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 2015, an average of seven 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.
The first seven summit meetings were held between 1961 and 1974, but this was before the formal establishment of the European Council. Some sources however consider them to be the informal seven first meetings of the European Council.[1]
# | Year | Date | Type | EU Council presidency | President-in-Office | Commission President | Host city | Notes |
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1 | 1975 | 10–11 March | ― | ![]() |
Liam Cosgrave | François-Xavier Ortoli | Dublin | [1] Inaugural formal Council |
2 | 16–17 July | ― | ![]() |
Aldo Moro | Brussels | [2] | ||
3 | 1–2 December | ― | Rome | [3] Established TREVI | ||||
4 | 1976 | 1–2 April | ― | ![]() |
Gaston Thorn | Luxembourg | ||
5 | 12–13 July | ― | ![]() |
Joop den Uyl | Brussels | [5] | ||
6 | 29–30 November | ― | The Hague | [6] | ||||
7 | 1977 | 25–27 March | ― | ![]() |
James Callaghan | Roy Jenkins | Rome | [7] |
8 | 29–30 June | ― | London | [8] | ||||
9 | 5–6 December | ― | ![]() |
Leo Tindemans | Brussels | [9] | ||
10 | 1978 | 7–8 April | ― | ![]() |
Anker Jørgensen | Copenhagen | [10] | |
11 | 6–7 July | ― | ![]() |
Helmut Schmidt | Bremen | [11] | ||
12 | 4–5 December | ― | Brussels | [12] | ||||
13 | 1979 | 12–13 March | ― | ![]() |
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing | Paris | [13] | |
14 | 21–22 June | ― | Strasbourg | [14] | ||||
15 | 29–30 November | ― | ![]() |
Jack Lynch | Dublin | [15] | ||
16 | 1980 | 17–18 April | ― | ![]() |
Francesco Cossiga | Luxembourg | [16] | |
17 | 12–13 June | ― | Venice | [17] | ||||
18 | 1–2 December | ― | ![]() |
Pierre Werner | Luxembourg | [18] | ||
19 | 1981 | 23–24 March | ― | ![]() |
Dries van Agt | Gaston Thorn | Maastricht | [19] |
20 | 29–30 June | ― | Luxembourg | [20] | ||||
21 | 26–27 November | ― | ![]() |
Margaret Thatcher | London | [21] | ||
22 | 1982 | 29–30 March | ― | ![]() |
Wilfried Martens | Brussels | [22] | |
23 | 28–29 June | ― | Brussels | [23] | ||||
24 | 3–4 December | ― | ![]() |
Poul Schlüter | Copenhagen | [24] | ||
25 | 1983 | 21–22 March | ― | ![]() |
Helmut Kohl | Brussels | [25] | |
26 | 17–19 June | ― | Stuttgart | [26] | ||||
27 | 4–6 December | ― | ![]() |
Andreas Papandreou | Athens | [27] | ||
28 | 1984 | 19–20 March | ― | ![]() |
François Mitterrand | Brussels | [28][29] | |
29 | 25–26 June | ― | Fontainebleau | [30] British rebate agreed | ||||
30 | 3–4 December | ― | ![]() |
Garret FitzGerald | Dublin | [31] | ||
31 | 1985 | 29–30 March | ― | ![]() |
Bettino Craxi | Jacques Delors | Brussels | [32] Initiated the IGC leading to the Single European Act |
32 | 28–29 June | ― | Milan | [33] | ||||
33 | 2–3 December | ― | ![]() |
Jacques Santer | Luxembourg | [34] | ||
34 | 1986 | 26–27 June | ― | ![]() |
Ruud Lubbers | The Hague | [35] | |
35 | 5–6 December | ― | ![]() |
Margaret Thatcher | London | [36] | ||
36 | 1987 | 29–30 June | ― | ![]() |
Wilfried Martens | Brussels | [37] | |
37 | 4–5 December | ― | ![]() |
Poul Schlüter | Copenhagen | [38] | ||
38 | 1988 | 11–13 February | ― | ![]() |
Helmut Kohl | Brussels | [39] | |
39 | 27–28 June | ― | Hanover | [40] | ||||
40 | 2–3 December | ― | ![]() |
Andreas Papandreou | Rhodes | [41] | ||
41 | 1989 | 26–27 June | ― | ![]() |
Felipe González | Madrid | [42] | |
42 | 18 November | Informal | ![]() |
François Mitterrand | Paris | [43] | ||
43 | 8–9 December | ― | Strasbourg | [44][45] European Council endorses German reunification despite some Anglo-French opposition. |
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44 | 1990 | 28 April | Extraordinary | ![]() |
Charles Haughey | Dublin | [46] | |
45 | 25–26 June | ― | Dublin | [47] | ||||
46 | 27–28 October | ― | ![]() |
Giulio Andreotti | Rome | [48] | ||
47 | 14–15 December | ― | Rome | [49] | ||||
48 | 1991 | 8 April | Informal | ![]() |
Jacques Santer | Luxembourg | [50] | |
49 | 28–29 June | ― | Luxembourg | [51] | ||||
50 | 9–10 December | ― | ![]() |
