European Council

Last updated

European Council
Formation
  • 1961;63 years ago (1961)(informal)
  • 2009;15 years ago (2009)(formal)
Type Institution of the European Union
Location
Official language
24 languages
2 main official languages
  • English
  • French
Charles Michel
Website consilium.europa.eu

The European Council is where EU leaders meet to set EU's political agenda, but they do not pass laws. [1] [2]

Contents

Established as an informal summit in 1975, the European Council was formalised as an institution in 2009 upon the commencement of the Treaty of Lisbon. Its current president is Charles Michel, former Prime Minister of Belgium.

It is composed of the heads of state or government of the EU member states, the President of the European Council, and the President of the European Commission. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy also takes part in its meetings. [3]

The European Council is part of the executive branch of the European Union (EU), beside the European Commission.

Scope

While the European Council has no legislative power, it is a strategic (and crisis-solving) body that provides the union with general political directions and priorities, and acts as a collective presidency. The European Commission remains the sole initiator of legislation, but the European Council provides a guide to legislative policy. [4] [5]

The meetings of the European Council, still commonly referred to as EU summits, are chaired by its president and take place at least twice every six months; [3] usually in the Europa building in Brussels. [6] [7] Decisions of the European Council are taken by consensus, except where the Treaties provide otherwise. [8]

History

The European Council officially gained the status of an EU institution after the Treaty of Lisbon in 2007, distinct from the Council of the European Union (Council of Ministers). Before that, the first summits of EU heads of state or government were held in February and July 1961 (in Paris and Bonn respectively). They were informal summits of the leaders of the European Community, and were started due to then-French President Charles de Gaulle's resentment at the domination of supranational institutions (notably the European Commission) over the integration process, but petered out. The first influential summit held, after the departure of de Gaulle, was the Hague summit of 1969, which reached an agreement on the admittance of the United Kingdom into the Community and initiated foreign policy cooperation (the European Political Cooperation) taking integration beyond economics. [3] [9]

A traditional group photo, here taken at the royal palace in Brussels during Belgium's 1987 presidency of the Council of the European Union Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F075760-0010, Brussel, Sitzung des Europarates.jpg
A traditional group photo, here taken at the royal palace in Brussels during Belgium's 1987 presidency of the Council of the European Union

The summits were only formalised in the period between 1974 and 1988. At the December summit in Paris in 1974, following a proposal from then-French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, it was agreed that more high level, political input was needed following the "empty chair crisis" and economic problems. [10] The inaugural European Council, as it became known, was held in Dublin on 10 and 11 March 1975 during Ireland's first Presidency of the Council of Ministers. In 1987, it was included in the treaties for the first time (the Single European Act) and had a defined role for the first time in the Maastricht Treaty. At first only a minimum of two meetings per year were required, which resulted in an average of three meetings per year being held for the 1975–1995 period. Since 1996, the number of meetings were required to be minimum four per year. For the latest 2008–2014 period, this minimum was well exceeded, by an average of seven meetings being held per year. The seat of the Council was formalised in 2002, basing it in Brussels. Three types of European Councils exist: Informal, Scheduled and Extraordinary. While the informal meetings are also scheduled 1½ years in advance, they differ from the scheduled ordinary meetings by not ending with official Council conclusions, as they instead end by more broad political Statements on some cherry picked policy matters. The extraordinary meetings always end with official Council conclusions—but differs from the scheduled meetings by not being scheduled more than a year in advance, as for example in 2001 when the European Council gathered to lead the European Union's response to the 11 September attacks. [3] [9]

Some meetings of the European Council—and, before the European Council was formalised, meetings of the heads of government—are seen by some as turning points in the history of the European Union. For example: [3]

Press conference with European Commissioner Jacques Delors and Dutch ministers Wim Kok, Hans van den Broek and Ruud Lubbers, after the European Council of 9-10 December 1991 in Maastricht, which led to the Maastricht Treaty (1992) 1991, persconferentie Eurotop, MECC Maastricht.jpg
Press conference with European Commissioner Jacques Delors and Dutch ministers Wim Kok, Hans van den Broek and Ruud Lubbers, after the European Council of 9–10 December 1991 in Maastricht, which led to the Maastricht Treaty (1992)

