Council of the European Union

Council of the European Union
Bulgarian: Съвет на Европейския съюз Croatian: Vijeće Europske unije Czech: Rada Evropské unie Danish: Rådet for Den Europæiske Union Dutch: Raad van de Europese Unie Estonian: Euroopa Liidu Nõukogu Finnish: Euroopan unionin neuvosto French: Conseil de l'Union européenne German: Rat der Europäischen Union Greek: Συμβούλιο της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης Hungarian: Az Európai Unió Tanácsa Irish: Comhairle an Aontais Eorpaigh Italian: Consiglio dell’Unione europea Latvian: Eiropas Savienības Padome Lithuanian: Europos Sąjungos Taryba Maltese: Kunsill tal-Unjoni Ewropea Polish: Rada Unii Europejskiej Portuguese: Conselho da União Europeia Romanian: Consiliul Uniunii Europene Slovak: Rada Európskej únie Slovene: Svet Evropske unije Spanish: Consejo de la Unión Europea Swedish: Europeiska unionens råd
Leadership
Presidency	Slovakia Since 1 July 2016
Secretary General	Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen Since 1 July 2015
Structure
Seats	28 (varying representatives of 28 states)
Political groups	No official division by political parties
Elections
Voting system	Qualified majority or unanimity
Meeting place
Justus Lipsius: Brussels, Belgium
Website
consilium.europa.eu

The Council of the European Union (often still referred to as the Council of Ministers, or sometimes just called the Council (Latin: Consilium)) is the third of the seven institutions of the European Union (EU) as listed in the Treaty on European Union.^[1] It is part of the essentially bicameral EU legislature (the other legislative body being the European Parliament) and represents the executive governments of the EU's member states.^[2] It is based in the Justus Lipsius building in Brussels, Belgium.

Composition

The Council meets in 10 different configurations of 28 national ministers (one per state). The precise membership of these configurations varies according to the topic under consideration; for example, when discussing agricultural policy the Council is formed by the 28 national ministers whose portfolio includes this policy area (with the related European Commissioners contributing but not voting).

The Presidency of the Council rotates every six months among the governments of EU member states, with the relevant ministers of the respective country holding the Presidency at any given time ensuring the smooth running of the meetings and setting the daily agenda.^[3] The continuity between presidencies is provided by an arrangement under which three successive presidencies, known as Presidency trios, share common political programmes. The Foreign Affairs Council (national foreign ministers) is however chaired by the Union's High Representative.^[4]

Its decisions are made by qualified majority voting in most areas, unanimity in others. Usually where it operates unanimously, it only needs to consult the Parliament. However, in most areas the ordinary legislative procedure applies meaning both Council and Parliament share legislative and budgetary powers equally, meaning both have to agree for a proposal to pass. In a few limited areas the Council may initiate new EU law itself.^[3]

The General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, also known as Council Secretariat, assists the Council of the European Union, the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the European Council and the President of the European Council. The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union. The Secretariat is divided into seven directorates-general, each administered by a director-general.

History

European Union

This article is part of a series on the politics and government of the European Union

Executive Juncker Commission President Juncker (EPP) Vice Presidents College Civil Service Secretary-General Day

Legislative Parliament President Schulz (S&D) Largest groups; EPP (Manfred Weber) S&D (Gianni Pittella) 8th session (2014-19) 751 MEPs Bureau Vice Presidents Quaestor Conference Legislative procedure Council of the EU Luxembourgish Presidency Configurations General Foreign Justice and Home Economic Euro Legislative procedure Voting Secretariat Secretary-General Uwe Corsepius Directorates-general COREPER

Judiciary Court of Justice Members Rulings General Court Civil Service Tribunal

Central Bank President Draghi ESCB Euro EMU Eurozone

Court of Auditors Budget OLAF

Other bodies Agencies Investment Bank CoR EESC Ombudsman National parliaments

Policies and issues Foreign relations High Representative Federica Mogherini Ext. Action Service Foreign Policy Defence Policy Customs Union Enlargement Budget Four Freedoms Economic Area Area of FS&J Schengen Area Policies Agricultural Energy Fisheries Regional Citizenship Identity Pro-Europeanism Euroscepticism Integration Supranationalism Federalism United States of Europe Multi-speed Opt-outs Enhanced co-op Withdrawal