Ruud Lubbers | Maastricht | [52] Signing of the Treaty of Maastricht | ||
51 | 1992 | 27 June | ― | ![]() |
Aníbal Cavaco Silva | Lisbon | [53] | |
52 | 16 October | ― | ![]() |
John Major | Birmingham | [54] | ||
53 | 11–12 December | ― | Edinburgh | [55] | ||||
54 | 1993 | 21–22 June | ― | ![]() |
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen | Copenhagen | [56] Copenhagen criteria agreed | |
55 | 29 October | ― | ![]() |
Jean-Luc Dehaene | Brussels | [57] | ||
56 | 10–11 December | ― | Brussels | [58] | ||||
57 | 1994 | 24–25 June | ― | ![]() |
Andreas Papandreou | Corfu | [59] Signing of the Accession Treaty of Austria, Finland, Sweden and Norway (Norway did not ratify) |
|
58 | 15 July | ― | ![]() |
Helmut Kohl | Brussels | |||
59 | 9–10 December | ― | Essen | [60] | ||||
60 | 1995 | 26–27 June | ― | ![]() |
Jacques Chirac | Jacques Santer | Cannes | [61] |
61 | 22–23 October | Extraordinary | ![]() |
Felipe González | Majorca | |||
62 | 15–16 December | ― | Madrid | [62] | ||||
63 | 1996 | 29–30 March | ― | ![]() |
Lamberto Dini | Turin | ||
64 | 21–22 June | ― | Romano Prodi | Florence | ||||
65 | 5 October | Extraordinary | ![]() |
John Bruton | Dublin | |||
66 | 13–14 December | ― | Dublin | |||||
67 | 1997 | 23 May | Informal | ![]() |
Wim Kok | Noordwijk | ||
68 | 16–17 June | ― | Amsterdam | Signed Treaty of Amsterdam | ||||
69 | 20–21 November | Extraordinary | ![]() |
Jean-Claude Juncker | Luxembourg | Special council on Employment | ||
70 | 12–13 December | ― | Luxembourg | |||||
71 | 1998 | 3 May | ― | ![]() |
Tony Blair | Brussels | Special Council on the Euro decides the 11 states which would enter the third stage of EMU |
|
72 | 15–16 June | ― | Cardiff | |||||
73 | 24–25 October | Informal | ![]() |
Viktor Klima | Pörtschach | |||
74 | 11–12 December | ― | Vienna | |||||
75 | 1999 | 26 February | Informal | ![]() |
Gerhard Schröder | Königswinter | ||
76 | 25–26 March | ― | Manuel Marin (Interim) | Berlin | ||||
77 | 14 April | Informal | Brussels | |||||
78 | 3–4 June | ― | Cologne | Details below table | ||||
79 | 15–16 October | ― | ![]() |
Paavo Lipponen | Romano Prodi | Tampere | Agreement on institutional reform | |
80 | 10–11 December | ― | Helsinki | |||||
81 | 2000 | 23–24 March | ― | ![]() |
António Guterres | Lisbon | Agreed Lisbon Strategy | |
82 | 19–20 June | ― | Santa Maria da Feira | Agreement to allow entry of Greece to the Eurozone | ||||
83 | 13–14 October | Informal | ![]() |
Jacques Chirac | Biarritz | |||
84 | 7–9 December | ― | Nice | Signed Treaty of Nice | ||||
85 | 2001 | 23–24 March | ― | ![]() |
Göran Persson | Stockholm | ||
86, EU Summit 2001 | 15–16 June | ― | Gothenburg | Enlargement, sustainable development, economic growth and structural reform, in addition to an EU-US summit |
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87 | 21 September | Informal | ![]() |
Guy Verhofstadt | Brussels | Emergency council – Terrorism | ||
88 | 19 October | Informal | Ghent | |||||
89 | 14–15 December | ― | Laeken | Details below table | ||||
90 | 2002 | 15–16 March | ― | ![]() |
José María Aznar López | Barcelona | ||
91 | 21–22 June | ― | Seville | Decided to reorganise the Council formations to achieve greater focus and efficiency |
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92 | 24–25 October | ― | ![]() |
Anders Fogh Rasmussen | Brussels | |||
93 | 12–13 December | ― | Copenhagen | |||||
94 | 2003 | 17 February | Extraordinary | ![]() |
Costas Simitis | Brussels | Iraq crisis - Presidency conclusions | |
95 | 20–21 March | ― | Brussels | Presidency conclusions | ||||
96 | 16–17 April | Informal | Athens | Signing of the Treaty of Accession 2003,[2] Declaration on Iraq European Convention |
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97 | 20 June | ― | Thessaloniki | Presidency conclusions of the June 2003 meeting | ||||
98 | 4 October | Extraordinary | ![]() |
Silvio Berlusconi | Rome | Beginning of IGC on EU Constitution | ||
99 | 16–17 October | ― | Brussels | Presidency conclusions of the October 2003 meeting | ||||
