While the European Council has no formal legislative power, it is a strategic (and crisis-solving) body that provides the union with general political directions and priorities, and acts as a collective presidency.
The meetings of the European Council, still commonly referred to as EU summits, are chaired by its president and take place at least twice every six months;[REF] usually in the Justus Lipsius building, the headquarters of the Council of the European Union in Brussels [REF].