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Friday’s informal European Council meeting will follow a wider gathering on European security. The BBC describes the AI talks as the first such discussion among EU leaders.
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The two Dublin gatherings are a high-profile close to Ireland’s EU presidency, but the AI discussion is scheduled for Friday’s informal European Council, not Thursday’s broader European Political Community forum. The BBC describes it as the first AI discussion among EU leaders, with Geoffrey Hinton among the speakers; Ukraine is also expected to dominate. The meetings are set for November 12–13, 2026. The agenda is still described in prospective terms, and no specific proposals or decisions are reported.
About 50 leaders are expected at Thursday’s European Political Community meeting, including Volodymyr Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Thursday’s agenda also covers economic security, hybrid activity and democratic resilience alongside Ukraine.
Both gatherings will be held at the Convention Centre Dublin, with Micheál Martin hosting the leaders.
Ireland will host European leaders in Dublin on November 12–13, 2026, with AI and Ukraine expected to dominate Friday’s informal European Council meeting. Professor Geoffrey Hinton is among the speakers. The BBC describes the AI talks as the first such discussion among EU leaders.
Both meetings will take place at the Convention Centre Dublin. Thursday brings together the European Political Community, a wider forum for political and strategic discussions, before the informal European Council meets on Friday. Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin is hosting the leaders.
Ireland holds the EU presidency until the end of the year, and the two gatherings are its main showcase events this week.
About 50 international leaders are expected for talks covering economic security, Ukraine, hybrid activity and democratic resilience.
AI and Ukraine are expected to dominate, with Hinton among the speakers.
Thursday’s summit carries the theme “Europe – strong, secure, and connected”. Its agenda includes hybrid activity: non-military methods such as cyberattacks, sabotage or misinformation intended to pressure and destabilise an adversary. Economic security and democratic resilience sit alongside Ukraine in those discussions.
The European Political Community was established in 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and meets twice a year. It is an informal forum for leaders to discuss shared concerns, rather than the same body as the European Council gathering that follows it.
Expected attendees on Thursday include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, heads of state from across the EU and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Martin’s formal welcome is due before the plenary session, with a dinner for EPC leaders at the National Gallery of Ireland later in the programme.
The gatherings have also brought major disruption to the host city. Irish police are carrying out the largest security and policing operation in the state’s history, with parts of Dublin city centre closed off and widespread traffic disruption in recent days.
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