100 | 12–13 December | ― | Brussels | Presidency conclusions of the December 2003 meeting | ||||
101 | 2004 | 25–26 March | ― | ![]() |
Bertie Ahern | Brussels | Declaration on combating terrorism Presidency conclusions of the March 2004 meeting |
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102 | 17–18 June | ― | Brussels | Presidency conclusions of the June 2004 meeting | ||||
103 | 4–5 November | ― | ![]() |
Jan Peter Balkenende | Brussels | Presidency conclusions of the November 2004 meeting | ||
104 | 16–17 December | ― | José Manuel Barroso | Brussels | Presidency conclusions of the December 2004 meeting | |||
105 | 2005 | 22–23 March | ― | ![]() |
Jean-Claude Juncker | Brussels | Presidency conclusions of the March 2005 meeting | |
106 | 16–17 June | ― | Brussels | Declaration on the ratification of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe Presidency conclusions of the June 2005 meeting |
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107 | 27 October | Informal | ![]() |
Tony Blair | Hampton Court | Globalisation | ||
108 | 15–16 December | ― | Brussels | Presidency conclusions of the December 2005 meeting | ||||
109 | 2006 | 23–24 March | ― | ![]() |
Wolfgang Schüssel | Brussels | Presidency conclusions of the March 2006 meeting | |
110 | 15–16 June | ― | Brussels | Agreement to allow entry of Slovenia to the Eurozone Presidency conclusions of the June 2006 meeting |
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111 | 20 October | Informal | ![]() |
Matti Vanhanen | Lahti | Meeting with Vladimir Putin held in Sibelius Hall | ||
112 | 14–15 December | ― | Brussels | Presidency conclusions of the December 2006 meeting | ||||
113 | 2007 | 8–9 March | ― | ![]() |
Angela Merkel | Brussels | Presidency conclusions of the March 2007 meeting | |
114 | 21–22 June | ― | Brussels | Agreement on basis for the Treaty of Lisbon Agreement to allow entry of Malta and Cyprus to the Eurozone Presidency conclusions of the June 2007 meeting |
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115 | 18–19 October | Informal | ![]() |
José Sócrates | Lisbon | Agreement reached on the Reform Treaty Discussed climate change and the US economic crisis.[3] |
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116 | 14 December | ― | Brussels | Signature of Reform Treaty in Lisbon on 13/12 European Council in Brussels the next day Presidency conclusions of the December 2007 meeting |
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117 | 2008 | 13–14 March | ― | ![]() |
Janez Janša | Brussels | Agreed timeframe and principles of energy/climate change policy Presidency conclusions of the March 2008 meeting |
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118 | 19–20 June | ― | Brussels | Presidency conclusions of the June 2008 meeting | ||||
119 | 13–14 July | Extraordinary | ![]() |
Nicolas Sarkozy | Paris | Barcelona process for the Mediterranean | ||
120 | 1 September | Extraordinary | Brussels | Extraordinary summit on EU-Russia relations (Georgia crisis)[4] Presidency conclusions of the September 2008 meeting |
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― | 12 October | Euro summit | Paris | Eurozone summit conclusions of October 2008 meeting | ||||
121 | 15–16 October | ― | Brussels | Presidency conclusions of the October 2008 meeting | ||||
122 | 7 November | Informal | Brussels | Informal summit on the global financial crisis Conclusions from meeting on the Global Financial Crisis |
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123 | 11–12 December | ― | Brussels | Presidency conclusions of the December 2008 meeting | ||||
124 | 2009 | 1 March | Informal | ![]() |
Mirek Topolánek | Brussels | Informal summit on the global financial crisis Conclusions of the Global Financial Crisis meeting on 1 March 2009 |
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125 | 19–20 March | ― | Brussels | Presidency conclusions of the March 2009 meeting | ||||
126 | 5 April | Informal (EU-USA summit) |
