years of working together
years of working together
Find out how the European Council was created and how it has developed into the strategic EU institution it is today.
In periods of crisis, there is always a concentration of power. Someone has to take decisions. The European Council is the place for this.
The origins
The origins of the European Council lie in the summits of the heads of state or government of the six countries that founded the European Communities after the devastation of the Second World War.
Since then, the European Council has gradually gone from being an occasional discussion forum to a fully fledged EU institution.
1961
First European summit
Paris
1974
Creation of the European Council
Paris
1975
First meeting as the European Council
Dublin
In the 1950s, ministers of the then six member states of the European Communities adopted the first European laws, focusing on economic topics and the free movement of goods, people, services and capital.
However, in the 1960s and 1970s the need to coordinate on matters of a more political nature, beyond the Communities’ areas of competence became more pressing - something that could not be dealt with at ministerial level.
In February 1961, French President Charles de Gaulle hosted the first summit of the heads of state or government of the six countries, in Paris.
How it started
‘Long live the European Council'
On 9 and 10 December 1974, at the invitation of French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, the heads of state or government met for another summit in Paris, which would later be regarded as the moment when the European Council was founded.
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing speaking about the creation of the European Council.
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing speaking about the creation of the European Council.
Working session during the Paris summit, 10 December 1974.
Working session during the Paris summit, 10 December 1974.
Working session during the Paris summit, 10 December 1974.
Paris summit, 9-10 December 1974
‘Long live the European Council'
On 9 and 10 December 1974, at the invitation of French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, the heads of state or government met for another summit in Paris, which would later be regarded as the moment when the European Council was founded.
French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing at the press conference following the Paris summit, 1974.
French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing at the press conference following the Paris summit, 1974.
After the summit, Giscard d'Estaing announced to the press:
The European summit is dead, long live the European Council!
With a view to ‘achieving European unity’ and in recognition of the ‘external problems facing Europe’, the heads of state or government decided to meet three times a year and whenever necessary.
They also decided to ‘coordinate their diplomatic action in all areas of international affairs that affect the interests of the European Community’.
This shift towards a more political role was a departure from mostly technical and economic nature of the European project since 1957.
The new European Council met for the first time in March 1975, in Dublin.
Legal recognition
The momentum for European cooperation and integration slowed down in the late 1970s, when Europe’s economies were hit by inflation and unemployment.
In the mid-1980s, a renewed sense of ambition to take the European project forward emerged. A key part of this was the creation of the European single market.
Catching up with the political reality, in 1985 the heads of state or government agreed on the Single European Act, which gave the European Council a legal basis for the first time.
Joachim Bitterlich, former advisor to Helmut Kohl,
sharing his perspective on the political context of the time.
Joachim Bitterlich, former advisor to Helmut Kohl, sharing his perspective on the political context of the time.
New challenges
In the 1990s, the EU became a stronger global actor. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the reunification of Germany was a major milestone in modern European history, prompting many European countries to seek membership of the EU.
Against this backdrop, the leaders of the 12 countries of the European Community had to answer a fundamental question: what, in this changing world, was the future role of Europe?
The outcome was the adoption of three new treaties, giving the European Council more powers and making it more efficient.
In April 1990, at a meeting in Dublin, the European Council decided to integrate a reunified Germany into the European Community; in the centre, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
In April 1990, at a meeting in Dublin, the European Council decided to integrate a reunified Germany into the European Community; in the centre, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
Signing ceremony of the Maastricht Treaty, February 1992
Signing ceremony of the Maastricht Treaty, February 1992
1993
The Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty created the European Union and formally established the practice of European Council meetings being chaired by the country holding the presidency of the Council of the EU.
Signatures on the Treaty of Amsterdam
Signatures on the Treaty of Amsterdam
1999
The Amsterdam Treaty
The Amsterdam Treaty gave the European Council more powers in relation to the foreign and security policy, including for matters with defence implications.
