EUMETSAT is an intergovernmental organisation formed in 1986 to service a current total of 26 Member States.

The Council is the supreme body of the organisation, composed of representatives from the meteorological services of the Member States, which also fund activities. Contributions are based on a scale which is proportional to the gross national income of the individual Member States.

Each Member State has one vote. Major decisions have to be taken unanimously or with a two-thirds majority representing also at least two thirds of the financial contributions. The Director-General is the legal representative of EUMETSAT. He is responsible for the implementation of decisions by the Council and for the execution of all tasks assigned to the organisation. He heads the Secretariat, which is located at the EUMETSAT headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany. Staff are recruited from the Member States.

5 States have signed cooperation agreements with EUMETSAT, each of them contributes 50% of the full membership fee. Cooperating States have the opportunity of becoming full members of EUMETSAT. Further States are expected to join in the near future.