As such, the European Council had already existed before it gained the status as an institution of the European Union with the entering into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, but even after it had been mentioned in the treaties (since the Single European Act) it could only take political decisions, not formal legal acts. However, when necessary, the Heads of State or Government could also meet as the Council of Ministers and take formal decisions in that role. Sometimes, this was even compulsory, e.g. Article 214(2) of the Treaty establishing the European Community provided (before it was amended by the Treaty of Lisbon) that ‘the Council, meeting in the composition of Heads of State or Government and acting by a qualified majority, shall nominate the person it intends to appoint as President of the Commission’ (emphasis added); the same rule applied in some monetary policy provisions introduced by the Maastricht Treaty (e.g. Article 109j TEC). In that case, what was politically part of a European Council meeting was legally a meeting of the Council of Ministers. When the European Council, already introduced into the treaties by the Single European Act, became an institution by virtue of the Treaty of Lisbon, this was no longer necessary, and the "Council [of the European Union] meeting in the composition of the Heads of State or Government", was replaced in these instances by the European Council now taking formal legally binding decisions in these cases (Article 15 of the Treaty on European Union). [12]

The Treaty of Lisbon made the European Council a formal institution distinct from the (ordinary) Council of the EU, and created the present longer term and full-time presidency. As an outgrowth of the Council of the EU, the European Council had previously followed the same Presidency, rotating between each member state. While the Council of the EU retains that system, the European Council established, with no change in powers, a system of appointing an individual (without them being a national leader) for a two-and-a-half-year term—which can be renewed for the same person only once. [13] Following the ratification of the treaty in December 2009, the European Council elected the then-Prime Minister of Belgium Herman Van Rompuy as its first permanent president (resigning from Belgian Prime Minister). [14]

Powers and functions

The European Council is an official institution of the EU, described in the Lisbon Treaty as a body which "shall provide the Union with the necessary impetus for its development". Essentially it defines the EU's policy agenda and has thus been considered to be the motor of European integration. [3] Beyond the need to provide "impetus", the council has developed further roles: to "settle issues outstanding from discussions at a lower level", to lead in foreign policy — acting externally as a "collective Head of State", "formal ratification of important documents" and "involvement in the negotiation of the treaty changes". [6] [9]

Since the institution is composed of national leaders, it gathers the executive power of the member states and has thus a great influence in high-profile policy areas as for example foreign policy. It also exercises powers of appointment, such as appointment of its own President, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and the President of the European Central Bank. It proposes, to the European Parliament, a candidate for President of the European Commission. Moreover, the European Council influences police and justice planning, the composition of the commission, matters relating to the organisation of the rotating Council presidency, the suspension of membership rights, and changing the voting systems through the Passerelle Clause. Although the European Council has no direct legislative power, under the "emergency brake" procedure, a state outvoted in the Council of Ministers may refer contentious legislation to the European Council. However, the state may still be outvoted in the European Council. [13] [15] [16] Hence with powers over the supranational executive of the EU, in addition to its other powers, the European Council has been described by some as the Union's "supreme political authority". [6] [9] [13] [17]

Composition

The European Council consists of the heads of state or government of the member states, alongside its own President and the Commission President (both non-voting). The meetings used to be regularly attended by the national foreign minister as well, and the Commission President likewise accompanied by another member of the commission. However, since the Treaty of Lisbon, this has been discontinued, as the size of the body had become somewhat large following successive accessions of new Member States to the Union. [3] [6] Meetings can also include other invitees, such as the President of the European Central Bank, as required. The Secretary-General of the Council attends, and is responsible for organisational matters, including minutes. The President of the European Parliament also attends to give an opening speech outlining the European Parliament's position before talks begin. [3] [6]

Additionally, the negotiations involve a large number of other people working behind the scenes. Most of those people, however, are not allowed to the conference room, except for two delegates per state to relay messages. At the push of a button members can also call for advice from a Permanent Representative via the "Antici Group" in an adjacent room. The group is composed of diplomats and assistants who convey information and requests. Interpreters are also required for meetings as members are permitted to speak in their own languages. [3]

