Herman Van Rompuy has defused the tension that had been building recently with the European Parliament (see Europolitics3923). At his first appearance in plenary, on 24 February in Brussels, the European Council president said the Lisbon Treaty provides that he report to MEPs after every European Council but does not state whether this includes informal Councils.

Van Rompuy said he had nevertheless decided to present the results of the informal summit of 11 February (see separate article) because otherwise he would have had to wait until the end of April, when he will report on the formal European Council in March, before addressing Parliament. That would have been four months after taking up his duties. “Under the treaty, I have to report to you at least four times a year, but it will be five or six times, possibly even ten times in the future,” he continued, referring to his wish to convene monthly meetings of EU leaders from 2011. He added: “Some of you could soon be fed up with seeing me”. The former prime minister of Belgium, who will meet the EP president once a month, nevertheless explained: “My role must not be confused with that of the Commission president, who has a day-to-day contact with Parliament”.