European Political Community (2022)
European Political Community | |
|---|---|
 Interim logo
| |
 | |
| Type | Intergovernmental organization |
| Participating states | 44 |
| Establishment | |
• Prague Summit | 6 October 2022 |
The European Political Community (EPC) is an intergovernmental forum for political and strategic discussions about the future of Europe, established in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[1] The group first met in October 2022 in Prague, with participants from 44 European countries, as well as the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission.[2]
History[edit]
The EPC was proposed by the French president Emmanuel Macron in May 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine,[3] in his role as the president of the Council of the European Union (EU). On 23–24 June 2022, he officially presented it at the meeting of the European Council.[4] The group convened on 6 October 2022; leaders of 44 states posed for a group photo. Russia and Belarus were deliberately excluded from participation.[5]
Aim[edit]
The aim of the EPC is to provide a policy coordination platform for European countries across the continent and to foster political dialogue and cooperation in order to address issues of common interest, so as to strengthen the security, stability and prosperity of the European continent,[4] in particular in regard to the European energy crisis.[6] In addition to EU member states, the EPC also includes countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iceland, Moldova, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.[1]
During the first summit, it was agreed that a European Union led mission would be deployed on the Armenian side of the border with Azerbaijan for a period of two months of monitoring following the Armenia–Azerbaijan border crisis.[7]
Summits[edit]
It is envisioned that two summits will be held each year, alternating between EU and non-EU countries.[1] The first summit took place in Prague on 6–7 October 2022.[8] The event was covered live by the Eurovision network.[9]
On 29 September 2022, the United Kingdom announced that it would attend the meeting, and offered to host the next meeting.[10] Moldova will hold the next meeting, and topics on which leaders agreed to work on include protecting "key facilities" such as pipelines, undersea cables, and satellites.[5]
| No | Date | Host country | Host city | Chair |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 6–7 October 2022 |  Czech Republic |
Prague Castle, Prague | Petr Fiala |
| 2nd | Spring 2023 |  Moldova |
Chișinău | TBA |
| 3rd | TBA |  Spain[2] |
TBA | TBA |
| 4th | TBA |  United Kingdom[2] |
TBA | TBA |
Participants[edit]
The countries and international organisations participating in the EPC are:[11]
Albania
Armenia
Austria[a]
Azerbaijan
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus[b]
Czech Republic
Denmark[c]
Estonia
European Union
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Kosovo[b]
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Moldova
Montenegro
Netherlands
North Macedonia
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom
- European countries not attending
- European countries not invited
Criticism and controversies[edit]
According to the Associated Press, critics claimed the EPC is an attempt to put the brakes on the potential enlargement of the European Union. "Others fear it may become a talking shop, perhaps convening once or twice a year but devoid of any real clout or content" and that "No EU money or programs are on offer, and no formal declaration will be issued after the summit. The proof of its success is likely to be whether a second meeting ever actually takes place. "The creation of this new forum reportedly "perplexed" the Council of Europe, with a spokesperson stating "In the field of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, such a pan-European community already exists: it is the Council of Europe."[5]
See also[edit]
- Council of Europe
- European integration
- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
- Pan-European identity
- Politics of Europe
Notes[edit]
- ^ The Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer could not attend for the group photo due to other appointments, but was otherwise present.
- ^ a b Country is not recognized by every participant.
- ^ The Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen could not attend initially due to obligations in the Danish parliament, but was present at the later EU summit.
- ^ a b Country is represented through France.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Tidey, Alice (2022-10-05). "What we know and don't know about the new European Political Community". euronews. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
- ^ a b c "Meeting of the European Political Community, 6 October 2022". www.consilium.europa.eu. 2022-10-06. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
- ^ Brzozowski, Alexandra; Basso, Davide; Vasques, Eleonora (2022-05-09). "Macron teases alternative to EU enlargement". www.euractiv.com. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ a b "Conclusions du Conseil européen, 23 et 24 juin 2022 - Présidence française du Conseil de l'Union européenne 2022". Présidence française du Conseil de l'Union européenne (in French). Retrieved 2022-09-20.
- ^ a b c Lorne Cook; Karel Janicek; Sylvie Corbet (2022-10-06). "Europe holds 44-leader summit, leaves Russia in the cold". Associated Press. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
- ^ Cohen, Roger (2022-10-06). "Macron's New Europe Debuts in the Shadow of War". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
- ^ "Leaders Of Armenia, Azerbaijan Agree To Civilian EU Mission Along Border". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty.
- ^ "Informal meeting of heads of state or government, Prague, 6–7 October 2022". www.consilium.europa.eu. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ "Eurovision Services: Informal EU 27 Summit and Leaders Meeting within the European Political Community". www.eurovision.net. 2022-07-10. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
- ^ "Brexit Britain wants to come back". POLITICO. 2022-09-29. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
- ^ "European Political Community". Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
