The EUMETSAT Council is the decision-making body of EUMETSAT and is comprised of a number of delegates and advisers from each Member State.

The EUMETSAT Council is the decision-making body of EUMETSAT and is comprised of a number of delegates and advisers from each Member State.

Each Member State is represented by two delegates, potentially assisted by advisers. EUMETSAT’s objectives are recalled here, as being:

• the establishment, maintenance and exploitation of European systems of operational satellites
• the contribution to the operational monitoring of the climate and the detection of global climatic changes

The Council decides on the “overall direction” of EUMETSAT. This means that it adopts the programmes, decides on the accession of new members, approves the EUMETSAT budget etc…Depending on the type and importance, decisions are made by unanimous vote, by a two-thirds majority or by a simple majority, whereby every Member State has one vote.

The Council usually meets twice a year (in Spring and Autumn) for ordinary sessions; extraordinary sessions of Council such as the 52nd Special Council in March 2003, are scheduled whenever special issues need to be discussed and decisions taken prior to the ordinary sessions. The EUMETSAT Cooperating States are not represented at the Council.

In line with the EUMETSAT Convention, as being the “mother” of all EUMETSAT legal documents, the Council has established subsidiary bodies and working groups. The role of these entities is to assist the Council in achieving the objectives and programmes of EUMETSAT. The subsidiary bodies support the Council by pre-discussing issues to be tabled at the Council and by making recommendations for decisions to Council. This mechanism helps to make the most efficient use of Council meetings.

The subsidiary bodies comprise the:

Policy Advisory Committee (PAC)
The Scientific and Technical Group (STG)
The Administrative and Finance Group (AFG)
The Data Policy Group (DPG)
EUMETSAT Advisory Committee on Cooperating States (EACCS)

In addition, the STG is assisted by the STG Operations Working Group (STG-OPSWG) and the STG Science Working Group (STG-SWG). Except for the GDP and the EACCS, the subsidiary bodies meets twice a year, usually a few weeks before the ordinary Council sessions.

Council Leaders
	Chairperson Prof. P. Taalas (Finland)	Vice-Chairperson Prof. A. Eliassen (Norway)