| 4th European Political Community Summit | |
|---|---|
| Host country | United Kingdom |
| Date | TBA |
| Venue(s) | TBA |
| Cities | TBA |
| Participants | 47 states expected |
| Chair | Prime Minister of the United Kingdom |
| Follows | 3rd |
| Precedes | 5th |
The Fourth European Political Community Summit is a planned meeting of the European Political Community to be held in Spring 2024 in the United Kingdom.
Following a bilateral summit meeting between the leaders of the United Kingdom and France on 10 March 2023, it was stated in the joint declaration that the EPC should focus on energy, infrastructures, connectivity, cybersecurity, countering disinformation and migration.[1][2]
On the eve of the second EPC summit which was held on 1 June 2023, British prime minister Rishi Sunak issued a statement saying "Stopping migration and securing our borders should be at the top of the agenda for European leaders."[3] Sunak had also caused controversy at the previous summit in Granada by demanding that the pre-arranged agenda be scrapped with the sole focus of the summit shifting to immigration.[4] This would suggest that immigration and asylum will be featured on the agenda at the fourth EPC summit.
The United Kingdom was announced as the host of the fourth EPC summit in October 2022.[5]
King Charles III mentioned the UK's hosting the EPC summit as part of his speech during the 2023 State Opening of Parliament.[6]
Preparations for the summit were discussed by the upper house of the UK Parliament on 12 December 2023. Tariq Ahmed, a minister in the UK foreign office stated that the UK views the EPC as an "important platform for co-ordination on European issues" adding that energy security, immigration and the Russian invasion of Ukraine would feature on the agenda.[7]
The summit was initially expected to take place in March or April, however by January 2024, several European diplomats believe the UK government's refusal to rule out a snap general election this spring lies behind "delays" to an upcoming meeting.[8] The UK Government has stated that it will announce a date "in due course".[9]
As of mid-February 2024, the date, venue, and agenda for the summit are not yet known.
The summit is expected to be attended by the heads of state or government of the states participating in the European Political Community along with the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Parliament.
| Non-EU member |
