B-point, see A-points and B-points
A-points and B-points
A B-point on the agenda is a point for discussion and may be for decision at meetings in the Commission or the Council. An A-point is not for discussion. When the meeting is closed all A-points are automatically decided.
COREPER can agree decisions informally and then put them for formal decision at a Council meeting - as an A-point. Thus ministers of industry can take decisions on cultural matters and vice-versa.
An important decision on a topic can therefore be decided as an A-point by ministers with no knowledge of the topic at all.
Agendas for Coreper meetings have a similar division between points for automatic decision and points for discussion. These are not called A and B points, but are called I and II where only points under II are down for discussion.
