Wolfgang Wessels is Jean Monnet Professor of Political Science, University of Cologne, Germany. He is also chairman of the executive board of the Trans European Political Studies Association (TEPSA), Belgium, and of the Institute for European Politics (IEP), Germany. Wolfgang has published widely in leading journals and edited volumes and is presently the coordinator of several academic networks: 'PADEMIA - Erasmus Academic Network on Parliamentary Democracy in Europe', 'EXACT - Marie Curie Initial Training Network', 'THESEUS' and 'Observatory of Parliaments after the Lisbon Treaty'.

• PART I: THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL: OVERVIEW AND HISTORY1. Introduction: The Many Faces of the European Council2. Multiple Approaches for Understanding a Contested Institution: Three Models3. Pre-History: the Birth of Institutionalised Summitry4. History: Generations of Leaders and the Institutional TrajectoryPART II: THE ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL WITHIN THE EU ARCHITECTURE5. Political and Procedural Leadership: General Functions and Specific Powers6. Towards a New Institutional Balance? Trends in Inter-Institutional RelationsPART III: INSIDE THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL: THE DYNAMICS OF DECISION MAKING7. The Presidency: Charismatic Master or Facilitating Manager?8. Rules for Organisation: the Search for an Optimal Institutional Arrangement9. Decision-Making: The Ways to Consensus Formation10. Decision-Making: The Power DimensionPART IV: ACTIVITIES, AGREEMENTS AND ACTS11. Deepening: The Constitutional Architect12. Widening: The Master of Enlargement13. Economic Governance: Towards a 'gouvernement économique'?14. External Action: In Search of a Coherent and Effective Global Role15. The Area of Freedom, Security and Justice: Pre-Constitutional and Pre-Legislative FunctionsPART V: CONCLUSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: A KEY INSTITUTION'S RISE AND DECLINE?16. The European Council: Looking Back to Look Forward.