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The European Political Community, EPC is an intergovernmental forum aimed to facilitate political dialogue about the future of Europe; it was created four years ago as a “renewed effort” to redefine and expand the “European idea” beyond the existing frameworks, by fostering cooperation among European nations and states. Proposed by the French President, the EPC is striving at “creating a new platform” for strengthening political ties on the European continent.
Background
Generally, there are two main EPC’s goals: a) fostering political dialogue and cooperation to address issues of common interest; and b) strengthening security, stability and prosperity of the European continent. However, the EPC does not replace any existing organisation, structures and/or processes in the EU-wide political coordination.
Source: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/international-summit/2026/05/04/epc/
The EPC 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.
Ther eighth European political community’s gathering took place this May in Armenia. On the agenda, there were main topics of an “independent Europe” and reduced “continental overdependencies”.
More than 40 heads of state and government took part in this eighth EPC’s summit.
The “project” has been an idea of the French government; however, its objectives, perspectives and potential as an intergovernmental forum for political and strategic discussions about the future of Europe, as the Danish DIIS noted, “remained unexplored”.
On the IPC’s “inaugural” idea in: https://en.philenews.com/local/cyprus-president-among-leaders-at-thursdays-inaugural-summit-of-epc/
The next meetings of the European Political Community summit will take place in Ireland in November 2026 and in Switzerland in April 2027.
New intergovernmental forum
The European Political Community (EPC) is a new intergovernmental forum for political and strategic discussions about the future of Europe; it was established in 2022 after the Russian-Ukrainian military conflict.
The presently tens of the EPC participating states are home to about 689.5 million people; the forum constitutes 8.7 percent of the world’s population and represents about 23.5 percent of the global GDP. Two EPC’s summits are held every year: the spring summit is usually hosted by a non-EU member state, and the autumn summit hosted by an EU member state; the autumn summit is held in the country assuming the presidency of the Council of the European Union during that semester.
According its website, the EPP is “the family of the political center-right, whose roots run deep in the history and civilisation of the European continent”.
After the first EPC-summit (Prague, October 2022), the rapprochement between the United Kingdom and European institutions took place; i.e. at the summit, the UK agreed to re-engage with the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC) and committed to join the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and its Military Mobility program.
Source: The European Political Community in a Global Context. – ICDS. -January 2023.
The second summit hosted by Moldova coincided with an €87m contribution to non-military logistical aid from the European Peace Facility, as well as the establishment of a civilian mission in Chișinău.
For example, at the seventh summit hosted by Denmark in October 2025, European leaders agreed to launch a European Coalition Against Drugs (ECAD) as a vital EPC’s platform.
Some negative aspects…
However, Wikipedia has also mentioned some negative aspects in the EPC’s work:
= According to the Associated Press, critics claimed the EPC was an attempt to put the brakes on the potential enlargement of the European Union, speculating that “it may become a talking shop, perhaps convening once or twice a year but devoid of any real clout or content”. Additionally, the first summit did not include a formal declaration, nor was any offer of EU money or programs proposed at the time.
= A spokesperson for the Council of Europe, in response to the summit, stated, “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.” However, in July 2024, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe did attend the 4th European Political Community Summit in the UK.
= Russia criticised the EPC as “yet another attempt by Brussels to build an anti-Russian coalition and prevail upon other countries to join the campaign of sanctions against Russia.”
Source and citation from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Political_Community
The EPC’s key initiatives
The new EPC’s initiative seeks to adapt the original “European idea” of peace and prosperity, initiated in 1950, to the current geopolitical realities.
The initiative includes the following parameters:
= Context and origin: the idea emerged in response to the need for a new platform to unite democratic nations, bringing together EU members and non-members, including enlargement candidates.
= Geopolitical focus: in the face of modern challenges, the EPC reflects a need to strengthen European solidarity and cohesion, building on the legacy of the Communities’ initial ideas (in the so-called Schuman Declaration) to ensure peace.
= A “new narrative”: the EPC’s initiative seeks to revitalize the European project by involving cultural and intellectual leaders to build a “new narrative of Europe for the 21st century”.
= Broadening cooperation: the EPC promotes a “wider Europe” that brings together European leaders for political discussions, aiming to foster common ground in areas like energy, security and infrastructure.
The “new European idea”: Commission’s original reflection
The European idea, or rather the European dream, a dream which is in need of defenders at present. For many decades it represented the most noble political ideal, bringing peace to a shattered continent. Indeed, without peace there can be no freedom or justice: i.e. without “fraternité” there can be no “liberté” or “égalité”.
