Competences

The Council of Ministers, in accordance with par. 1 of Article 1 of Law No. 4622/2019 (Government Gazette A’133)

(a) determines and directs the general policy of the country in accordance with the definitions of the Constitution and the laws;

(b) decides on political issues of general importance;

(c) decides on any matter referred to it by the Prime Minister in substitution for the competence of collective governmental bodies or one or more Ministers;

(d) approves the annual government policy planning and monitors its implementation;

(e) exercises any other competence provided for by the Constitution and laws.

Composition

The Council of Ministers consists of the Prime Minister, the Vice-Presidents of the Government and the Ministers, including the Ministers of State and Alternate Ministers. Deputy Ministers are not members of the Council of Ministers, but the Prime Minister may invite them to participate in it, without the right to vote.

Meetings

The Council of Ministers meets once a month (regular meeting) following a written or electronic invitation by the Prime Minister or his/her deputy, which is sent to the members of the Government together with the agenda and the venue of the meeting, no later than two (2) days before the meeting. The regular meetings in the months of April and September are designated as the Meetings for the Planning and Evaluation of Government Work. The Council of Ministers meet in extraordinary session, when necessary, upon written or electronic or oral invitation by the Prime Minister, which shall include, at his/her discretion, the date, time and place of the meeting. Along with the invitation the topics to be discussed are announced. The presence of Ministers at meetings is compulsory. A Minister who cannot attend a meeting for an important reason shall inform the Secretary of the Council of Ministers in time. The Prime Minister may invite any person he/she deems appropriate to the meetings of the Council of Ministers for the purposes of the meeting and the briefing of the members of the Council of Ministers. Invited persons leave the meeting when the Prime Minister considers that their contribution to the meeting has been completed, and in any case, before the final phase of the discussion leading to the decision. Meetings shall be attended by necessary staff responsible for the minutes drafting and recording of discussions unless the Prime Minister considers that the matters to be discussed are strictly confidential.

Acts and Decrees

Acts of Legislative Content (P.N.P.), Presidential Decrees issued on the proposal of the Council of Ministers and Acts of the Council of Ministers (P.Y.S.) are introduced for discussion at a regular meeting of the Council of Ministers and are signed by the majority required by law, as determined by the Rules of Procedure of the Council of Ministers and Collective Government Bodies. Any dissenting votes or reservations by members of the Council of Ministers shall be recorded in the minutes. The originals of the aforementioned acts and decrees shall bear the names of the members of the Government, who shall sign next to their names.

In matters that are of an urgent nature for which, at the discretion of the Prime Minister, the immediate adoption of a decision is necessary, the immediate issuance of an Act of Legislative Content or a Council of Ministers Act, or the immediate co-signing of a decree, the procedures shall be carried out by rotation with the participation of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the Government and shall be announced by the Prime Minister at the first regular meeting of the Council of Ministers, after their signing.

The aforementioned acts and decrees, the publication of which is required by law, are published in the Government Gazette on the responsibility of the Secretary of the Council of Ministers, who sends to the National Printing House for publication an exact copy of the texts with the names of the Government members who sign them.

Decrees of a regulatory or individual nature issued on the proposal of the Council of Ministers are published in the Government Gazette under the responsibility of the Minister responsible for their publication and execution, to whom the originals of the decrees are sent.