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commissioner always attends the EU Council meetings, although without
a voting right. Indeed, such a presence can qualify as a supranational
component in an institution of a national character.

The High Representative of the EU Common Foreign and Security
75
Policy (HR/CFSP) is yet another interesting supranational element
within the Council of the European Union. The HR/CFSP presides over
the EU Foreign Affairs Council and coordinates EU policies in the fields
of foreign affairs and security. At the same time, the HR is a vice-
76
president of the European Commission , thus bringing an important
“supranational” component to the “national” institution. In addition,
HR activities are well-monitored by another structure of a national
character such as the European Council – a council of the heads of
states and governments of the EU member states.

The Council of the EU is a format of sectorial ministers of EU
member states while the European Council is a meeting of the heads of
states and governments. These two structures are often confused with
the “Council of Europe” – an international organization of 47 members,
including Georgia, which works for strengthening democracy, human
rights and the rule of law in Europe. Hence, the “European Parliament”
and the “Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe” are two
different institutions since the first one is an EU institution and the
second one represents the legislative branch of the Council of Europe.

75 Euro-lex; Glossary of summaries; High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs
and Security Policy
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/summary/glossary/high_representative_cfsp.html
76 Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission
https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/82767/josep-borrell-
high-representative-european-union-foreign-affairs-and-security-policy-vice_en