Elections 1979, 1984, 1989 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 2014 (last election) Political parties Constituencies Referendums

Law Acquis Primacy Subsidiarity Treaties Fundamental Rights Membership

European Council President Tusk (EPP) Parties List of meetings

The Council first appeared in the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) as the "Special Council of Ministers", set up to counterbalance the High Authority (the supranational executive, now the Commission). The original Council had limited powers: issues relating only to coal and steel were in the Authority's domain, and the Council's consent was only required on decisions outside coal and steel. As a whole, the Council only scrutinised the High Authority (the executive). In 1957, the Treaties of Rome established two new communities, and with them two new Councils: the Council of the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC) and the Council of the European Economic Community (EEC). However, due to objections over the supranational power of the Authority, their Councils had more powers; the new executive bodies were known as "Commissions".^[5]

In 1965 the Council was hit by the "empty chair crisis". Due to disagreements between French President Charles de Gaulle and the Commission's agriculture proposals, among other things, France boycotted all meetings of the Council. This halted the Council's work until the impasse was resolved the following year by the Luxembourg compromise. Although initiated by a gamble of the President of the Commission, Walter Hallstein, who later on lost the Presidency, the crisis exposed flaws in the Council's workings.^[6]

Under the Merger Treaty of 1967, the ECSC's Special Council of Ministers and the Council of the EAEC (together with their other independent institutions) were merged into the Council of the EEC, which would act as a single Council of the European Communities. In 1993, the Council adopted the name 'Council of the European Union', following the establishment of the European Union by the Maastricht Treaty. That treaty strengthened the Council, with the addition of more intergovernmental elements in the three pillars system. However, at the same time the Parliament and Commission had been strengthened inside the Community pillar, curtailing the ability of the Council to act independently.^[5]

The Treaty of Lisbon abolished the pillar system and gave further powers to Parliament. It also merged the Council's High Representative with the Commission's foreign policy head, with this new figure chairing the foreign affairs Council rather than the rotating presidency. The European Council was declared a separate institution from the Council, also chaired by a permanent president, and the different Council configurations were mentioned in the treaties for the first time.^[4]

The development of the Council has been characterised by the rise in power of the Parliament, with which the Council has had to share its legislative powers. The Parliament has often provided opposition to the Council's wishes. This has in some cases led to clashes between both bodies with the Council's system of intergovernmentalism contradicting the developing parliamentary system and supranational principles.^[7]

Powers and functions

The primary purpose of the Council is to act as one of the two chambers of the EU's legislative branch, the other chamber being the European Parliament. It also holds, jointly with the Parliament, the budgetary power of the Union and has greater control than the Parliament over the more intergovernmental areas of the EU, such as foreign policy and macroeconnomic co-ordination. Finally, before the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, it formally held the executive power of the EU which it conferred upon the European Commission.^[8][2]

Legislative procedure

Simplified illustration of the voting rules that apply within the ordinary legislative procedure. The actual procedure involves various stages of consultations aimed at achieving compromise between the positions of the two legislative chambers.

The EU's legislative authority is divided between the Council and the Parliament. As the relationships and powers of these institutions have developed, various legislative procedures have been created for adopting laws.^[2] In early times, the avis facultatif maxim was: "The Commission proposes, and the Council disposes";^[9] but now the vast majority of laws are now subject to the ordinary legislative procedure, which works on the principle that consent from both the Council and Parliament are required before a law may be adopted.^[10]

Under this procedure, the Commission presents a proposal to Parliament and the Council. Following its first reading the Parliament may propose amendments. If the Council accepts these amendments then the legislation is approved. If it does not then it adopts a "common position" and submits that new version to the Parliament. At its second reading, if the Parliament approves the text or does not act, the text is adopted, otherwise the Parliament may propose further amendments to the Council's proposal. It may be rejected out right by an absolute majority of MEPs. If the Council still does not approve the Parliament's position, then the text is taken to a "Conciliation Committee" composed of the Council members plus an equal number of MEPs. If a Committee manages to adopt a joint text, it then has to be approved in a third reading by both the Council and Parliament or the proposal is abandoned.^[11]

