Gymnich meeting


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 in Erftstadt, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, owned by the Kelly Family.

Meetings

2026

  • Planned: ''Lemesos: 27 and 28 May''

2025

2024

Hungary held the Presidency in the second part of 2024, and wanted to organise a meeting in Budapest on this date. High Representative Borell decided to organise an informal meeting in Brussels as a "punishment for Hungary misusing the presidency", due to Hungarian Prime Minister Orban visiting Moscow and Bejing amid the Russian war in Ukraine.

2023

  • Stockholm: 12 and 13 May
  • Toledo: 29 and 30 August

2022

2021

2020

2019

  • Bucharest: 31 January–1 February
  • Helsinki: 29–30 August

2018

  • Sofia: 15–16 February
  • Vienna: 30–31 August

2017

  • Valletta: 28 April
  • Tallinn: 7–8 September

2016

  • Amsterdam: 5–6 February
  • Bratislava: 2–3 September

2015

  • Riga: 6–7 March
  • Luxembourg: 4–5 September

2012