Council Voting Calculator, now available to everyone!

Have you ever wondered how the EU member states' votes add up to make decisions? What role does the size of each country's population play? What difference does it make whether the majority required is simple or qualified? Use the Voting Calculator available on this site to simulate the possible configurations and get the result in a second.

(c) European Union

The Council is where the member states' representatives, usually ministers, meet to discuss proposals and vote on them to adopt new EU-wide legislation.

Voting at the Council is fairly complex. The number of votes of each Council member is set by the treaties. These also define the cases where a simple majority, qualified majority or unanimous vote is required. A Council member may ask for confirmation that the votes in favour represent at least 62% of the total population of the Union. If checking shows that this condition is not fulfilled, the decision is not taken.

To use the Calculator, go to the page below and click on "How to use". Currently, the Calculator is only available in English, but you can consult the "How to use" guide in any of the 23 official EU languages. These instructions also contain useful information on Council voting rules and the number of votes for each member state.

Below is a link to this useful and informative instrument. Give it a try!