On 12 November 2026, the ninth meeting of the European Political Community will take place in Dublin According to official information, the heads of state and government of 47 European countries, as well as representatives of European institutions, have been invited. Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz will attend. An informal meeting of EU leaders is also planned in Dublin.
The European Political Community is not a treaty, but an informal forum for political exchange between EU members and non-EU countries. It was established in 2022 in response to the worsening security situation; the inaugural meeting took place on 6 October 2022 in Prague. Its aim is to promote dialogue, coordination and cooperation on security, energy, infrastructure and migration, without replacing existing organisations such as the European Union, the Council of Europe or NATO.
For Germany, the format offers several opportunities. The Chancellor can set out foreign policy positions to partners and neighbours, hold bilateral talks with non-EU countries, and coordinate prospects for cooperation on issues such as energy supplies, military support for Ukraine Ukraine and the resilience of critical infrastructure. At the same time, the format’s limitations are clear: the Community takes no legally binding decisions and replaces neither EU legislation nor the accession process for candidate countries. Decisions on funding, market rules and defence remain the responsibility of bodies such as the European Council and the European Commission, or fall within national jurisdiction.
According to published planning information, the agenda in Dublin includes European security, continued support for Ukraine, energy security and infrastructure connectivity. Alongside a plenary session, numerous bilateral talks are planned. The Irish hosts have stressed that, organisationally, the Community and the informal EU meeting are separate; media access will be handled separately accordingly.
The European Political Community thus remains a pragmatic but limited instrument. It facilitates rapid exchanges in a broad European forum and can send political signals. Its effectiveness, however, depends on subsequent decisions within the European Union, agreements between participating states and their willingness to implement them. For Berlin, the meeting is an opportunity to establish foreign and European policy priorities without exceeding institutional responsibilities. Ireland is using its role as host to further advance security and energy cooperation across Europe.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).