European Council

This article is about the council of heads of states. For the meetings between ministers of specific departments, see Council of the European Union.

For the international organisation of 47 European countries, see Council of Europe.

The European Council (referred to as a European Summit) is the highest political body of the European Union.^[1] It is made of all the heads of state or government of the Union's member states and with the President of the European Commission. The country which holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union^[2] also leads its assemblies.

The Council has no formal executive or legislative powers. It is an institution that deals with very important issues and any decisions made are "a major impetus in defining the general political guidelines of the European Union". The Council meets at least twice a year; usually in the Justus Lipsius building, the quarters of the Council of the European Union (Consilium) of Brussels.^[3][4][5]

References

1. van Grinsven, Peter (September 2003). "The European Council under Construction" (PDF). Netherlands Institution for international Relations. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
2. "How does the EU work". Europa (web portal). Retrieved 2007-07-12.
3. "European Council". Council of the European Union. Archived from the original on 2006-11-20. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
4. "Consolidated versions of the treaty on European Union and of the treaty establishing the European Community" (PDF). Europa (web portal). 1992-02-07. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-12-01. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
5. "European Council". Europa (web portal). Retrieved 2007-07-12.