The G8 stands for the Group of Eight nations. It began in 1975 when French President, Giscard d'Estaing, invited the leaders of Japan, the USA, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy to discuss the economic problems of the day.

The group expanded to include Canada in 1976 and Russia in 1998. The European Union, represented by the European Commission, has attended G8 meetings since 1977.

Annual summits

Unlike many other international bodies, the G8 does not have a fixed structure or a permanent administration. Summits are held every year, hosted by the country that holds the rotating year-long G8 Presidency.

At the summit, the leaders discuss major issues of the day. They reach informal understandings and agree upon certain initiatives; there are follow-up meetings throughout the year to make sure commitments of current and previous G8s are being honoured.

In 2007 the summit was held at Heiligendamm [opens a new website] in Germany and there were agreements in a number of areas. Climate change and Africa emerged as priority issues for later discussions.

The UK fully supported these priorities.

Heiligendamm Process

It also saw the launch of the Heiligendamm Process, a dialogue between the G8 and the leaders of the five major emerging economies of Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa. The main topics of discussion were investment, innovation, energy efficiency and development.

2008 summit  

The 2008 summit  [opens a new website] was hosted by Japan and held in Toyako on Hokkaido on 7-9 July. The main themes were the world economy, environment and development.

The G8 Information Centre [opens a new website] is a useful source for more details about the group and its work.