European Council President António Costa has proposed holding the bloc’s March 2027 leaders’ meeting in Rome to mark 70 years since the Treaties of Rome were signed, a venue change that requires unanimous approval.
Euronews and ANSA reported that EU officials said Costa had proposed the Italian capital. Both reports place the meeting in March but do not name a day; an EU official told Euronews preparations are underway. ANSA, citing Italian government sources, said Rome welcomed the proposal.
The European Council normally meets in Brussels. Its rules allow the president to choose another city in exceptional circumstances if either the General Affairs Council or the Committee of Permanent Representatives — the member states’ ambassadors — approves the move unanimously. The venue has not received the required agreement.
The March 25, 1957, treaties established the European Economic Community and created the European Atomic Energy Community under a separate accord. The 70th anniversary will fall on March 25, 2027, although the reports do not set the summit for that day. EU leaders met in Rome on March 25, 2017, for the 60th anniversary and adopted the Rome Declaration.
Separately, in its March 2026 conclusions, the European Council called for “concrete and tangible progress by March 2027 at the latest” on removing barriers in the single market.
Euronews reported that an early Italian election in April or May 2027 was under discussion. The report described possible timing rather than an announced election date. Italy’s current Parliament first met Oct. 13, 2022, and the Constitution sets a five-year term. It allows Italy’s president to dissolve one or both chambers after consulting their presiding officers.
La Stampa has assessed that a Rome summit could give Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni an international platform ahead of a possible election. ANSA reported, citing Italian government sources, that a formal venue decision is expected in the coming weeks, though the report gave no date.