Jan Fischer | Prague | US President Barack Obama in Prague Conclusions of the EU-USA relations meeting in April 2009 |
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127 | 18–19 June | ― | Brussels | Icelandic application accepted Presidency conclusions of the June 2009 meeting Press conference video: 1 and 2 |
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128 | 17 September | Informal | ![]() |
Fredrik Reinfeldt | Brussels | Preparation for the 2009 G-20 Pittsburgh summit [5] Presidency conclusions of the September 2009 meeting Press conference video |
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129 | 29–30 October | ― | Brussels | Presidency conclusions of the October 2009 meeting Press conference video |
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130 | 19 November | Informal | Brussels | Chose the first President of the European Council (Herman Van Rompuy) and the first High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (Catherine Ashton) Presidency conclusions of the November 2009 meeting Press conference video |
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131 | 10–11 December | — | Brussels | Presidency conclusions of the December 2009 meeting, Minutes Press conference video: 1 and 2 |
Since 2010, all formal (scheduled or extraordinary) European Council meetings took place in Brussels. In February 2010 the exact location was the Solvay Library, subsequent meetings took place at the Justus Lipsius building and since March 2017 at the Europa Building.
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 for the third following semester (minimum one year in advance),[21] and 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 minimum a half year in advance, they are referred to as being "extraordinary meetings".
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This article is part of a series on the politics and government of European Union |
Policies and issues
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The European Council met in Cologne, Germany, on 3–4 June 1999 to consider issues after the Treaty of Amsterdam came into force. Romano Prodi presented his plan for the future Commission's work and reform program. The Council called for an EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
The Council designated Javier Solana for the post of Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union (with Pierre de Boissieu as his deputy) and High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). It decided on a common policy on Russia (first use of the CFSP). Adopted the declaration on Kosovo. In relation to the European Security and Defence Policy, a major element of the CFSP, the council declared that the EU "must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed up by credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and a readiness to do so, in order to respond to international crises without prejudice to actions by NATO". (Declared in St Malo by France and Great Britain)
The Laeken European Council was held at the royal palace at Laeken, Belgium, on 14–15 December 2001.
The Laeken European Council dealt with:
The Laeken Declaration on the Future of Europe established the European Convention, presided over with former President of France, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, as President of the Convention, and former Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato and former Belgian Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene as Vice-Presidents. The Convention was tasked with drafting the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, and would have about 60 members, drawn from national governments, national parliamentarians, the European Parliament, and the European Commission, and include representatives from the candidate countries. The declaration reviews the progress of European integration over the last fifty years, tracing it back to its origins in the horrors of World War II, and poses a number of questions to be answered by the Convention.[22][23]
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