As the composition is not precisely defined, some states which have a considerable division of executive power can find it difficult to decide who should attend the meetings. While an MEP, Alexander Stubb argued that there was no need for the President of Finland to attend Council meetings with or instead of the Prime Minister of Finland (who was head of European foreign policy). [18] In 2008, having become Finnish Foreign Minister, Stubb was forced out of the Finnish delegation to the emergency council meeting on the Georgian crisis because the President wanted to attend the high-profile summit as well as the Prime Minister (only two people from each country could attend the meetings).[ citation needed ] This was despite Stubb being Chair-in-Office of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe at the time which was heavily involved in the crisis. Problems also occurred in Poland where the President of Poland and the Prime Minister of Poland were of different parties and had a different foreign policy response to the crisis. [19] A similar situation arose in Romania between President Traian Băsescu and Prime Minister Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu in 2007–2008 and again in 2012 with Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who both opposed the president.[ citation needed ]

Eurozone summits

A number of ad hoc meetings of heads of state or government of the member states of the euro area were held in 2010 and 2011 to discuss the Sovereign Debt crisis. It was agreed in October 2011 that they should meet regularly twice a year (with extra meetings if needed). This will normally be at the end of a European Council meeting and according to the same format (chaired by the President of the European Council and including the President of the Commission), but usually restricted to the (currently 20) heads of state or government of the member states of the eurozone.[ citation needed ]

President

The President of the European Council is elected by the European Council by a qualified majority for a once-renewable term of two and a half years. [20] The President must report to the European Parliament after each European Council meeting. [6] [17] The post was created by the Treaty of Lisbon and was subject to a debate over its exact role. Prior to Lisbon, the Presidency rotated in accordance with the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. [6] [17] The role of that President-in-Office was in no sense (other than protocol) equivalent to an office of a head of state, merely a primus inter pares (first among equals) role among other European heads of government. The President-in-Office was primarily responsible for preparing and chairing the Council meetings, and had no executive powers other than the task of representing the Union externally. Now the leader of the Council Presidency country can still act as president when the permanent president is absent.[ citation needed ]

Members

StateMemberStateMemberStateMember
Flag of Europe.svg

European Union
(non-voting)

Member since
1 December 2019 [lower-alpha 1]
Charles Michel 2019 (cropped).jpg
President of the
European Council

Charles Michel
(RenewMR)
Flag of Europe.svg

European Union
(non-voting)

Member since
1 December 2019
Official Portrait of Ursula von der Leyen (cropped).jpg
President of the
European Commission

Ursula von der Leyen
(EPPCDU)
Flag of Austria.svg

Republic of Austria

Member since
6 December 2021
2020 Karl Nehammer Ministerrat am 8.1.2020 (49351366976) (cropped) (cropped).jpg
Chancellor
Karl Nehammer
(EPPÖVP)
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg

Kingdom of Belgium

Member since
1 October 2020
Alexander De Croo (2022-04-28) (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Alexander De Croo
(RenewOpen Vld)
Flag of Bulgaria.svg

Republic of Bulgaria

Member since
6 June 2023
Nikolai Denkov full portrait 2021.jpg
Prime Minister
Nikolai Denkov
(RenewPP)
Flag of Croatia.svg

Republic of Croatia

Member since
19 October 2016
Andrej Plenkovic 2023.jpg
Prime Minister
Andrej Plenković
(EPPHDZ)
Flag of Cyprus.svg

Republic of Cyprus

Member since
28 February 2023
President Christodoulides (cropped).jpg
President
Nikos Christodoulides
(Independent)
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg

Czech Republic

Member since
17 December 2021
Petr Fiala (51940875566).jpg
Prime Minister
Petr Fiala
(ECRODS)
Flag of Denmark.svg

Denmark

Member since
27 June 2019
Paaministeri Marin Koopenhaminassa 4.5.2022 (52049397038) (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Mette Frederiksen
(S&DS)
Flag of Estonia.svg

Republic of Estonia

Member since
26 January 2021
Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas 2023.jpg
Prime Minister
Kaja Kallas
(RenewER)
Flag of Finland.svg

Republic of Finland

Member since
20 June 2023
Petteri-Orpo-O45A3040 (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Petteri Orpo
(EPPKok.)
Flag of France.svg

