With regard to decisions adopted within the Council, "unanimity" denotes the requirement that all the Member States voting must be in agreement, without any abstention by another Member State being able to block such unanimity. The Council generally acts unanimously in matters concerning the common foreign and security policy ("second pillar") and the policy concerning police and judicial cooperation ("third pillar"), but is also does so with regard to tax provisions and culture ("first pillar").

See:

Community method and intergovernmental method
Council of the European Union
Pillars of the European Union
Qualified majority

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