compete for the title of European Champion. The event is sanctioned by the
(ISU), and is the oldest of the 4 annual figure skating competitions designated "ISU Championships" (the others are the
).
. The competition is generally held in January. The 2008 Championships will be held in
from January 21-27. In 2009 the Championships will take place in
from January 19 to 25.
. The
.
The skating association of Germany and Austria joined in one club "Deutscher und Österrreichischer Eislaufverband" organised the first European Championships in figure skating as well as in
(ISU) was found. The ISU decided in 1892 to continue to hold European Championships in figure skating each year. 1895 it was decided to hold World Championships instead of Europeans. Therefore the Europeans were discontinued until 1898.
, skaters representing any ISU Member could enter the European Championships. After Canadian
won the singles titles that year, entries were restricted to skaters representing European countries. The
was established by the ISU in 1999 as the equivalent competition for skaters from non-European countries.
Skaters qualify for the European Championships by belonging to a European Member nation of the ISU. Each country gets one entry in every discipline by default. The most entries a country can have in a single discipline is three. Countries earn a second or third entry for the following year's competition by earning points through skater placement. The points are equal to the sum of the placements of the country's skaters (top two if they have three). Entries do not carry over and so countries must continue to earn their second or third spot every year. If a country only has one skater/team, that skater/team must place in the top ten to earn a second entry and in the top two to earn three entries to next year's championships. If a country has two skaters/teams, the combined placement of those teams must be 13 or less to qualify 3 entries, and 28 or less to keep their two entries. If they do not do so, they only have one entry for the following year.
There are exceptions if a skater is forced to withdraw in the middle of the competition due to a medical emergency or equipment problems.
Which skaters from each country attend the European Championships is at the national governing body's discretion. Some countries rely on the results of their national championships while others have more varied critea. Selections vary by country.
Skaters must be older than fifteen as of July 1st the previous year to compete. The
is the corresponding competition for skaters from non-European countries.
The following countries have earned more than one entry to the 2008 European Championships based on their performance at the 2007 Europeans.
| 'Pairs Medalists' |
|---|
| Year | Location | 'Gold' | 'Silver' | 'Bronze' |
| 1930 | Vienna, Austria | Olga Orgonista / Sándor Szalay | Emilia Rotter / László Szollás | Gisela Hochaltinger / Otto Preissecker |
| 1931 | St. Moritz, Switzerland | Olga Orgonista / Sándor Szalay | Emilia Rotter / László Szollás | Lilly Gaillard / Willy Petter |
| 1932 | Paris, France | Andrée Brunet / Pierre Brunet | Lilly Gaillard / Willy Petter | Idi Papez / Karl Zwack |
| 1933 | London, Great Britain | Idi Papez / Karl Zwack | Lilly Gaillard / Willy Petter | Mollie Philips / Rodney Murdoch |
| 1934 | Prague, Czechoslovakia | Emilia Rotter / László Szollás | Idi Papez / Karl Zwack | Zofja Bilorowna / Tadeusz Kowalski |
| 1935 | St. Moritz, Switzerland | Maxi Herber / Ernst Baier | Idi Papez / Karl Zwack | Lucy Gallo / Rezso Dillinger |
| 1936 | Berlin, Germany | Maxi Herber / Ernst Baier | Violet Cliff / Leslie Cliff | Piroska Szekrenyessy / Attila Szekrenyessy |
| 1937 | Prague, Czechoslovakia | Maxi Herber / Ernst Baier | Ilse Pausin / Erich Pausin | Piroska Szekrenyessy / Attila Szekrenyessy |
