The President of the European Council is a position that was created by the Treaty of Lisbon . The European Constitution , drafted by the European Convention , outlined the `` President of the European Council '' which would replace the role of the Council Presidency in the European Council . The Constitution was rejected by voters in two Member States during ratification but the changes to the European Council , including the position of President , were retained in the Treaty of Lisbon , which came into force on 1 December 2009 .