The few other areas that operate the special legislative procedures are justice & home affairs, budget and taxation and certain aspects of other policy areas: such as the fiscal aspects of environmental policy. In these areas, the Council or Parliament decide law alone.^[12][13] The procedure used also depends upon which type of institutional act is being used. The strongest act is a regulation, an act or law which is directly applicable in its entirety. Then there are directives which bind members to certain goals which they must achieve, but they do this through their own laws and hence have room to manoeuvre in deciding upon them. A decision is an instrument which is focused at a particular person or group and is directly applicable. Institutions may also issue recommendations and opinions which are merely non-binding declarations.^[14]

The Council votes in one of three ways; unanimity, simple majority, or qualified majority. In most cases, the Council votes on issues by qualified majority voting, meaning that there must be a minimum of 255 votes out of 345 (73.9%) and a majority of member states (sometimes a two–third majority). A majority representing 62% of the EU's population may also be taken into account.^[15] Unanimity is nearly always used where foreign policy is concerned, and in a number of cases under police and judicial co-operation.^[16]

Foreign affairs

The legal instruments used by the Council for the Common Foreign and Security Policy are different from the legislative acts. Under the CFSP they consist of "common positions", "joint actions", and "common strategies". Common positions relate to defining a European foreign policy towards a particular third-country such as the promotion of human rights and democracy in Burma, a region such as the stabilisation efforts in the African Great Lakes, or a certain issue such as support for the International Criminal Court. A common position, once agreed, is binding on all EU states who must follow and defend the policy, which is regularly revised. A joint action refers to a co-ordinated action of the states to deploy resources to achieve an objective, for example for mine clearing or to combat the spread of small arms. Common strategies defined an objective and commits the EUs resources to that task for four years.^[17]

Budgetary authority

Furthermore, the legislative branch officially holds the Union's budgetary authority. The EU's budget (which is around 155 billion euro)^[18] is subject to a form of the ordinary legislative procedure with a single reading giving Parliament power over the entire budget (prior to 2009, its influence was limited to certain areas) on an equal footing to the Council. If there is a disagreement between them, it is taken to a conciliation committee as it is for legislative proposals. But if the joint conciliation text is not approved, the Parliament may adopt the budget definitively.^[12] In addition to the budget, the Council coordinates the economic policy of members.^[3]

Organisation

The Council's rules of procedure contain the provisions necessary for its organisation and functioning.^[19]

Presidency

The Presidency of the Council is not a single post, but is held by a member state's government. Every six months the presidency rotates between the states, in an order predefined by the Council's members, allowing each state to preside over the body. From 2007, every three member states co-operate for their combined eighteen months on a common agenda, although only one formally holds the presidency for the normal six-month period. For example, the President for the second half of 2007, Portugal, was the second in a trio of states alongside Germany and Slovenia with whom Portugal had been co-operating. The Council meets in various configurations (as outlined below) so its membership changes depending upon the issue. The person chairing the Council will always be the member from the state holding the Presidency. A delegate from the following Presidency also assists the presiding member and may take over work if requested.^[20][21] The exception however is the foreign affairs council, which has been chaired by the High Representative since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty.^[4]

The role of the Presidency is administrative and political. On the administrative side it is responsible for procedures and organising the work of the Council during its term. This includes summoning the Council for meetings along with directing the work of COREPER and other committees and working groups. The political element is the role of successfully dealing with issues and mediating in the Council. In particular this includes setting the agenda of the council, hence giving the Presidency substantial influence in the work of the Council during its term. The Presidency also plays a major role in representing the Council within the EU and representing the EU internationally, for example at the United Nations.^[21][22][23]

Configurations

Legally speaking, the Council is a single entity, but it is in practice divided into several different council configurations (or ‘(con)formations’). Article 16(6) of the Treaty on European Union provides:

The Council shall meet in different configurations, the list of which shall be adopted in accordance with Article 236 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

The General Affairs Council shall ensure consistency in the work of the different Council configurations. It shall prepare and ensure the follow-up to meetings of the European Council, in liaison with the President of the European Council and the Commission.