French Republic

Member since
14 May 2017
Macron Michel 2023 (cropped).jpg
President
Emmanuel Macron
(RenewRE)
Flag of Germany.svg

Federal Republic of Germany

Member since
8 December 2021
Olaf Scholz in 2023 (cropped).jpg
Chancellor
Olaf Scholz
(S&DSPD)
Flag of Greece.svg

Hellenic Republic

Member since
26 June 2023 [lower-alpha 2]
Kyriakos Mitsotakis (2021-12-08) 03 (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Kyriakos Mitsotakis
(EPPND)
Flag of Hungary.svg

Hungary

Member since
29 May 2010
Orban Viktor 2022 (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Viktor Orbán
(Una.Fidesz)
Flag of Ireland.svg

Ireland

Member since
17 December 2022 [lower-alpha 3]
Leo Varadkar, December 2022 (cropped).jpg
Taoiseach
Leo Varadkar
(EPPFG)
Flag of Italy.svg

Italian Republic

Member since
22 October 2022
Giorgia Meloni Official 2023 crop.jpg
Prime Minister
Giorgia Meloni
(ECRFdI)
Flag of Latvia.svg

Republic of Latvia

Member since
15 September 2023
Evika Silina (Cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Evika Siliņa
(EPPV)
Flag of Lithuania.svg

Republic of Lithuania

Member since
12 July 2019
Gitanas Nauseda 2023.jpg
President
Gitanas Nausėda
(Independent)
Flag of Luxembourg.svg

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Member since
17 November 2023
Luc Frieden EUCO 12 2023 (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Luc Frieden
(EPPCSV)
Flag of Malta.svg

Republic of Malta

Member since
13 January 2020
Robert Abela - Official Portrait 2022 (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Robert Abela
(S&DPL)
Flag of the Netherlands.svg

Netherlands

Member since
14 October 2010
Mark Rutte, 23.03.23 (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Mark Rutte
(RenewVVD)
Flag of Poland.svg

Republic of Poland

Member since
13 December 2023 [lower-alpha 4]
Donald Tusk Wlodzimierz Czarzasty Robert Biedron (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Donald Tusk
(EPPPO)
Flag of Portugal.svg

Portuguese Republic

Member since
26 November 2015
Antonio Costa- 2017 - Web Summit - 24778904437 (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
António Costa
(S&DPS)
Flag of Romania.svg

Romania

Member since
21 December 2014
EPP Athens, 2-3 December, 2022 (52539790143) (cropped).jpg
President
Klaus Iohannis
(EPPPNL) [lower-alpha 5]
Flag of Slovakia.svg

Slovak Republic

Member since
25 October 2023 [lower-alpha 6]
Robert Fico, 2023.jpg
Prime Minister
Robert Fico
(Una.Smer–SD)
Flag of Slovenia.svg

Republic of Slovenia

Member since
1 June 2022
Novinarska konferenca ob 1. obletnici vlade - Robert Golob (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Robert Golob
(RenewGS)
Flag of Spain.svg

Kingdom of Spain

Member since
2 June 2018
Pedro Sanchez in 2023.jpg
Prime Minister
Pedro Sánchez
(S&DPSOE)
Flag of Sweden.svg

Kingdom of Sweden

Member since
18 October 2022
Swedish Prime Minister outlines priorities to make EU greener, safer and freer - 52635393553 (cropped).jpg
Prime Minister
Ulf Kristersson
(EPPM)
Notes
  1. Michel had already been a member of the Council from October 2014 to October 2019 as Prime Minister of Belgium.
  2. Mitsotakis had already been Prime Minister, and therefore a member of the Council, from July 2019 to May 2023.
  3. Varadkar had already been Taoiseach, and therefore a member of the Council, from June 2017 to June 2020.
  4. Tusk had already been a member of the Council from November 2007 to September 2014 as Prime Minister, and from December 2014 to November 2019 as its President.
  5. Membership in PNL is formally suspended while in office.
  6. Fico had already been Prime Minister, and therefore a member of the Council, from July 2006 to July 2010 and from April 2012 to March 2018.

