Fund through revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS II), but emphasize the need for a fair distribution of the financial burden among member states to ensure social and economic impacts are balanced.

Circular economy instead of waste of resources!
The EU’s throwaway economy needs to be put to an end! You want to establish a circular economy with EU-wide rules that focus on reuse, maintenance, repair and recycling.

No requirements for agriculture!
Many ecosystems across the EU are damaged. From your point of view, drained moors must be rewetted and forests reforested, as they store greenhouse gases and provide citizens with a better quality of life. However, you oppose direct interventions in agriculture, such as banning pesticides, even if this would help protect the environment in the future. The economic viability of farmers should not be compromised.

What to do with the arguments?

Please write down your arguments and have them ready for discussion!

Danish Minister for the Environment

Who am I?

You are the Danish Minister for the Environment. Your job is to represent the interests of your country. You are generally positive but pragmatic towards the EU. Compared to other member states, your country has many special arrangements, such as its own currency and has historically opted out of some areas of European cooperation. In recent years, however, Denmark has moved closer to the EU, for example by agreeing to cooperate on security policy. The majority of people in Denmark also support EU membership.

What are your goals for climate and environmental policy?

In a nutshell!

You are highly committed to climate and environmental policy — especially since no part of your country is more than 170 meters above sea level, making it vulnerable to rising sea levels. Your goal in climate and environmental policy is therefore to ensure binding cooperation among all EU member states.

What does that mean exactly?

Immediate energy transition!
You call for an immediate end to subsidies for fossil fuels and a consistent phase-out of coal and nuclear power in all EU member states. You believe that classifying natural gas and nuclear energy as sustainable sends the wrong signal. To ensure energy security, the development and expansion of renewable energy must be financially supported by the EU.

Advance the transport revolution!
All mobility in the EU must become CO2-neutral as quickly as possible. This requires generous investments. On the one hand, research into new technologies must be funded. On the other hand, the expansion of sustainable mobility, e.g. electric cars and europe-wide train connections, should be subsidized (= financially supported).

Balanced and socially just climate action!
You are generally supportive of the Climate Social Fund, as it links social and climate goals. Careful consideration of environmental protection, social fairness, and economic interests is of central importance to you.

Circular economy instead of wasting resources!
You want to establish a circular economy that focuses on reuse, maintenance, repair and recycling of products. Therefore, you demand that the EU invests into the research of easily recyclable packaging materials.

Rethinking agriculture!
It is very important to you to stop biodiversity loss and protect our natural resources. A new approach that combines restoration and environmental protection is urgently needed. You call for the restoration of already damaged ecosystems. At the same time, future destruction and pollution must be prevented, for example by banning pesticides in agriculture. You believe it is crucial that the EU sets common goals in this area.

What to do with the arguments?

Please write down your arguments and keep them ready for the discussion!

Spanish Minister for the Environment

Who am I?

You are the Spanish Minister for the Environment. Your task is to represent the interests of your country. You are ready to cooperate with other EU nations. The fight for social justice and the reconstruction of the Spanish economy are among your main goals.

What are your goals in climate and environmental policy?

In a nutshell!

You take climate and environmental protection very seriously! You even aim for Spain to become a pioneer in climate action. It is particularly important to you that these measures promote social fairness, economic competitiveness and innovation in the fields of renewable energy and sustainable mobility at the same time.

What does that mean exactly?

Immediate energy transition!
You are calling for an immediate end to subsidies for fossil fuels and a consistent drop-out of coal and nuclear power by all EU member states. You believe that classifying natural gas and nuclear energy as sustainable sends the wrong message to investors and society. To ensure energy security, the development and expansion of renewable energy must be strongly supported by the EU. Your goal is to achieve 80% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

Driving the mobility transition!
All mobility in the EU must become CO2-neutral as quickly as possible. This requires generous investments. Research into new technologies and the expansion of sustainable mobility (e.g., electric vehicles and Europe-wide rail networks) should be promoted through subsidies. Furthermore, you call for a ban on vehicles with combustion engines by 2040.

Climate Social Fund against energy poverty!
You support the establishment of a Climate Social Fund, as the Spanish population is suffering from rising energy prices and you need financial support to fight poverty. It is important to you that Spain benefits from the fund, and you are actively engaged by providing a national co-financing share, preparing a National Social Climate Plan, and coordinating with regional and local authorities to ensure that the funds are used effectively.

Circular economy instead of wasting resources!
You want to establish a circular economy based on reuse, maintenance, repair and recycling of products. But not the EU member states, but the large companies that create the waste should be obliged to introduce the circular economy!

Rethinking agriculture!
You strongly advocate for nature restoration and reduction of chemical pesticides. These measures aim to protect the environment, preserve biodiversity, promote sustainable agriculture, adapt to climate change, and protect public health. Intact ecosystems provide natural resilience against environmental disasters and can store carbon. By restoring ecosystems, the EU can therefore support the natural resilience of the environment.

What to do with the arguments?

Please write down your arguments and keep them ready for the discussion!

Polish Minister for the Environment

Who am I?

