The European Council - the summits of the heads of government of the member states - was founded in the mid-1970s and has steadily consolidated its role as the driving force of the European Union, setting overall strategy and resolving policy conflicts. Under the Treaty of Lisbon it will for the first time become an official Institution of the EU with a permanent, full-time President.In this detailed examination of the work of the European Council, the author explains its historical origins and systematically explores its evolution, how it operates, and its role vis a vis the Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. The implications of the changes under the Treaty of Lisbon are explored in detail, including the impact of the intended appointment of a full-time "president of Europe". The text has been framed to be of value both to those studying the EU from an academic perspective and to those working within the institutions who need to understand the emergence and methods of a body whose activities have often take place outside the formal limitations of the EU treaty structure.