Eurooppaneuvosto

Eurooppaneuvosto, known in English as the European Council, is an EU institution that defines the Union's overall political direction and priorities. It brings together the heads of state or government of the member states, the president of the European Commission, and the president of the European Council, who chairs the meetings. The presidency is a full-time role held for a term of 2.5 years and is responsible for setting the agenda and ensuring continuity between summits.

Function and powers: The European Council does not legislate; instead it defines strategic objectives and decides on major political issues such as enlargement, foreign policy orientation, and the long-term budget. It adopts conclusions at the end of each summit, which guide the work of the Council of the European Union and the Commission. Most decisions are reached by consensus among member states.

Meetings and location: The European Council typically meets four times a year in Brussels, with additional meetings in times of crisis. The work is supported by the European Council Secretariat, led by the Secretary-General. Since 2017, the meetings have commonly been held in the Europa Building.

History and relation to other bodies: Summits of national leaders began informally in the 1970s. The Lisbon Treaty (2009) made the European Council a formal EU institution with a permanent president and a dedicated secretariat. It is distinct from the Council of the European Union and from the Council of Europe, and it does not itself enact legislation; that power lies with the Council and the Parliament.