Which characteristic describes the Council of the EU?

The Council of the EU, also known as the Council of Ministers, plays a crucial role in the legislative process of the European Union. It is indeed one of the main decision-making bodies of the EU, sharing responsibilities with the European Parliament. This body is where national ministers from each EU country gather to discuss, amend, and adopt laws, and to coordinate policies across member states.

The Council's decision-making power is exercised through various configurations, depending on the topic at hand, such as foreign affairs or agriculture. This characteristic highlights its importance in shaping EU policies and regulations, as it directly influences legislative proposals and has the authority to approve or reject them.

The other choices point to different aspects of the EU's functioning but do not accurately describe the primary role of the Council of the EU. For instance, while it does coordinate government policies within the EU, as stated in one of the other options, that is more of a secondary function rather than its primary identity as a central decision-making body.