Hubert Védrine, French Minister for Foreign Affairs, signing the Nice Treaty in February 2001
Hubert Védrine, French Minister for Foreign Affairs, signing the Nice Treaty in February 2001
2003
The Nice Treaty
The Nice Treaty brought an end to decades of EU leaders travelling around the European Union for meetings, designating Brussels as the main venue for European Council meetings.
The Lisbon Treaty: a historic change
The way the European Council works was changed considerably in 2009 with the entering into force of the Lisbon Treaty, which aimed to make the EU more democratic and efficient.
The Lisbon Treaty introduced two major reforms as regards the European Council:
- Until then an informal gathering of the member states’ leaders, the European Council was formally recognised as one of the European Union’s institutions – the seventh.
- The Lisbon Treaty also created the position of a full-time President of the European Council, elected for a term of 2.5 years (renewable once), to improve the continuity and coherence of the European Council’s work.
Until then, European Council meetings had been chaired by the head of state or government of the country holding the presidency of the Council of the EU, with the chair therefore changing every six months. The strategic role of the European Council required a more stable and permanent leadership.
Herman Van Rompuy, European Council President from 2009 to 2014, speaking about the creation of a permanent President of the European Council.
Herman Van Rompuy, European Council President from 2009 to 2014, speaking about the creation of a permanent President of the European Council.
2010 onwards
The European Council has met much more often, mainly in Brussels, since becoming an official institution in 2009.
It has been instrumental in moving the European project forward, coordinating responses to crises, and strengthening collective resilience. Notable examples include the euro crisis, the migration crisis, Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, heads of state or government held their summits online for the first time.
After Russia launched its full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022, the European Council took important decisions to reduce strategic dependencies, phase out the EU’s dependency on Russian gas and bolster defence capabilities.
Ukraine and Moldova are now candidate countries for European Union membership.
The President of the European Council
On 1 December 2024, former Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa became the President of the European Council.
We have 27 different histories and cultures, and we look at the world from different geographic locations. That diversity is perfectly natural; it enriches us and we can harness it. It is Europe's strength.
Europe’s unity in diversity is remarkable, rooted in the strength of our common and steadfast will.
As President of the European Council, I will make it my everyday mission to build this unity and cherish our natural diversity — by listening to each Member State, respecting each one's concerns, and fostering convergence where there is divergence.
Former presidents
Herman Van Rompuy
2009-2014
Donald Tusk
2014-2019
Charles Michel
2019-2024
Facts and figures
Over 250
The number of meetings of heads of state or government between 1975 and December 2024. Over 250 EU leaders have sat at the table.
13
A record 13 European summits were held in 2020, as EU leaders negotiated the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU’s finances, and climate policy. Most of these meetings were held via video conference.
5 days and 4 nights
This is how long EU leaders needed to reach agreement on the Nice Treaty to prepare the EU for its biggest enlargement. The Nice summit (7-11 December 2000) remains the longest European summit to date.
Journalists reporting on a European summit at the premises of the European Council
Journalists reporting on a European summit at the premises of the European Council
Photo credits
Chapter ‘The origins’
- Family photo from Paris in 1961: © Archives nationales (France)
- Working session during the Paris summit in 1974: © European Communities. Photographers: Karel van Milleghem, Christian Lambiotte
- Family photo from Dublin in 1975: © Lensmen, 1975
- Working session during the first summit in Paris in 1961: © AP
Chapter ‘How it started’
- © European Communities. Photographers: Karel van Milleghem, Christian Lambiotte
- © Lensmen, 1975
Chapter ‘New challenges’
- Meeting in Dublin: © European Communities
- The Maastricht Treaty and the Amsterdam Treaty: © European Communities. Photographer: Christian Lambiotte
- The Nice Treaty: © Ministry for Foreign Affairs (France). Photographer: Frédéric de la Mure
Chapter ‘2010 onwards’
Photo with UK flag: © Shutterstock. Photographer : Alexandros Michailidis
All other photos
© European Union
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