Since June 2002 these three policies have been placed under the sole responsibility of a single Council configuration which meets approximately every two months.
The composition of the Council varies according to the items on the agenda (Ministers for Transport, Telecommunications or Energy).
The EU's objective in the field of transport, telecommunications and energy is to establish modern and efficient systems that are viable in economic, social and environmental terms. The harmonious and sustainable development of infrastructures is crucial to the smooth functioning of the internal market and to the Union's economic and social cohesion.
To achieve this, the Council has, since the nineties, contributed to the introduction of trans‑European transport, energy and telecommunications networks. These networks respond to the overall objective of economic and social cohesion, which is of particular importance for the coming years in view of enlargement and the need to connect the large trans-European networks to the projects under way in the new countries of the Union.
The Council has also adopted the European GPS known as GALILEO, the European satellite navigation system which is designed for civilian purposes, is open to international cooperation and will be exploited commercially.
