The European Council
When the European Council holds a summit, it is the EU heads of state and government that meet. Their task is to agree on the general guidelines and priorities of the EU. Although it is not involved in the EU's legislative process, the European Council has considerable influence on the direction and policies of the EU. The European Council normally meets four times a year, but can meet more frequently if needed, for example, in the event of a crisis.
The European Council
- defines the general direction of EU policies
- consists of the 27 EU heads of state and government
- has no legislative functions
- holds summits in Brussels approximately four times a year, but can meet more frequently if necessary
- is led by President António Costa
A focus on the future of the EU
When the European Council holds summits, the objective is to agree on guidelines for the EU's development and long-term policies. Sweden is represented by the Prime Minister, who must always inform the Riksdag of the contents of the meetings.
Foreign affairs, economy and employment
The European Council consists of the 27 EU heads of state and government. Together they have considerable influence on the development and policies of the EU. Their task is to agree on and define overall guidelines, priorities and objectives, for example, for the common foreign and security policy, economic policy and employment policy. However, the European Council is not involved in the adoption of new EU legislation. Nor does it deal with specific matters. The meetings of the European Council are known as summits and are held in Brussels, at least four times a year.
Conclusions after each summit
After each summit, the European Council presents its decisions in the form of conclusions. These conclusions highlight problems and challenges, as well as proposals for measures or objectives to be achieved. The conclusions are always published on the European Council website.
Conclusions of the European Council on the European Council website
The Prime Minister reports to the Riksdag
The Riksdag has an influence on Swedish foreign policy. The Swedish Government is therefore obliged to inform and consult with the Riksdag on EU matters. This means that the Prime Minister always briefs the Riksdag before participating in European Council summits and also reports back after meetings.
- More about the Riksdag's work with EU matters
- More about Sweden's work in the European Council on the Government website
Decides by consensus
When the 27 heads of state and government in the European Council take decisions on priorities and guidelines, they usually do so only if everyone agrees on the decision. This is known as reaching decisions by consensus. In certain special cases, the European Council can also take decisions if a majority of the group are in favour of the decision.
How an EU law is made – How does the EU make decisions
Extraordinary meetings in connection with crises
Sometimes, the European Council holds extraordinary summits, such as during the refugee crisis in the autumn of 2015 or the COVID-19 pandemic. It has also held extraordinary meetings in connection with the negotiations for a new trade and cooperation agreement with the UK after the country left the EU.
The President is the EU's face to the world
The European Council has a President who leads and drives the work of the Council forward. The role of the President is, among other things, to facilitate cooperation between the member states in the European Council and to represent the EU internationally. António Costa from Portugal has been President since 1 December 2024. In his role as President, he represents the whole of the EU and not his country.
The President receives help from the EU foreign minister
When it comes to representing the EU internationally, the President of the European Council is accompanied by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, who is often referred to as the EU foreign minister. She works in both the European Commission and the Council of the European Union, an EU institution that adopts EU legislation.
The EU foreign minister and the President of the European Commission participate in EU summits
The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas participates in the European Council's summits. The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen also attends these meetings. The European Commission is the EU institution that proposes new EU legislation.
The Prime Minister in the Riksdag
After Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (Moderate Party) has attended a meeting of the European Council, he or another government representative reports back to the Riksdag on what has been said and what decisions have been taken.