The Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) is responsible for preparing Council meetings at ministerial level. All issues must pass through Coreper before they can be included on the agenda for a Council meeting. Coreper meets in two configurations, Coreper II and Coreper I, dealing with different subject areas.

In Coreper II the Member States are represented by their permanent representatives, i.e. by their ambassadors at the permanent representations in Brussels. Coreper II deals with matters in the following areas:

• General affairs and external relations
• Economic and financial matters
• Justice and home affairs
• Overall responsibility for preparation of summits