About SUMMIT

The project started in Septmber 2015 and was completed in February 2017.

 

The Jean Monnet project SUMMIT (Studying the European Council – Mastering and Disseminating Knowledge about a Key Institution) was dedicated to the European Council, and aimed at contributing to the promotion of European Union studies by providing the latest research-based knowledge about this key institution. The project was co-funded by the European Commission.

Objective and background

The European Council takes centre stage within the EU institutional architecture concerning all major decisions on enlargement, treaty reform or foreign policy. During the on-going Eurozone crisis management, it has even extended its leading position in day-to-day policy-making. The dominant characteristic of the European Council is its de-facto influence beyond the wording of treaty articles. However, this key institution is still under-researched and also the general public tends to know little about the work of this EU institution and how it is embedded in the EU institutional framework. SUMMIT will fill the existing research and teaching gap, and promote the academic and public debate about this key institution.