Political alliances

European political affiliation of the current members of the European Council Current membership of the European Council.svg
European political affiliation of the current members of the European Council

Almost all members of the European Council are members of a political party at national level, and most of these are also members of a political party at European level or other alliances such as Renew Europe. These frequently hold pre-meetings of their European Council members, prior to its meetings. However, the European Council is composed to represent the EU's states rather than political alliances and decisions are generally made on these lines, though ideological alignment can colour their political agreements and their choice of appointments (such as their president).[ citation needed ]

The charts below outline the number of leaders affiliated to each alliance and their total voting weight. The map indicates the alignment of each individual country.

Number of members [21]
EPP
10 (37.0%)
Renew
6 (22.2%)
S&D
5 (18.5%)
ECR
2 ( 7.4%)
Una.
2 ( 7.4%)
Ind.
2 ( 7.4%)
Share of population
S&D
0 (32.9%)
Renew
23.9%)
EPP
23.3%)
ECR
15.7%)
Una.
3.4%)
Ind.
0.8%)

Members timeline

Boris JohnsonTheresa MayDavid CameronGordon BrownTony BlairJohn MajorMargaret ThatcherJames CallaghanHarold WilsonUlf KristerssonMagdalena AnderssonStefan LöfvenFredrik ReinfeldtGöran PerssonIngvar CarlssonPedro SánchezMariano RajoyJosé Luis Rodríguez ZapateroJosé María AznarFelipe GonzálezRobert GolobJanez JanšaMarjan ŠarecMiro CerarAlenka BratušekJanez JanšaBorut PahorJanez JanšaAnton RopRobert FicoĽudovít ÓdorEduard HegerIgor MatovičPeter PellegriniRobert FicoIveta RadičováRobert FicoMikuláš DzurindaKlaus IohannisTraian BăsescuAntónio CostaPedro Passos CoelhoJosé SócratesPedro Santana LopesJosé Manuel BarrosoAntónio GuterresAníbal Cavaco SilvaDonald TuskMateusz MorawieckiBeata SzydłoEwa KopaczDonald TuskJarosław KaczyńskiKazimierz MarcinkiewiczMarek BelkaLeszek MillerMark RutteJan Peter BalkenendeWim KokRuud LubbersDries van AgtJoop den UylRobert AbelaJoseph MuscatLawrence GonziLuc FriedenXavier BettelJean-Claude JunckerJacques Louis SanterPierre WernerGaston Egmond ThornGitanas NausėdaDalia GrybauskaitėValdas AdamkusArtūras PaulauskasEvika SiliņaKrišjānis KariņšMāris KučinskisLaimdota StraujumaValdis DombrovskisIvars GodmanisAigars KalvītisIndulis EmsisGiorgia MeloniMario DraghiGiuseppe ContePaolo GentiloniMatteo RenziEnrico LettaMario MontiSilvio BerlusconiRomano ProdiSilvio BerlusconiGiuliano AmatoMassimo D'AlemaRomano ProdiLamberto DiniSilvio BerlusconiCarlo Azeglio CiampiGiuliano AmatoGiulio AndreottiCiriaco De MitaGiovanni GoriaAmintore FanfaniBettino CraxiAmintore FanfaniGiovanni SpadoliniArnaldo ForlaniFrancesco CossigaGiulio AndreottiAldo MoroLeo VaradkarMicheál MartinLeo VaradkarEnda KennyBrian CowenBertie AhernJohn BrutonAlbert ReynoldsCharles HaugheyGarret FitzGeraldCharles HaugheyGarret FitzGeraldCharles HaugheyJack LynchLiam CosgraveViktor OrbánGordon BajnaiFerenc GyurcsányPéter MedgyessyKyriakos MitsotakisIoannis SarmasKyriakos MitsotakisAlexis TsiprasVassiliki Thanou-ChristophilouAlexis TsiprasAntonis SamarasPanagiotis PikrammenosLucas PapademosGeorge PapandreouKostas KaramanlisKonstantinos SimitisAndreas PapandreouKonstantinos MitsotakisXenophon ZolotasIoannis GrivasTzannis TzannetakisAndreas PapandreouGeorgios RallisOlaf ScholzAngela MerkelGerhard SchröderHelmut KohlHelmut SchmidtEmmanuel MacronFrançois HollandeNicolas SarkozyJacques ChiracFrançois MitterrandValéry Giscard d'EstaingPetteri OrpoSanna MarinAntti RinneJuha SipiläAlexander StubbJyrki KatainenMari KiviniemiMatti VanhaneniAnneli JäätteenmäkiPaavo LipponenEsko AhoKaja KallasJüri RatasTaavi RõivasAndrus AnsipJuhan PartsMette FrederiksenLars Løkke RasmussenHelle Thorning-SchmidtLars Løkke RasmussenAnders Fogh RasmussenPoul Nyrup RasmussenPoul SchlüterAnker JørgensenPetr FialaAndrej BabišBohuslav SobotkaJiří RusnokPetr NečasJan Fischer (politician)Mirek TopolánekJiří ParoubekStanislav GrossVladimír ŠpidlaNikos ChristodoulidesNicos AnastasiadesDemetris ChristofiasTassos PapadopoulosAndrej PlenkovićTihomir OreškovićZoran MilanovićNikolai DenkovRumen RadevKiril PetkovRumen RadevBoyko BorisovOgnyan GerdzhikovBoyko BorisovGeorgi BliznashkiPlamen OresharskiMarin RaykovBoyko BorisovSergei StanishevAlexander De CrooSophie WilmèsCharles MichelElio Di RupoYves LetermeHerman Van RompuyYves LetermeGuy VerhofstadtJean-Luc DehaeneWilfried MartensMark EyskensWilfried MartensPaul Vanden BoeynantsLeo TindemansKarl NehammerAlexander SchallenbergSebastian KurzBrigitte BierleinSebastian KurzChristian KernWerner FaymannAlfred GusenbauerWolfgang SchüsselViktor KlimaFranz VranitzkyUrsula von der LeyenJean-Claude JunckerJosé Manuel BarrosoRomano ProdiManuel MarínJacques SanterJacques DelorsGaston ThornRoy JenkinsFrançois-Xavier OrtoliCharles MichelDonald TuskHerman Van RompuyUnited KingdomSwedenSpainSloveniaSlovakiaRomaniaPortugalPolandNetherlandsMaltaLuxembourgLithuaniaLatviaItalyIrelandHungaryGreeceGermanyFranceFinlandEstoniaDenmarkCzech RepublicCyprusCroatiaBulgariaBelgiumAustriaPresident of the European CommissionPresident of the European CouncilEuropean Council

