European Council meetings

The Special meeting of the European Council of 22-23 November 2012 is now finished. This page will no longer be updated.

Read the details in the documents below and watch the press conference.

The European Council agreed on a roadmap for the completion of the Economic and Monetary Union, based on deeper integration and reinforced solidarity.

It launched the 2013 European Semester on the basis of the Commission's Annual Growth Survey. The European Semester involves coordination of the member states' economic, fiscal and employment policies during a six-month period each year.

EU leaders also examined questions related to the Common Security and Defence Policy, regional strategies, enlargement and the Stabilisation and Association Process, and Syria.

President Van Rompuy gave an overview of the second day of the European Council meeting. The main items on the agenda were the European Common Security and Defence Policy and the launch of the 2013 European Semester. The President highlighted the European Council's decision to launch work on further development of the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy. The President intends to present recommendations ahead of the December 2013 European Council meeting, when the issue will be revisited. The European Council also discussed the European Commission's Annual Growth Survey, which opens the third European Semester. Finally, the President thanked the outgoing Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU for their excellent work.

In the conclusions adopted after the first session, the European Council set out the next steps in a process that will deepen integration of the financial framework and strengthen economic governance to complete the Economic and Monetary Union.

At the press conference after the first day of the summit, Herman Van Rompuy presented the outcome of the evening's discussions: progress on the establishment of the Single Supervisory Mechanism, which should allow for direct recapitalisation of banks by the European Stability Mechanism, and a decision to set up a single resolution mechanism when the SSM is in place. Herman Van Rompuy announced that he would present other economic measures to achieve a stable European  Economic and Monetary Union for discussion at the June 2013 European Council.