You are the Polish Minister for the Environment. Your task is to represent the interests of your country. Generally speaking, you are rather sceptical towards the EU. In recent years, Polish politics has often emphasized national sovereignty, which has made Poland somewhat of an EU outsider.

What are your goals in climate and environmental policy?

In a nutshell!

You see climate change as a threat to your country. Therefore, you generally support measures that benefit the climate and the environment. Yet, you are sceptical of a common climate and environmental policy. You don’t want to give up your sovereignty and only implement measures that you support! You are unhappy with the EU’s pressure to achieve specific reductions by 2030.

What does that mean exactly?

Energy transition at your own pace!
In general, you support the energy transition, but you reject bans. Due to your dependence on coal and nuclear power, you do not want to be forced to stop using these energy sources. You therefore focus on investing in research and expansion of renewable energy. Once renewables can provide enough electricity, you are willing to phase out coal.

Mobility transition through EU funding!
You also reject bans and quotas in the transition towards climate-neutral mobility. In particular, a ban on vehicles with combustion engines would be a financial burden on citizens and undermine Polish industry, as many leading car brands are produced in your country. Instead, you rely on financial incentives for the development and spread of sustainable mobility.

Climate Social Fund against energy poverty!
You support the establishment of a Climate Social Fund, as the Polish population is suffering from rising energy prices and you need financial support to combat poverty. Poland is expected to be the largest beneficiary of the fund, and you are actively engaged by providing a national co-financing share, preparing a National Social Climate Plan, and coordinating with regional and local authorities to ensure that the funds are used effectively.

EU-wide recycling system!

You want to establish a circular economy based on reuse, maintenance, repair and recycling of products. Therefore, you demand that the EU funds research into easily recyclable packaging materials.

No requirements for agriculture!
You are critical of nature restoration projects. Drained peatlands and cleared forest areas are used by agriculture and are necessary for EU food security. Additionally, restrictions on pesticide use place a burden on farmers. You question whether the EU really prioritizes feeding its citizens.

What to do with the arguments?

Please write down your arguments and have them ready for discussion!

Finnish Minister for the Environment

Who am I?

You are the Finish Minister for the Environment. Your job is to represent the interests of your country. You have a positive attitude towards the EU, so you are usually in favour of binding EU laws. Your country is considered progressive and pays a lot of attention to maintaining social justice.

What are your goals in climate and environmental policy?

In a nutshell!

Your country is passionate about climate and environmental protection and pursues the ambitious goal of being climate-positive by 2040. Already, over 45% of Finland’s energy comes from renewable sources. You also have a strong interest in stopping climate change, as the average temperature in Finland is rising faster than in any other EU country.

What does that mean exactly?

Immediate energy transition!
You demand an immediate end to subsidies for fossil fuels and a complete phase-out of coal in all EU member states. To ensure energy security, the development and expansion of renewable energy must be financially supported by the EU and all member states. You support the use of nuclear energy as a bridging technology to make the transition to renewables possible.

Driving the mobility transition!
All mobility in the EU must become CO2-neutral as quickly as possible. This requires a ban on vehicles with combustion engines from 2035 and generous investments. On one hand, research into new technologies must be funded. On the other hand, the expansion of sustainable mobility, such as electric vehicles and Europe-wide rail networks, should be subsidized.

Climate Social Fund only with compromises!
You are critical of the Climate Social Fund, as only a few households in your country suffer from energy poverty, so the fund offers limited benefits for Finland. To ensure no one is left behind, you support the fund if the financial burden is fairly shared among all member states and you do not have to compromise in other areas.

Circular economy instead of wasting resources!
You want to establish a circular economy based on reuse, maintenance, repair and recycling of products. But not the EU nations, but the big companies that create the waste should be obliged to introduce the circular economy! Since 2024, Finland has implemented Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging, meaning companies must contribute to the costs of recycling their packaging.

Rethinking agriculture!
Your country consists largely of forests, and you rely on the sustainable use of your own forests. Wood is also a valuable resource for your economy and must remain freely usable. You see EU-wide nature restoration projects as an overreach of national sovereignty. However, you consider pesticides a threat to your many forests and lakes, and you support restrictions on their use.

What to do with the arguments?

Please write down your arguments and keep them ready for the discussion!

Swedish Minister for the Environment

Who am I?

You are the Swedish Minister for the Environment. Your job is to represent the interests of your country. Generally, you have a positive attitude towards the EU, but you are not always willing to give up national competences. Your country is currently governed by a conservative minority government, which relies on the support of the right-wing populist Sweden Democrats.

What are your goals in climate and environmental policy?

In a nutshell!

In past years, the Swedish government aimed to take a leading role in climate and environmental protection. Due to a political shift, your government now relies on the support of right-wing populist climate skeptics in parliament. You remain committed to the obligations of the Paris Climate Agreement, but do not aim for additional climate measures.

What does that mean exactly?

100% fossil-free energy!
Your goal is to meet 100% of your energy demand with fossil-free sources by 2040. You support the long-term operation and new construction of nuclear power plants. With generous investments, the EU can remain competitive in non-fossil energy, which also enables the phase-out of coal.