But for too many people, as the Commission underlined in 2022 in the EPC’s inaugural comments, Europe symbolised “callousness rather than magnanimity”: the nations saw the integration as the result of “reorganising, restructuring, liberalising, reforming, moderating and cutting”.
European continent has been previously regarded as the source of political extremism and populism: in other words, the Commission noted, “Europe” was seen as something which set people against one another rather than bringing them together, while the “Union’s idea” was apparently “sowing discord and disunion”!
The price for such a “misgovernance” was enormous: the member states’ governance was inadequate, and the states were not monitored or penalised. Besides, among the four proclaimed “basic freedoms”, the financial markets’ completion is still out of reach. The economic and political interests occurred among the weak and strong member states.
During numerous historic crises, all the weaknesses in most EU’s large and small economies came to the surface, which marked the start of the “great disenchantment”.
Hence, adjustments were necessary to bring the continent “back to living within the limits of reduced economic means” forced by the ignored competition in the global economy. Hence, the exasperation lumbered accompanied by the social frustration and even anger, which all needed some fundamental and inevitable adjustments.
Source and citations from: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/pres_12_242
The eight EPC’s summit: May 2026
The summit discussed the following three main problems:
= first, the energy issues: Europe is still too overdependent on imported fossil fuels and therefore always dependent on volatile global markets. Hence, the states have to increase such “assets at home”, like the renewable energy sources and nuclear because they are homegrown, they are cheaper and they are reliable.
= the second topic was about the need of “more independence is defence and security”; the states have to step up the military capabilities to be able to defend and protect ourselves. There is a vast amount of money that is available for investments; so, the states have to step up and speed up the production process for military capabilities.
= the third element was the maintenance of reliable supply chains with the so-called like-minded countries and free trade agreements. The EU has just concluded one with Latin America, also with India, Australia and Mexico in the near future. Only with the like-minded friends, which have stable and reliable supply chains, underlined the Commission President, Europe can have the biggest network of free trade agreements.
Reference to: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/da/statement_26_944
The EPC’s longer-term vision: DIIS opinion
The Danish Institute for International Studies revealed some progressive facets in the EPC:
= Institutions: envisage the EPC as a waiting room for the future EU enlargements and not a substitute: it would include organizing intermediate decision-making formats on the way to full accession within this platform
= Power: use the EPC as a platform for high-level political interaction and alliance-building. The meeting of 44 European states should be a living statement to the common approach in geo-political challenges, including “steadfast opposition” military conflicts.
= Norms: the EPC should spur and encourage the emergence of a Track II process to re-imagine – at the level of intellectual and citizens’ activism – the political map of the “wider Europe in bolder and normatively meaningful ways”.
Reference and citation from: https://www.diis.dk/en/research/the-european-political-community
Our comments
It is, however, vital to frame the EPC’s activity within the framework of the European integration, which is a multi-faceted process combining deep economic interdependence with ongoing political unification, aimed at fostering stability and prosperity in the continent. Presently, the process is often called as an “ever-closer union” and/or “united in diversity” prospects; both are evolving through a number of strategies integrating specific economic (like energy, transport, agro, finances, etc.) with the expectation that further political integration will follow.
The EU’s economic integration perspectives are well known: they revolve around creating a unified and efficient market across the member states.
More in: https://www.integrin.dk/2021/01/23/political-economy-in-european-integration-new-growth-patterns-part-ii/
The political facets in integration have been always a priority (though progressed in parallel with economic goals); presently, they include the following:
= Supranational governance: the EU member states transfer some spheres of national growth (and even sovereignty) to the EU institutions, according to the so-called “division of competence” in line with the requirements of the present EU Treaties. Some of these “transfers” are resulting in supranational structures that have to “deal” with the national priorities and interests.
= Rule of law and democracy: the integration concept is often used as an “adequate mechanism” to promote democracy, freedom and the rule of law in the member states; it sometimes evoke some controversies.
= Foreign policy and geopolitics: in this direction the EU acts as a single entity on the global stage, using economic means to achieve geopolitical ends: e.g. with such instruments as the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Crisis Response Mechanism. Quite often, the EU-27 responds to crises by introducing new legal and institutional reforms, such as the Stability and Growth Pact, and/or the Digital Transition legislation.
However, the two facets (economic and political) are inextricably linked: e.g. with economic priorities in integration “driving” the political ones, and are often leading to dramatic tensions. The latter are seen in such spheres as: – “political support” in the member states for the EU-wide “economic coordination”; – sovereignty vs. efficiency issues: the core political tension is balancing national sovereignty with the efficiency gains of a united European market; – functionalism vs. inter-governmentalism: the European integration process is often analyzed through these two theories, e.g. functionalism (step-by-step “technical” integration) and inter-governmentalism (with the member states leading the process).
thanks for this