The Foreign Affairs Council shall elaborate the Union's external action on the basis of strategic guidelines laid down by the European Council and ensure that the Union's action is consistent.

Each council configuration deals with a different functional area, for example agriculture and fisheries. In this formation, the council is composed of ministers from each state government who are responsible for this area: the agriculture and fisheries ministers. The chair of this council is held by the member from the state holding the presidency (see section above). Similarly, the Economic and Financial Affairs Council is composed of national finance ministers, and they are still one per state and the chair is held by the member coming from the presiding country. The Councils meet irregularly throughout the year except for the three major configurations (top three below) which meet once a month. There are currently ten formations:^[24][25]

• General Affairs (GAC): General affairs co-ordinates the work of the Council, prepares for European Council meetings and deals with issues crossing various council formations.
• Foreign Affairs (FAC): Chaired by the High Representative, rather than the Presidency, it manages the CFSP, CSDP, trade and development co-operation. It sometimes meets in a defence configuration.^[26]

The main meeting room of the Council

• Economic and Financial Affairs (Ecofin): Composed of economics and finance ministers of the member states. It includes budgetary and eurozone matters via an informal group composed only of eurozone member ministers.^[27]
• Agriculture and Fisheries (Agrifish): Composed of the agriculture and fisheries ministers of the member states. It considers matters concerning the Common Agricultural Policy, the Common Fisheries Policy, forestry, organic farming, food and feed safety, seeds, pesticides, and fisheries.^[28]
• Justice and Home Affairs (JHA): This configuration brings together Justice ministers and Interior Ministers of the Member States. Includes civil protection.
• Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO): Composed of employment, social protection, consumer protection, health and equal opportunities ministers.
• Competitiveness (COMPET): Created in June 2002 through the merging of three previous configurations (Internal Market, Industry and Research). Depending on the items on the agenda, this formation is composed of ministers responsible for areas such as European affairs, industry, tourism and scientific research. With the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU acquired competence in space matters,^[29] and space policy has been attributed to the Competitiveness Council^[30]
• Transport, Telecommunications and Energy (TTE): Created in June 2002, through the merging of three policies under one configuration, and with a composition varying according to the specific items on its agenda. This formation meets approximately once every two months.
• Environment (ENV): Composed of environment ministers, who meet about four times a year.
• Education, Youth, Culture and Sport (EYC): Composed of education, culture, youth, communications and sport ministers, who meet around three or four times a year.^[31] Includes audiovisual issues.

Complementing these, the Political and Security Committee (PSC) brings together ambassadors to monitor international situations and define policies within the CSDP, particularly in crises.^[25] The European Council is similar to a configuration of the Council, it operates in a similar way and but is composed of the national leaders (heads of government or state) and has its own President,^[32] currently Donald Tusk. The body's purpose is to define the general "impetus" of the Union.^[33] The European Council deals with the major issues such as the appointment of the President of the European Commission who takes part in the body's meetings.^[34]

Ecofin's Eurozone component, the Euro group, is also a formal group with its own President.^[27] Its European Council counterpart is the Euro summit formalized in 2011^[35] and the TSCG.

Following the entry into force of a framework agreement between the EU and ESA there is a Space Council configuration—a joint and concomitant meeting of the EU Council and of the ESA Council at ministerial level dealing with the implementation of the ESP adopted by both organisations.^[36][37]

Administration

Pre-2014 emblem of the Council of the European Union

The General Secretariat of the Council provides the continuous infrastructure of the Council, carrying out preparation for meetings, draft reports, translation, records, documents, agendas and assisting the presidency.^[38] The Secretary General of the Council is head of the Secretariat. The Secretariat is divided into seven directorates-general, each administered by a director-general.

The Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) is a body composed of representatives from the states (ambassadors, civil servants etc.) who meet each week to prepare the work and tasks of the Council. It monitors and co-ordinates work and deals with the Parliament on co-decision legislation.^[39] It is divided into two groups of the representatives (Coreper II) and their deputies (Coreper I). Agriculture is dealt with separately by the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA). The numerous working groups submit their reports to the Council through Coreper or SCA.^[25]

Voting system

The Treaty of Lisbon mandates a change in voting system from 1 November 2014 for most cases to double majority Qualified Majority Voting, replacing the voting weights system. Decisions made by the council have to be taken by 55% of member states representing at least 65% of the EU's population.^[4]

State	Governing parties	EU party	Population	Cabinet
Germany	Christian Democratic Union of Germany Social Democratic Party of Germany Christian Social Union in Bavaria e. V.	EPP PES EPP	7007810893310000000♠81,089,331	Merkel III
France	Socialist Party Radical Party of the Left Ecologist Party	PES None None	7007663524690000000♠66,352,469	Valls II
United Kingdom	Conservative Party	AECR	7007647671150000000♠64,767,115	May
Italy	Democratic Party New Centre-Right Union of the Centre	PES EPP EPP	7007614384800000000♠61,438,480	Renzi
Spain	People's Party	EPP	7007464398640000000♠46,439,864	Rajoy II
Poland	Law and Justice United Poland Poland Together United Right	AECR MELD None	7007380056140000000♠38,005,614	Szydło
Romania	None		7007198614080000000♠19,861,408	Ciolos
Netherlands	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy Labour Party	ALDE Party PES	7007171551690000000♠17,155,169	Rutte II
Belgium	Reformist Movement New Flemish Alliance Christian Democratic and Flemish Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats	ALDE Party EFA EPP ALDE Party	7007112584340000000♠11,258,434	Michel
Greece	Coalition of the Radical Left Independent Greeks	European Left None	7007108469790000000♠10,846,979	Tsipras II
Czech Republic	Czech Social Democratic Party ANO 2011 Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party	PES ALDE Party EPP	7007104197430000000♠10,419,743	Sobotka
Portugal	Socialist Party	PES	7007103748220000000♠10,374,822	Costa
Hungary	Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Alliance Christian Democratic People's Party	EPP EPP	7006985557100000000♠9,855,571	Orbán III
Sweden	Social Democratic Workers' Party of Sweden Environment Party – the Greens	PES EGP	7006979000000000000♠9,790,000	Löfven
Austria	Social Democratic Party of Austria Austrian People's Party	PES EPP	7006858150000000000♠8,581,500	Kern
Bulgaria	GERB Union of Democratic Forces Bulgaria for Citizens Movement	EPP EPP EPP	7006720219800000000♠7,202,198	Borisov II
Denmark	Left, Denmark's Liberal Party Liberal Alliance Conservative People's Party	ALDE Party None EPP	7006565335700000000♠5,653,357	Løkke Rasmussen III
Finland	Finnish Centre Party Finns Party National Coalition Party	ALDE Party AECR EPP	7006547175300000000♠5,471,753	Sipilä
Slovakia	Direction – Social Democracy Bridge	PES EPP	7006540313400000000♠5,403,134	Fico III
Ireland	Fine Gael	EPP	7006462588500000000♠4,625,885	Kenny II
Croatia	Croatian Democratic Union Bridge of Independent Lists	EPP None	7006422531600000000♠4,225,316	Plenković
Lithuania	Social Democratic Party of Lithuania Labour Party Order and Justice	PES ALDE Party ADDE	7006292126200000000♠2,921,262	Butkevičius
Slovenia	Party of Modern Center Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia Social Democrats	ALDE Party None PES	7006206287400000000♠2,062,874	Cerar
Latvia	Unity National Alliance "All For Latvia!" – "For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK" Latvian Green Party Centre Party Latvian Farmers' Union For Latvia and Ventspils Liepāja Party	EPP AECR EGP None None None	7006198609600000000♠1,986,096	Kučinskis
Estonia	Estonian Centre Party Social Democratic Party Pro Patria and Res Publica Union	ALDE Party PES EPP	7006131327100000000♠1,313,271	Ratas
Cyprus	Democratic Rally	EPP	7005847008000000000♠847,008	Anastasiades
Luxembourg	Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party Democratic Party The Greens	PES ALDE Party EGP	7005562958000000000♠562,958	Bettel
Malta	Labour Party	PES	7005429344000000000♠429,344	Muscat

Almost all members of the Council are members of a political party at national level, and most of these are members of a European-level political party. However the Council is composed to represent the EU's states rather than political parties^[3] and the nature of coalition governments in a number of states means that individual configurations would vary on which domestic party was assigned the portfolio. However the broad ideological alignment of each state does have a bearing on the nature of the law the Council produces and the extent to which the link between domestic parties puts pressure on the members in the European Parliament to vote a certain way.