Mobility transition, but affordable!
On the topic of mobility, they support the ban on combustion engines from 2030, as long as it does not financially burden citizens. You support subsidies for electric mobility and the expansion of europe-wide rail infrastructure.

Climate Social Fund only with compromises!
You are skeptical of the Climate Social Fund, as only a few households in your country suffer from energy poverty, so the fund offer limited benefits for Sweden. To ensure no one is left behind, you support the fund if you do not have to compromise in other areas.

Circular economy instead of wasting resources!
Your goal is to waste fewer valuable resources! You want to establish a circular economy based on reuse, maintenance, repair and recycling. Binding rules must be established for this. For example, you support an obligation to recycle plastic.

Rethinking agriculture!
You oppose binding rules for pesticide use in agriculture. You do not want to over-regulate farmers and warn against excessive bureaucracy. You believe incentives rather than bans can achieve more effective environmental solutions in agriculture. Furthermore, no land should be taken from farming or forestry, including for nature restoration. You have enough untouched nature, which you consider sufficiently protected.

What to do with the arguments?

Please write down your arguments and have them ready for discussion!

Estonian Minister for the Environment

Who am I?

You are the Estonian Minister for the Environment. Your task is to represent the interests of your country. You have a contradictory attitude towards the EU. You cooperate constructively with the EU, especially on security and energy issues. Furthermore, in the last elections, your pro-European Prime Minister was re-elected.

What are your goals in climate and environmental policy?

In a nutshell!

You do not take a clear position on climate and environmental policy. On the one hand, you want to protect Estonian nature. On the other hand, Estonia still meets much of its electricity demand through oil shale extraction, which is environmentally harmful but essential for your energy supply and cannot be abandoned immediately.

Energy transition at your own pace!
You generally support the energy transition, but oppose bans. After agreeing to an EU-funded transition program, you committed to ending oil shale extraction by 2040. To enable the switch to renewable energy, you plan to use nuclear energy and construct a nuclear power plant in your country. In addition, you rely on investments in research and the expansion of renewable energy. Once renewables provide sufficient electricity, you are ready to give up oil shale.

Mobility transition through EU funding!
For the transition to climate-neutral mobility, you support a ban on combustion engines, as long as existing vehicles can continue to operate. You also rely on financial incentives for the development and spread of sustainable mobility, especially alternative fuels. For example, the EU should fund research into hydrogen engines and support the expansion of a Europe-wide rail network.

Balanced and socially fair climate action!
You support the establishment of the EU Social Climate Fund, as it combines social and climate policy objectives. It is important to you that its implementation includes a careful balance between environmental protection, social justice, and economic interests to safeguard both the people and the economy of Estonia.

EU-wide recycling system!
You want to establish a circular economy based on reuse, maintenance, repair and recycling of products. Therefore, you demand that the EU fund research into easily recyclable packaging materials.

Make agriculture more sustainable!
You have previously initiated efforts to restore damaged ecosystems and see EU-wide rules as useful. Looking ahead, it is necessary to protect ecosystems and drastically reduce the use of chemical pesticides. Estonia aims to take a leading role, but as one of the smaller member states, your goals are only achievable if other countries contribute their part.

What to do with the arguments?

Please write down your arguments and have them ready for discussion!

Hungarian Minister for the Environment

Who am I?

You are the Hungarian Minister for the Environment. Your task is to represent the interests of your country. Your country is governed by a national conservative party (Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Federation) since 2010. You are very critical of the EU because you fear the loss of Hungary’s national sovereignty. Therefore, you mostly oppose binding EU regulations.

What are your goals in climate and environmental policy?

In a nutshell!

In principle, your country supports measures to protect the climate and the environment. However, you expect that the financing of all measures will be taken over by financially strong countries. You also reject a flood of regulations and requirements because that would restrict Hungary’s sovereignty.

What does that mean exactly?

Energy transition at your own pace!
In General, you support the energy turnaround, but you reject bans. Coal remains a central part of the energy mix until then, and you oppose bans. At the same time, you promote investments in research and development of renewable technologies. Once renewables provide enough electricity, you are ready to phase out coal. Until then, you support the recognition of nuclear power and natural gas as “green” energy sources.

Mobility transition without bans!
You also reject bans and quotas in the transition to climate-neutral mobility. Instead, you rely on financial incentives for the development and spread of sustainable mobility. However, the EU should take over the financing!

Climate Social Fund against energy poverty!
You support the establishment of a Climate Social Fund, as the Hungarian population is suffering from rising energy prices and you need financial support to fight poverty. It is important to you that Hungary benefits from the fund, and you are actively engaged by providing a national co-financing share, preparing a National Social Climate Plan, and coordinating with regional and local authorities to ensure that the funds are used effectively.

No recycling obligation for sovereign nations!
You reject an EU-wide recycling system with binding regulations on waste disposal. Hungary is a sovereign country that can decide on its own waste management!

Maintain common agricultural policy!
To ensure carbon storage in natural ecosystems, you support binding rules and stricter requirements. Limiting pesticide use is necessary, but taking land from agriculture to restore peatlands or other ecosystems goes too far. Ensuring food supply for all EU citizens is more important than environmental protection.

What to do with the arguments?

Please write down your arguments and have them ready for discussion!