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The negotiating authority granted by EU member state ambassadors (Committee of Permanent Representatives) to the rotating Council Presidency for trilogue negotiations on EU legislation.
COREPER is the gatekeeper between member state positions and the trilogue room. Without an updated mandate, a Council Presidency cannot offer concessions or compromise on positions previously agreed by member states. When a trilogue stalls because the Presidency's mandate leaves no flexibility on a contested provision, an updated COREPER mandate is required before negotiations can resume - a procedural step that often delays final agreement by weeks.
Real world example:
When an EU AI Act trilogue stalls on a contested point - for example, the boundary between Annex I Section A and Section B - the Council Presidency typically has to seek an updated COREPER mandate before the next round can be scheduled, often delaying agreement by several weeks.
