TheForeign Affairs Council (FAC) is a configuration of theCouncil of the European Union that convenes once a month.^[1] Meetings bring together the foreign ministers of the member states. Ministers responsible for European affairs, defence, development, or trade also participate depending on the items on the agenda. The configuration is unique in that it is chaired by theHigh Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR/VP) rather than the member state holding thepresidency of the Council of the European Union. One exception is when the FAC meets in the configuration of ministers responsible for trade (FAC/Trade), with the presiding member state's minister chairing the meeting.

At its sessions, the FAC deals with the EU's external action, includingCommon Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP),Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), foreign trade, and development cooperation. In recent years, in cooperation with theEuropean Commission, the FAC has prioritized ensuring coherence in the EU's external action across the range of instruments at the EU's disposal.

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The Foreign Affairs Council gathers different representatives at ministerial level depending on the agenda of a certain Council meeting. Normally the foreign ministers of each country, or their representatives participate, such as permanent representatives, state secretaries etc. In other cases, defence ministers, trade ministers or development ministers participate.^[2][3][4][5]

The FAC was created in 2009 by theTreaty of Lisbon by splitting it from the "General Affairs and External Relations Council," with the other part becoming theGeneral Affairs Council. The General and Foreign Councils are the only two mentioned in theEU treaties.

TheEU command and control (C2) structure is directed by political bodies composed ofmember states' representatives, and generally requires unanimous decisions. As of April 2019:^[6]

Liaison:       Advice and recommendations       Support and monitoring       Preparatory work     

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Political strategic level:[5]

ISS

EUCO Pres. (EUCO)

Chain of command

Coordination/support

SatCen

CIVCOM

HR/VP (FAC)

INTCEN

HR/VP (PMG)

HR/VP (PSC)[6]

CEUMC (EUMC)

CMPD

DGEUMS[3] (EUMS)

Military/civilian strategic level:

Dir MPCC[3] (MPCC)

JSCC

Civ OpCdrCPCC[1]

Operational level:

MFCdr[4] (MFHQ)

HoM[1]

Tactical level:

CC[2]Air CC[2] Land CC[2] Mar Other CCs[2] European Armed Forces[7][8]

¹ In the event of a CSDP Civilian Mission also being in the field, the relations with theCivilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) and its Civilian Operation Commander (Civ OpCdr), as well as the subordinate Head of Mission (HoM), are coordinated as shown.

² Other Component Commanders (CCs) andservice branches which may be established.

³ The MPCC is part of the EUMS and Dir MPCC is double-hatted as DGEUMS. Unless the MPCC is used as Operation Headquarters (OHQ), either a national OHQ offered by member states or theNATO Command Structure (NCS) would serve this purpose. In the latter instance,Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR), rather than Dir MPCC, would serve as Operation Commander (OpCdr).

⁴ Unless the MPCC is used as Operation Headquarters (OHQ), the MFCdr would be known as a Force Commander (FCdr), and direct a Force Headquarters (FHQ) rather than a MFHQ. Whereas the MFHQ would act both on the operational and tactical level, the FHQ would act purely on the operational level.

⁵ The political strategic level is not part of the C2 structure per se, but represents the political bodies, with associated support facilities, that determine the missions' general direction. TheCouncil determines the role of theHigh Representative (HR/VP), who serves asVice-President of theEuropean Commission, attendsEuropean Council meetings, chairs theForeign Affairs Council (FAC) and may chair thePolitical and Security Committee (PSC) in times of crisis. The HR/VP proposes and implements CSDP decisions.

⁶ Same composition asCommittee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) II, which also prepares for the CSDP-related work of the FAC.

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