The Council of Europe member states agreed on 8 July 2004 to hold a Summit of Heads of State and Government in Warsaw on 16 and 17 May 2005, at the invitation of the Polish government, which was chairing the Committee of Ministers from November 2004 to May 2005. This was the third summit organised by the Council of Europe, following those in Vienna in 1993 and Strasbourg in 1997.

While Vienna was the summit embodying outreach to the East, and Strasbourg the summit of consolidation of democracy in the new member states, the Warsaw Summit, was the first to bring together all the countries of Europe (with the exception of Belarus). Europe was finally reunited under one roof, sharing common values and objectives. This is why the political leaders are talking about the “Summit of European Unity”.

Why in Warsaw? What are its objectives? these questions are comprehensively dealt with in this practical document which is packed with quotes and examples (more...)