European Council
Brussels leadership meetings
The European Council is the assembly of heads of state or government of European Union member countries.
It sets the EU's overall political direction and priorities but does not pass laws.
The European Council meets quarterly in Brussels, with its president coordinating sessions: The European Council reached agreement on migration policy.
Not to be confused with the Council of the European Union, which is composed of government ministers and does legislate.
- summitsHighest elevations or conferences
- summit meetingsConferences between heads of state
- presidencyChief executive's office
- unanimityComplete group agreement
- Treaty of RomeEU's founding agreement
heads of state · heads of government · agenda-setting · consensus · Eurozone · single market · Merkel · enlargement · rule of law · chambers · Lisbon · bloc · sanctions · negotiations · Brussels · leaders · EU · treaty
- EU lawTreaty of Rome, acquis communautaire, directives, transposition, direct effect
- EUAustria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus
- alliancesalliance, allies, ally, coalition, NATO alliance
- EU Institutions
- European BodiesEU, Europol, ERA
- European UnionEU, EU member states, euro, eurozone, EU passport
European CouncilEuropean Parliament
EU's elected legislative branch
European Commission · European Central Bank · local government · municipal councils
European Councilnational government
Country's central ruling body
local council · municipal authority · regional government · city council · nation-state
European Councilnational sovereignty
State's ultimate governing power
Euroscepticism · Brexit · nationalist movement · isolationism · separatist movement