EU leaders met in Brussels on 27th and 28th of June for the European Council.

They discussed the Strategic Agenda 2024-2029, the next institutional cycle, Ukraine, the Middle East, security and defence, competitiveness, and other items.

Following the European Parliament elections, EU leaders met informally in Brussels on 17/6 to discuss the next high-profile EU-level roles in the upcoming institutional cycle.

The European Council is central in designating the next high-profile EU-level roles, namely:

-electing the President of the European Council
-nominating the President of the European Commission
-appointing the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

All these procedures are laid out in the Treaty on European Union (TEU), one of the EU’s primary treaties.

Any decision by the European Council needs to reflect the diversity of the EU in terms of geography, country size, gender and political affiliation.