| 4th European Political Community Summit | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Host country | United Kingdom |
| Date | 18 July 2024 |
| Venue(s) | Blenheim Palace |
| Cities | Woodstock |
| Chair | Prime Minister of the United Kingdom |
| Follows | 3rd |
| Precedes | 5th |
| Website | www.consilium.europa |
The Fourth European Political Community Summit is a planned meeting of the European Political Community to be held on 18 July 2024 at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, United Kingdom.
Following a bilateral summit meeting between the leaders of the United Kingdom and France on 10 March 2023, it was stated in the joint declaration that the EPC should focus on energy, infrastructures, connectivity, cybersecurity, countering disinformation and migration. [1] [2]
On the eve of the second EPC summit which was held on 1 June 2023, British prime minister Rishi Sunak issued a statement saying "Stopping migration and securing our borders should be at the top of the agenda for European leaders." [3] Sunak had also caused controversy at the previous summit in Granada by demanding that the pre-arranged agenda be scrapped with the sole focus of the summit shifting to immigration. [4]
When announcing the date of the summit, the UK prime minister Rishi Sunak added that it would focus on supporting Ukraine during the ongoing Russian invasion, tackling people smuggling and reducing immigration. [5]
The United Kingdom was announced as the host of the fourth EPC summit in October 2022. [6]
King Charles III mentioned the UK's hosting the EPC summit as part of his speech during the 2023 State Opening of Parliament. [7]
Preparations for the summit were discussed by the upper house of the UK Parliament on 12 December 2023. Tariq Ahmed, a minister in the UK foreign office stated that the UK views the EPC as an "important platform for co-ordination on European issues" adding that energy security, immigration and the Russian invasion of Ukraine would feature on the agenda. [8]
The summit was initially expected to take place in March or April, however by January 2024, several European diplomats believe the UK government's refusal to rule out a snap general election this spring lies behind "delays" to an upcoming meeting. [9] The UK Government has stated that it will announce a date "in due course". [10] On 14 March 2024, UK media reported that the summit is now planned to take place in July. This caused frustration among some of the Nordic countries who would already be on their summer holidays. Sunak aims for the summit to focus on immigration. [11] On 19 March 2024, the UK Government finally announced that the summit would take place on 18 July, and will be held at Blenheim Palace. [5]
In a letter from British foreign minister David Cameron, the UK government pledged to work with European partners to promote coherence across this and future EPC summits. [12] On 25 March 2024, British ambassador to Hungary, Paul Fox, met with Hungarian Europe minister, Bóka János, promising to promote coherence across EPC summits; Hungary is scheduled to host the following summit in November 2024. [13] UK prime minister Rishi Sunak discussed plans and preparations for the summit with French president Emmanuel Macron in a phone call on 8 April 2024, where he stated that defending Ukraine, progressing cooperation on artificial intelligence and joint efforts to tackle illegal immigration and organized crime would be part of its agenda. [14]
The summit is scheduled to take place on 18 July 2024 at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock. [5]
The summit is expected to be attended by the heads of state or government of the states participating in the European Political Community along with the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Parliament. The British government stated that "around 50" leaders would attend the UK EPC event. [15] Rishi Sunak invited NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to the UK's EPC summit during a meeting in Warsaw, on 23 April 2024. [16]
| Non-EU member |
| Entity | Represented by | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | North Atlantic Treaty Organization | Jens Stoltenberg | Secretary General |
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