EU Decision-Making: Qualified Majority Voting (QMV)

European Council and EU Council

• The European Council comprises the heads of state and government of the EU member states, representing the 'European' interest, and defining the EU's general political direction and priorities.
• The European Council meets formally at least twice a year, in June and December, and at least twice more as 'informal' gatherings typically organized around a specific topic or theme.
• The European Council President is selected by a qualified majority for a two-and-a-half-year term, renewable once.
• The European Council also manages unexpected events and crises.

Voting in the EU Council

• There are two categories of voting in the EU Council: Unanimity and Qualified Majority Voting (QMV).
• Under QMV, each member state's vote is proportionate to national population size, with a 'double majority' system requiring at least 55% of member states and 65% of the EU population.
• At least four member states representing at least 35% of the EU's population can form a 'blocking minority', a procedural safeguard against hypothetical big-states blocking coalitions.

Unanimity Voting

• With unanimity, any member state can block a proposal with a “no” vote, giving each member a veto right.
• Abstentions do not count as 'no' votes, allowing members to signal disagreement without blocking adoption.
• Key areas still subject to unanimity include foreign policy, defence, security, and judicial and police cooperation in criminal matters.

Qualified Majority Voting (QMV)

• QMV promotes a normative environment of mutual accommodation and consensus-seeking, rather than a 'voting/veto' culture.
• Some member states, such as Spain, Germany, Finland, France, and Italy, want to change the unanimity voting process to QMV on issues like the common foreign and security policy.