A Gymnich meeting is an informal meeting of the foreign ministers of the member states of the European Union, organized every six months according to the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union since 1974. The ministers are not accompanied by their assistants, which makes the environment easier for informal and frank exchanges of views. This type of meeting received its name from the first of such events held at Schloss Gymnich [de] in Erftstadt, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

The Schloss Gymnich in Germany, the location of the first informal meeting of EU foreign ministers

Meetings edit

 
Meeting of the European Union foreign ministers (Gymnich) at in Stockholm, Sweden, May 2023

2023 edit

  • Stockholm: 12 and 13 May[1]
  • Toledo: 29 and 30 August[2]

2022 edit

  • Prague: 30 and 31 August[3]
  • Brest: 13 and 14 January[4]

2020 edit

  • Lužnica Castle (Croatia): 5 March[5].
  • Berlin: 27 and 28 August[6]

2019 edit

  • Bucharest: 31 January–1 February[7][8]
  • Helsinki: 29–30 August[9]

2018 edit

  • Sofia: 15–16 February[10]
  • Vienna: 30–31 August[11]

2017 edit

  • Valletta: 28 April[12]
  • Tallinn: 7–8 September[13]

2016 edit

  • Amsterdam: 5–6 February[14]
  • Bratislava: 2–3 September[15]

2015 edit

  • Riga: 6–7 March[16]
  • Luxembourg: 4–5 September[17]

2012 edit

  • Aphrodite Hills Resort, Pafos: 7 and 8 September[18]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Informal meeting of foreign affairs ministers – Gymnich". 12 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Informal meeting of foreign affairs ministers – Gymnich". 29 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Informal Meeting of Foreign Ministers (Gymnich)in Prague".
  4. ^ "Informal Meeting of Foreign Ministers (Gymnich)".
  5. ^ Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia (5 March 2020). "Informal meeting of EU Foreign Affairs Ministers (Gymnych) and Foreign Affairs Council". Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
  6. ^ Auswärtiges Amt. "Explaining the EU: What is a Gymnich meeting?". Germany's Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
  7. ^ "Updated information – The Informal meeting of the EU foreign affairs ministers (Gymnich)". January 30, 2019.
  8. ^ https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2019-02-11/hcws1318
  9. ^ "INFORMAL MEETING OF MINISTERS FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (GYMNICH)". Archived from the original on 2020-08-04. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
  10. ^ "Informal meeting of European Union (EU) Foreign Ministers (Gymnich): 15-16 February 2018:Written statement - HLWS468".
  11. ^ "Informal meeting of European Union (EU) Foreign Ministers (Gymnich): 30-31 August 2018:Written statement - HCWS950".
  12. ^ https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2017-10-16/hcws166
  13. ^ https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2017-10-16/hcws169
  14. ^ https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2016-02-11/hcws531
  15. ^ https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2016-09-12/hcws141
  16. ^ https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2015-03-16/hcws415
  17. ^ https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2015-10-12/hcws219
  18. ^ "Informal Meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers (GYMNICH)". www.cy2012.eu.

Further reading edit

  • Patrick Roger, « La très couteuse présidence française de l'Union européenne », Le Monde, 2009-10-29
  • William Wallace: "Regional Integration: The West European Experience Transaction Publishers 1994 ISBN 0815792247 p. 46
  • Clifford P. Hackett: "Cautious Revolution: The European Union Arrives" ISBN 0313295271 p. 175
  • Christopher Hill, Karen Elizabeth Smith: "European Foreign Policy: Key Documents" ISBN 0415158222 p. 97
  • Jeremy John Richardson: "European Union: Power and Policy-making" ISBN 0415358140 p. 154