The dominant Europarty is the one holding the member state’s seat in the European Council.

Additional Europarties are the ones which also sit in (some configurations of) the Council of the European Union.

Location

By a decision of the European Council at Edinburgh in December 1992, the Council has its seat in Brussels but in April, June, and October, it holds its meetings in Luxembourg.^[40] Between 1952 and 1967 the ECSC Council held its Luxembourg meetings in the Cercle Municipal on Place d’Armes. Its secretariat moved on numerous occasions but between 1955 and 1967 it was housed in the Verlorenkost district of the city. In 1957 with the creation of two new Communities with their own Councils, discretion on location was given to the current President. In practice this was to be in the Château of Val-Duchesse until the autumn of 1958, at which point it moved to 2 Rue Ravensteinstraat in Brussels.^[41]

The 1965 agreement (finalised by the Edinburgh agreement and annexed to the treaties) on the location of the newly merged institutions, the Council was to be in Brussels but would meet in Luxembourg during April, June, and October. The ECSC secretariat moved from Luxembourg to the merged body Council secretariat in the Ravenstein building of Brussels. In 1971 the Council and its secretariat moved into the Charlemagne building, next to the Commission's Berlaymont, but the Council rapidly ran out of space and administrative branch of the Secretariat moved to a building at 76 Rue Joseph II/Jozef II-straat and during the 1980s the language divisions moved out into the Nerviens, Frère Orban, and Guimard buildings.^[41]

In 1995 the Council moved once more, into the Justus Lipsius building, across the road from Charlemagne. However, its staff was still increasing, so it continued to rent the Frère Orban building to house the Finnish and Swedish language divisions. Staff continued to increase and the Council rented, in addition to owning Justus Lipsius, the Kortenberg, Froissart, Espace Rolin, and Woluwe Heights buildings. Since acquiring the Lex building, the three aforementioned buildings are not used by the Council services any more as of 2008. Résidence Palace^[41] has been acquired and is currently being renovated; it will house the new press centre of the European Council, which uses the same facilities as the Council.^[42]

When the Council is meeting in Luxembourg, it meets in the Kirchberg Conference Centre^[41] and its offices are based at the European Centre on the plateau du Kirchberg.^[25] The Council has also met occasionally in Strasbourg, in various other cities, and also outside the Union: for example in 1974 when it met in Tokyo and Washington while trade and energy talks were taking place. Under the Council's present rules of procedures the Council can, in extraordinary circumstances, hold one of its meetings outside Brussels and Luxembourg.^[41]

Within the Council's debates, delegates may speak in any of the 24 official EU languages. Official documents are also translated into Catalan/Valencian, Basque, and Galician.^[43] Prior to the Lisbon Treaty, only minutes and voting records were made available when the Council is acting as a legislator (published in the Official Journal of the European Union).^[25] Since then all meetings where the Council is legislating are open to public viewing.^[4]

See also

• Comparisons with other institutions
• Bundesrat of Germany

References

External links

• Official Council website – Europa
  • About the Council
  • Council configurations
  • Live broadcast
  • PRADO – The Council of the European Union Public Register of Authentic Travel and ID Documents Online
• Council of the European Union – European NAvigator
• Archival material concerning the Council of the European Union can be consulted at the Historical Archives of the European Union in Florence

Council of the European Union
Operation	Presidency (current trio: Netherlands Slovakia Malta) Voting
Configurations	Agriculture and Fisheries Council Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Eurogroup) Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council Environment Council Competitiveness Council Foreign Affairs Council General Affairs Council Justice and Home Affairs Council Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council
Administration	General Secretariat Secretary-General COREPER SCA Directorates-general
Buildings	Justus Lipsius Lex Résidence Palace
European Union Portal