Seat and meetings

The European Council is required by Article 15.3 TEU to meet at least twice every six months, but convenes more frequently in practice. [22] [23] Despite efforts to contain business, meetings typically last for at least two days, and run long into the night. [23]

Until 2002, the venue for European Council summits was the member state that held the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union. However, European leaders agreed during ratification of the Nice Treaty to forego this arrangement at such a time as the total membership of the European Union surpassed 18 member states. [24] An advanced implementation of this agreement occurred in 2002, with certain states agreeing to waive their right to host meetings, favouring Brussels as the location. [25] Following the growth of the EU to 25 member states, with the 2004 enlargement, all subsequent official summits of the European Council have been in Brussels, with the exception of punctuated ad hoc meetings, such as the 2017 informal European Council in Malta. [26] The logistical, environmental, financial and security arrangements of hosting large summits are usually cited as the primary factors in the decision by EU leaders to move towards a permanent seat for the European Council. [9] Additionally, some scholars argue that the move, when coupled with the formalisation of the European Council in the Lisbon Treaty, represents an institutionalisation of an ad hoc EU organ that had its origins in Luxembourg compromise, with national leaders reasserting their dominance as the EU's "supreme political authority". [9]

Originally, both the European Council and the Council of the European Union utilised the Justus Lipsius building as their Brussels venue. In order to make room for additional meeting space a number of renovations were made, including the conversion of an underground carpark into additional press briefing rooms. [27] However, in 2004 leaders decided the logistical problems created by the outdated facilities warranted the construction of a new purpose built seat able to cope with the nearly 6,000 meetings, working groups, and summits per year. [7] This resulted in the Europa building, which opened its doors in 2017. The focal point of the new building, the distinctive multi-storey "lantern-shaped" structure in which the main meeting room is located, is utilised in both the European Council's and Council of the European Union's official logos. [28]

Role in security and defence

The EU command and control (C2) structure is directed by political bodies composed of member states' representatives, and generally requires unanimous decisions. As of April 2019: [29]

