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Preparations are under way to hold a European Council summit in Rome in March 2027 to mark the 70th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, amid speculation over an early election in Italy.
It would be the first time an anniversary celebration has been combined with a formal European Council summit held outside Brussels.
EU leaders’ summits are normally held in Brussels. In exceptional circumstances, European Council President António Costa can propose another venue, provided all member states agree unanimously.
“President Costa has put forward the idea to organise a formal European Council in Rome in the context of the 70th anniversary of the Rome Treaty. Preparations are ongoing,” an EU official told Euronews, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The move was first reported by Italian daily La Stampa, which said the summit would give Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni a major international platform shortly before the next general election.
Signed on 25 March 1957, the Treaties of Rome established the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, laying the foundations for today’s EU.
Italy’s next general election is due by the end of 2027, but an early vote in spring is being openly discussed, with April and May the most frequently cited dates.
The Italian government has welcomed the move.
Costa raised the proposal with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever during a tour of EU capitals in September, specifically approaching Belgium because Brussels is the usual host of the summits.
De Wever said he would not oppose the one-off exception, an official told Euronews, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Costa’s current term as European Council president expires on 31 May 2027. He is expected to seek a second two-and-a-half-year term, as his predecessors have done. Reappointment requires the backing of a qualified majority of member states.
The change of venue still requires approval from all member states, at ambassadorial or ministerial level. The issue is expected to be discussed in the coming weeks.