ABSTRACT
Considering the formal sessions of the European Council and related informal exchanges, this chapter focuses on the diverse activity inside and on the periphery of a European Council necessary to understand the range of the potential contributions of European Community institution. In terms of preliminary organization, number of participants, available bureaucratic assistance, intensity of focus, and structure of discussion, the European Council stands in striking contrast to its more simple origins. A regular discussion paper prepared by the Commission is a report on the state of the economy in the Community, which has traditionally been the first item of discussion at European Councils. The minimal function of a European Council is that of a social club. Contacts between heads of government are the tip of the iceberg, as seen by the description in the chapter of the literally hundreds of national representatives who attend European Councils.
