The Council of Europe is not to be confused with the Council of the European Union or the European Council , as it is a separate organization and not part of the European Union . As mentioned in the introduction , it is important to realize that the Council of Europe is not to be mistaken with the Council of the European Union ( the `` Council of Ministers '' ) or the European Council . These belong to the European Union , which is separate from the Council of Europe , although they have shared the same European flag and anthem since the 1980s because they also work for European integration .