The similarity of the names of certain bodies can give rise to a certain amount of confusion. Even some journalists occasionally confuse the following 3 institutions.
The European Council
This official institution of the EU is composed of Heads of State or Government (Presidents or Prime Ministers) from all the Member States of the European Union, its permanent President (Herman Van Rompuy) and the President of the European Commission (José Manuel Barroso). The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (Catherine Ashton) takes part in its work. The European Council defines the general policy orientations of the EU.
The Council
This official institution of the EU is composed of government ministers of all its Member States. For example, the Environment Council brings together the environment ministers of the 27 Member States. The Council of the EU has 10 configurations, each of which deals with well-defined areas (General Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Justice & Home Affairs, Economic and Financial Affairs, Competitiveness, Agriculture, Transport, Telecommunications and Energy, etc.) The Council of the European Union shares the power to adopt European legislative acts with the Parliament.
The Council of Europe
This intergovernmental organisation founded in 1949 is not an EU institution. It has 47 member countries, including the 27 of the EU. Its objectives are to defend human rights, promote cultural diversity in Europe and combat discrimination and intolerance. The European Court of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights come under the Council of Europe.