Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters
(2003–2009)
Common Foreign and Security Policy pillar
(1993–2009)
Western European Union
(1954–2011)
Western Union
(1948–1954)
Treaties
Treaty of Paris
1951
Treaty of Rome
1957
Merger Treaty
1965
Single European Act
1986
Maastricht Treaty
1992
Treaty of Amsterdam
1997
Treaty of Nice
2001
Treaty of Lisbon
2007
Commissions
Hallstein Commission
1958
Rey Commission
1967
Malfatti Commission
1970
Mansholt Commission
1972
Ortoli Commission
1973
Jenkins Commission
1977
Thorn Commission
1981
Delors Commission
1985
Santer Commission
1994
Prodi Commission
1999
Barroso Commission
2004
Juncker Commission
2014
Von der Leyen Commission
2019
Topics
History of Europe
History of the euro
History of defence integration
History of enlargement
List of presidents
List of founders
European Union portal
v
t
e
This is a list of meetings of the European Council (informally referred to as EU summits); the meetings of the European Council, an institution of the European Union (EU) comprising heads of state or government of EU member states. They started in 1975 as tri-annual meetings. The number of meetings grew to minimum four per year between 1996 and 2007, and minimum six per year since 2008. From 2008 to 2019, an average of seven council meetings per year took place. A record number of meetings (13) were held during 2020 - although mostly as informal video conferences; as the meeting frequency and format was changed this specific year by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2021, an average of eight council meetings per year took place (see list below).
Since 2008, an annual average of two special Euro summits were also organized in addition – and often in parallel – to the EU summits. As the agenda of Euro summits is restricted solely to discuss issues for the eurozone and only invite political leaders of the eurozone member states, such meetings are not counted as European Councils. Neither are any of the Tripartite Social Summits, that were held bi-annually since May 2021 between the EU Council presidency, Council President, Commission President and the European social partners at top management level (BusinessEurope, European Trade Union Confederation, SGI Europe, SMEunited and CEC European Managers).
The current practice is that meetings are always called and organized to the extent found needed by the European Council president. The upcoming ordinary meetings are scheduled by the end of each semester, by the issuance of a call letter. In 2011-2020 meetings were scheduled and called for the third following semester (minimum one year in advance),[1] but this changed to minimum 6 months in advance for 2021-2023,[2] and since 2024 they are now only issued in the first month of the specific semester in concern.[3] The ordinary mettings can take form either as "scheduled ordinary meetings" (resulting in a published document entitled "conclusions") or "informal ordinary meetings" (resulting in a published document entitled "statement"). A called scheduled/informal ordinary upcoming meeting might occasionally be moved or cancelled within a short notice, with such change then being notified by the Council president through the issue of a revised calendar plan for the ordinary meetings within the semester in concern. If extra meetings are called outside the procedure of notification by an issued call letter for the upcoming semester in concern (meaning after the semester has started), they are referred to as being "extraordinary meetings". The phrase "special meeting" is synonymously used for an "extraordinary meeting".
Extraordinary meetings can - just like the ordinary meetings - be held either in a formal or informal format. The list does not specify whether or not an extraordinary meeting was formal or informal, but this can be indirectly observed when checking the title of the published document summarizing the outcome of the meeting, as "conclusions" can only be published if the extraordinary meeting had a formal format.
the European Union. The EuropeanCouncil is part of the executive of the European Union (EU), beside the European Commission. It is composed of the heads...
the Councilof Ministers, is the third of the seven Institutions of the European Union (EU) as listed in the Treaty on European Union. It is one of two...
incorrectly referred to as the "president of the European Union". The presidency's function is to chair meetingsof the council, determine its agendas, set a work...
The president of the EuropeanCouncil is the person presiding over and driving forward the work of the EuropeanCouncil on the world stage. This institution...
The EuropeanCouncil (informally EUCO) is a collegiate body that defines the overall political direction and priorities of the European Union. Established...
Treaty on European Union: the European Parliament, the EuropeanCouncil (of heads of state or government), the Councilof the European Union (of state ministers...
because the EU has adopted the original European flag, designed for the CouncilofEurope in 1955, as well as the European anthem. No country has ever joined...
European Councilof the respective member state currently occupying the Presidency of the Councilof the EU chairing meetingsof the EuropeanCouncil. However...
delivers an annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament. In July 2019, the EuropeanCouncil nominated Ursula von der Leyen to succeed Jean-Claude...
comprised 54 countries at the time of the 14 February 2023 meeting. As of November 2023[update] reports ofmeetings usually state "more than 50" or "about...
The European Athletic Association (more commonly known as European Athletics) is the governing body for athletics in Europe. It is one of the six Area...
The Group of Western European and Other States, also known as the Western European and Other States Group or WEOG, is one of the five United Nations regional...
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Councilof the...
influence the decision-making process of the EuropeanCouncil through coordination meetings with their affiliated heads of state and government. They also work...
Rompuy for President of the EuropeanCouncil. Meetings are organized by a steering committee with two members from each of approximately 18 nations. Official...
The CouncilofEurope was founded on 5 May 1949 by ten western and northern European states, with Greece joining three months later, and Iceland, Turkey...
The Committee of Ministers of the CouncilofEurope (French: Comité des ministres du Conseil de l'Europe) or Committee of Ministers (French: Comité des...
the Council reached a preliminary agreement, which would increase the size of the European Parliament to 720 seats. On 13 September 2023, the European Parliament...
The Parliamentary Assembly of the CouncilofEurope (PACE) is the parliamentary arm of the CouncilofEurope, a 46-nation international organisation dedicated...
open and closed meetings are formal meetingsof the Security Council. Closed meetings are not open to the public and no verbatim record of statements is...
President of the EuropeanCouncil and the President of the European Commission are sometimes wrongly termed the President of the European Union. Most...
is the seat of the EuropeanCouncil and Councilof the European Union, located on the Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat in the European Quarter of Brussels, Belgium...
Union European Fiscal Compact European sovereign debt crisis Euro Group ListofEuropeanCouncilmeetings "History of the Euro Summit". EuropeanCouncil. Archived...
Asia-Pacific Group: 2 members Eastern European Group: 1 member Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC): 2 members Western European and Others Group (WEOG): 2...
Global Information
European Union portal