Liaison:       Advice and recommendations       Support and monitoring       Preparatory work     
Political strategic level: [5]
ISS EUCO Pres. (EUCO) Chain of command
Coordination/support
SatCen CIVCOM HR/VP (FAC)
INTCEN HR/VP (PMG) HR/VP (PSC) [6] Coat of arms of Europe.svg Coat of arms of the European Union Military Committee.svg
Golden star.svg Golden star.svg Golden star.svg Golden star.svg
CEUMC (EUMC)
CMPD Coat of arms of the European Union Military Staff.svg
Golden star.svg Golden star.svg Golden star.svg
DGEUMS [3] (EUMS)
Military/civilian strategic level:
Coat of arms of the European Union Military Staff.svg
Golden star.svg Golden star.svg Golden star.svg
Dir MPCC [3] ( MPCC )
JSCC Civ OpCdr CPCC [1]
Operational level:
MFCdr [4] (MFHQ)HoM [1]
Tactical level:
CC [2] LandCC [2] AirCC [2] MarOther CCs [2]
ForcesForcesForcesForces


1 In the event of a CSDP Civilian Mission also being in the field, the relations with the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) and its Civilian Operation Commander (Civ OpCdr), as well as the subordinate Head of Mission (HoM), are coordinated as shown.
2 Other Component Commanders (CCs) and service branches which may be established.
3 The MPCC is part of the EUMS and Dir MPCC is double-hatted as DGEUMS. Unless the MPCC is used as Operation Headquarters (OHQ), either a national OHQ offered by member states or the NATO Command Structure (NCS) would serve this purpose. In the latter instance, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR), rather than Dir MPCC, would serve as Operation Commander (OpCdr).
4 Unless the MPCC is used as Operation Headquarters (OHQ), the MFCdr would be known as a Force Commander (FCdr), and direct a Force Headquarters (FHQ) rather than a MFHQ. Whereas the MFHQ would act both on the operational and tactical level, the FHQ would act purely on the operational level.
5 The political strategic level is not part of the C2 structure per se, but represents the political bodies, with associated support facilities, that determine the missions' general direction. The Council determines the role of the High Representative (HR/VP), who serves as Vice-President of the European Commission, attends European Council meetings, chairs the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) and may chair the Political and Security Committee (PSC) in times of crisis. The HR/VP proposes and implements CSDP decisions.
6 Same composition as Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) II, which also prepares for the CSDP-related work of the FAC.

See also

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The European Commission (EC) is part of the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission headed by a President. It includes an administrative body of about 32,000 European civil servants. The commission is divided into departments known as Directorates-General (DGs) that can be likened to departments or ministries each headed by a Director-General who is responsible to a Commissioner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of the European Commission</span> Head of the EU executive branch

The president of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union (EU). The president of the Commission leads a cabinet of Commissioners, referred to as the College. The president is empowered to allocate portfolios among, reshuffle, or dismiss Commissioners as necessary. The College directs the commission's civil service, sets the policy agenda and determines the legislative proposals it produces. The commission is the only body that can propose or draft bills to become EU laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common Foreign and Security Policy</span> Organised, agreed foreign policy of the European Union

The Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) is the organised, agreed foreign policy of the European Union (EU) for mainly security and defence diplomacy and actions. CFSP deals only with a specific part of the EU's external relations, which domains include mainly Trade and Commercial Policy and other areas such as funding to third countries, etc. Decisions require unanimity among member states in the Council of the European Union, but once agreed, certain aspects can be further decided by qualified majority voting. Foreign policy is chaired and represented by the EU's High Representative, currently Josep Borrell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of the European Council</span> Presidency of the council of EU heads of state or government

The president of the European Council is the person presiding over and driving forward the work of the European Council on the world stage. This institution comprises the college of heads of state or government of EU member states as well as the president of the European Commission, and provides political direction to the European Union (EU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Institutions of the European Union</span> Decision-making bodies of the European Union

The institutions of the European Union are the seven principal decision-making bodies of the European Union and the Euratom. They are, as listed in Article 13 of the Treaty on European Union:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Union Military Staff</span> Directorate-general of the EUs External Action Service

