The Changing Role of the European Council in the Institutional Framework of the European Union: Consequences for the European Integration Process

What is the relationship between the European Council and the other EU institutions? What are the various roles of the European Council in the EU decision-making process? This book answers these two research questions. It shows that European Council conclusions have been used extensively in this decision-making process, and this has increased considerably over time. Based on the analysis of European Council conclusions and legal texts, a typology is created to provide an orderly picture of the European Council's various roles, such as the European Council as a political initiator, as an interpreter of the Treaties, and as an appeals council. (Series: Ius Commune Europaeum - Vol. 102)