EU dusts off forgotten body for Brexit big time

Background
(taken from the Council of the European Union website)

The General Affairs Council coordinates preparations for European Council meetings. It is also responsible for a number of cross-cutting policy areas.

How does the General Affairs Council work?
The General Affairs Council is mainly made up of the European affairs ministers from all EU member states. The European Commission is usually represented by the Commissioner for interinstitutional relations, depending on the matter discussed.

GAC meetings are held once a month.

About the General Affairs Council
The General Affairs Council is responsible for ensuring consistency in the work of all Council configurations. It prepares and follows up on meetings of the European Council (the meeting of heads of state or government of the EU member states).

It is responsible for a number of cross-cutting policy areas, which include EU enlargement and accession negotiations, the adoption of the multiannual financial framework (the EU's 7 year budget plan), cohesion policy, matters relating to the EU's institutional set-up and any dossier entrusted to it by the European Council.

Dealing with the Brexit negotiations was a new responsibility assigned to the GAC in 2017.

Feature says that the General Affairs Council (GAC) of the Council of the European Union would play a significant part in the Brexit negotiations. Meeting in a EU27 format national ministers would take detailed decisions as the negotiations for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union proceeded.

The GAC working in this format began its work on the 22 May 2017 as it adopted:
+ a decision authorising the opening of Brexit negotiations with the UK and nominating the European Commission as the EU negotiator
+ adopted negotiating directives for the Brexit negotiations

Council of the European Union: Configurations > General Affairs Council configuration (GAC) http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/council-eu/configurations/gac/

Deutsche Welle, 22.05.17: EU sets out Brexit mandate for chief negotiator Barnier http://p.dw.com/p/2dLaU

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