Europe, Council of, is an organization of European nations that seeks to promote unity among its members in order to achieve economic and social progress. It has no real power and can only advise on economic, social, legal, cultural, scientific, and other matters.
The council consists of a joint committee, a secretariat-general, a committee of ministers with one representative from each member nation, and a parliamentary assembly with several members from each nation. The assembly makes recommendations for action to the ministers. The council’s main areas of activity include such areas as culture and sport, education, human rights, and public health.
The council was formed in 1949. The founding members were Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The organization’s headquarters are in Strasbourg, France.
