EU History Explained Quiz

What is the European Council?

• A body that gathers together the European Parliament members

• A body that gathers together the Heads of State or Government from the EU Member States

• A body that oversees the European Central Bank

• A body that manages the European Commission

When did the European Council become a formal institution of the EU?

• In the 1980s

• In the 1970s

• In the 1960s

• In the 1950s

What was the initial purpose of the informal summit meetings in the 1960s?

• To limit the Community's supranational character

• To create a unified military force for the EU

• To establish a common currency for the Member States

• To promote the European Commission's capacity for integration

Who were the key European leaders pushing for the institutionalization of the summits in the early 1970s?

• Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle

• Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and Helmut Schmidt

• Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron

• Margaret Thatcher and François Mitterrand

What was the key milestone in 1986 that identified the European Council as the initiator of constitutional change?

• The creation of the European Union

• The launch of the Economic and Monetary Union

• The signing of the Single European Act

• The signing of the Maastricht Treaty

What was the first treaty to mention the European Council and identify its members?

• The Treaty of Amsterdam

• The Lisbon Treaty

• The Maastricht Treaty

• The Single European Act

When did the European Council formally become an EU institution?

• In 2001

• In 2004

• In 2009

• In 1997

How often does the European Council meet according to the Lisbon Treaty?

• Twice a year

• Three times a year

• Five times a year

• Four times a year

Who takes part in the European Council's work since the Lisbon Treaty?

• The President of the European Commission

• The President of the European Parliament

• The President of the European Central Bank

• The President of the European Council

What role does the European Council play in the EU's overall direction according to the Lisbon Treaty?

• It proposes candidates for the European Parliament

• It defines the Union's general political directions and priorities

• It manages the EU's budget

• It enforces the EU's trade policies