The Council (Agriculture and Fisheries) consists of the Member States’ ministers of fisheries and agriculture and they congregate about once a month. The agricultural and fisheries policies relate to the regulation of markets and determination of avail-able resources. Sustainable development of fisheries and rural areas, challenges regarding climate change, environmental concerns, animal welfare and food safety are main issues.

Foreign Affairs Council sets the course for the EU's external action and ensures coherence of the EU’s different efforts in the area. The Council deals with issues concerning the common foreign and security policy, the security and defence cooperation, trade and development policy and the Member States are represented by different ministers depending on what is on the agenda. The Council is chaired by the permanent EU high representative Catherine Ashton, and it meets app. once a month.

An existing literature agrees that drug innovation has a significant average effect on extending longevity and improving quality of life. Recognizing the life-saving benefits from the development of new drugs, one of the key decisions faced by the authorities is how to bolster pharmaceutical innovation, and how to bear in mind the potential effects on drug innovation of policies that affect market size, such as policies towards intellectual property rights, procurement mechanisms and competition policy.