The Military Staff of the European Union (EUMS) is the directorate-general of the European Union's (EU) External Action Service (EEAS) that contributes to the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) by providing strategic advice to the High Representative (HR/VP) and commanding operations through its Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) operational headquarters. From the end of 2020, the MPCC will be capable of running executive operations of up to 2,500 troops, i.e. the size of one EU battle group, as well as 3 non-executive missions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of the European Union</span> Nonexistent title

The official title President of the European Union does not exist, but there are a number of presidents of European Union institutions, including:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign Affairs Council</span> Configuration of the Council of the European Union

The Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) is a configuration of the Council of the European Union that convenes once a month. Meetings bring together the foreign ministers of the member states. Ministers responsible for European affairs, defence, development or trade also participate depending on the items on agenda. The configuration is unique in that is chaired by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR/VP) rather than the member state holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union. There is one exception, when the FAC meets in the configuration of ministers responsible for trade (FAC/Trade), with the presiding member state's minister chairing the meeting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Union Military Committee</span> EU body composed of member states Chiefs of Defence

The Military Committee of the European Union (EUMC) is the body of the European Union's (EU) Common Security and Defence Policy that is composed of member states' Chiefs of Defence (CHOD). These national CHODs are regularly represented in the EUMC in Brussels by their permanent Military Representatives (MilRep), who often are two- or three-star flag officers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union</span> EU service organization

The General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union (GSC), also known as Council Secretariat, assists the Council of the European Union, the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the European Council and the President of the European Council. The General Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union. The Secretariat is divided into seven directorates-general, each administered by a director-general.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treaty of Lisbon</span> 2007 treaty amending the constitutional basis of the European Union

The Treaty of Lisbon is an international agreement that amends the two treaties which form the constitutional basis of the European Union (EU). The Treaty of Lisbon, which was signed by all EU member states on 13 December 2007, entered into force on 1 December 2009. It amends the Maastricht Treaty (1992), known in updated form as the Treaty on European Union (2007) or TEU, as well as the Treaty of Rome (1957), known in updated form as the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (2007) or TFEU. It also amends the attached treaty protocols as well as the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Signing of the Treaty of Lisbon</span>

The signing of the Treaty of Lisbon took place in Lisbon, Portugal, on 13 December 2007. The Government of Portugal, by virtue of holding Presidency of the Council of the European Union at the time, arranged a ceremony inside the 15th-century Jerónimos Monastery, the same place Portugal's treaty of accession to the European Union (EU) had been signed in 1985. Representatives from the 27 EU member states were present, and signed the Treaty as plenipotentiaries, marking the end of negotiations that began in 2001. In addition, for the first time an EU treaty was also signed by the presidents of the three main EU institutions. After the main ceremony, the heads of state and government took a ride on a decorated Lisbon tram together, symbolising the brotherhood of European countries on the path of European integration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euro summit</span>

The Euro summit is the meeting of the heads of state or government of the member states of the eurozone. It is distinct from the EU summit held regularly by the European Council, the meeting of all EU leaders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria João Rodrigues</span> Portuguese academic and politician

Maria João RodriguesGOIH is a Portuguese academic and politician who served as Member of the European Parliament. She was Vice-President of the Group of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) from 2014 until 2019, and since 2017 she is also President of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), succeeding Italian politician Massimo d'Alema.

Events in the year 1993 in the European Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chairman of the European Union Military Committee</span> Four-star rank officer presiding over the EU Military Committee

The chairman of the European Union Military Committee (CEUMC) is the four-star rank officer representing and presiding over the European Union's (EU) Military Committee (EUMC), composed of the chiefs of defence (CHODs) of the EU member states. The chairman is selected by the chiefs of defence of the member states and appointed by the members of the Council of the European Union for a three-year term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Common Security and Defence Policy</span> Aspect in of history

This article outlines the history of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) of the European Union (EU), a part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Structure of the Common Security and Defence Policy</span> European Union military structure

This article outlines the present structure of the European Union's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), a part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) based on articles 42–46 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). Article 42.2 of TEU states that the CSDP includes the 'progressive framing' of a common Union defence policy, and will lead to a common defence, when the European Council of national heads of state or government, acting unanimously, so decides.

References

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Further reading