| 1938 | St. Moritz, Switzerland | Maxi Herber / Ernst Baier | Ilse Pausin / Erich Pausin | Inge Koch / Gunther Noack |
| 1939 | London, Great Britain | Maxi Herber / Ernst Baier | Ilse Pausin / Erich Pausin | Inge Koch / Gunther Noack |
| 1940-1946 | not held due to World War II |
|---|
| 1947 | Davos, Switzerland | Micheline Lannoy / Pierre Baugniet | Winifred Silverthorne / Dennis Silverthorne | Suzanne Diskeuve / Edmond Verbustel |
| 1948 | Prague, Czechoslovakia | Andrea Kékesy / Ede Király | Blažena Knittlová / Karel Vosátka | Herta Ratzenhofer / Emil Ratzenhofer |
| 1949 | Milan, Italy | Andrea Kékesy / Ede Király | Marianne Nagy / Lászlo Nagy | Herta Ratzenhofer / Emil Ratzenhofer |
| 1950 | Oslo, Norway | Marianne Nagy / Lászlo Nagy | Eliane Steinemann / Andre Calame | Jennifer Nicks / John Nicks |
| 1951 | Zürich, Switzerland | Ria Baran / Paul Falk | Eliane Steinemann / Andre Calame | Jennifer Nicks / John Nicks |
| 1952 | Vienna, Austria | Ria Baran / Paul Falk | Jennifer Nicks / John Nicks | Marianne Nagy / Lászlo Nagy |
| 1953 | Dortmund, West Germany | Jennifer Nicks / John Nicks | Marianne Nagy / Lászlo Nagy | Elisabeth Schwartz / Kurt Oppelt |
| 1954 | Bolzano, Italy | Silvia Grandjean / Michel Grandjean | Elisabeth Schwartz / Kurt Oppelt | Soňa Balůnova / Miroslav Balůn |
| 1955 | Budapest, Hungary | Marianne Nagy / Lászlo Nagy | Vera Suchánková / Zdeněk Doležal | Marika Kilius / Franz Ningel |
| 1956 | Paris, France | Elisabeth Schwartz / Kurt Oppelt | Marianne Nagy / Lászlo Nagy | Marika Kilius / Franz Ningel |
| 1957 | Vienna, Austria | Věra Suchánková / Zdeněk Doležal | Marianne Nagy / Lászlo Nagy | Marika Kilius / Franz Ningel |
| 1958 | Bratislava, Czechoslovakia | Věra Suchánková / Zdeněk Doležal | Nina Zhuk / Stanislav Zhuk | Joyce Coates / Anthony Holles |
| 1959 | Davos, Switzerland | Marika Kilius / Hans-Jürgen Bäumler | Nina Zhuk / Stanislav Zhuk | Joyce Coates / Anthony Holles |
| 1960 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany | Marika Kilius / Hans-Jürgen Bäumler | Nina Zhuk / Stanislav Zhuk | Margret Gobl / Franz Ningel |
| 1961 | Berlin, East Germany | Marika Kilius / Hans-Jürgen Bäumler | Margret Gobl / Franz Ningel | Margrit Senf / Peter Gobel |
| 1962 | Geneva, Switzerland | Marika Kilius / Hans-Jürgen Bäumler | Ludmila Belousova / Oleg Protopopov | Margret Gobl / Franz Ningel |
| 1963 | Budapest, Hungary | Marika Kilius / Hans-Jürgen Bäumler | Ludmila Belousova / Oleg Protopopov | Tatjana Zhuk / Alexander Gavrilov |
| 1964 | Grenoble, France | Marika Kilius / Hans-Jürgen Bäumler | Ludmila Belousova / Oleg Protopopov | Tatiana Zhuk / Aleksandr Gavrilov |
| 1965 | Moscow, Soviet Union | Ludmila Belousova / Oleg Protopopov | Gerda Johner / Ruedi Johner | Tatjana Zhuk / Aleksandr Gorelik |
| 1966 | Bratislava, Czechoslovakia | Ludmila Belousova / Oleg Protopopov | Tatiana Zhuk / Aleksandr Gorelik | Margo Glockschuber / Wolfgang Danne |
| 1967 | Ljubljana, Yugoslavia | Ludmila Belousova / Oleg Protopopov | Margot Glockshuber / Wolfgang Danne | Heidemarie Steiner / Heinz Ulrich Walther |
| 1968 | Västerås, Sweden | Ludmila Belousova / Oleg Protopopov | Tamara Moskvina / Alexei Mishin | Heidemarie Steiner / Heinz-Ulrich Walther |
| 1969 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany | Irina Rodnina / Alexei Ulanov | Ludmila Belousova / Oleg Protopopov | Tamara Moskvina / Alexei Mishin |
| 1970 | Leningrad, Soviet Union | Irina Rodnina / Alexei Ulanov | Ludmila Smirnova / Andrei Suraikin | Heidemarie Steiner / Heinz-Ulrich Walther |
| 1971 | Zürich, Switzerland | Irina Rodnina / Alexei Ulanov | Ludmila Smirnova / Andrei Suraikin | Galina Karelina / Georgi Proskurin |
| 1972 | Gothenburg, Sweden | Irina Rodnina / Alexei Ulanov | Ludmila Smirnova / Andrei Suraikin | Manuela Groß / Uwe Kagelmann |
| 1973 | Cologne, West Germany | Irina Rodnina / Alexander Zaitsev | Ludmila Smirnova / