On 19 June, heads of state or government gathered virtually to discuss the next long-term EU budget. It was the fifth meeting of the European Council organised as a video conference.

European Council meetings – commonly called ‘EU summits’ or EUCO – take place in Brussels and usually last for two days. This is where EU leaders take crucial decisions about the future of the EU.

No wonder the press follow them closely: on average 900 journalists are accredited for each meeting. During EU summits, the lobby of the Justus Lipsius building is transformed into a huge newsroom, buzzing with activity.

Empty conference room, dozens of questions

Since Council meetings currently take place as video conferences, the press conferences and background briefings are virtual, too.

Almost 1 500 viewers followed the press conference of the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission and the Croatian Prime Minister – as Croatia had been holding the presidency of the Council of the EU for the last six months – after the last EU summit. President Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen were physically in the building, while Andrej Plenković was in Zagreb. The journalists connected via video conference, and asked questions from their homes or offices.

The spokesman of the President of the European Council admitted that staying in touch in these times has proved very challenging. Especially during a crisis of such a scale, information is key and proximity plays an important role in getting the message across. “We all have to adapt to this new lifestyle. The media, too. Journalists are quite set in their ways and you need to be flexible. But virtual press conferences and briefings are, in fact, very efficient and focused,” he said.

Working from home can lead to unexpected situations. At a recent press briefing following a meeting of foreign affairs ministers, one journalist had to repeat his question several times because his child kept drowning out his voice.

Pros and cons of virtual meetings

Even though video conferences have some advantages, most journalists miss the pre-COVID-19 reality.

“It is more difficult to get the news now,” commented one radio journalist who has been covering EU affairs for the last 15 years. During regular summits, when leaders debate behind closed doors, journalists talk informally to diplomats and high-ranking officials. This is how they usually have access to the ‘real news’. This opportunity has now been lost.

As leaders are not physically in Brussels, they are not available to talk to the media before and after meetings. That makes it “tough to properly understand diverging views between countries and to feel the dynamics of the meeting,” explained a correspondent from a national press agency.

When asked about the advantages of video conferences, journalists list two: the meetings start earlier and are shorter in length. Regular summits usually begin in the afternoon and the discussions can even go on until 2 or 3 a.m. Video conferences usually start in the morning and end after a few hours.

State-of-the-art technology for security

The video conference software used for briefings and press conferences is set up to provide a high level of security. Each meeting has a unique link and password to keep uninvited visitors out. Some features, such as chat or screen sharing, are disabled. All data is stored on European servers to be sure that data processing is in line with European legislation.

Video conferences between the ministers and between the heads of state or government take place on a separate, dedicated platform. The connection is highly secure and fully encrypted.

So far there have been no attempts to hack or break into the meetings, but the Council’s video-conferencing services remain vigilant.

It seems that the June video conference was the last virtual meeting of the European Union leaders, at least for now. President Charles Michel stated that the next discussion on the EU long-term budget would take place on 17 and 18 July – this time physically in Brussels.

Wondering what regular European Council summits look like? Watch the clip!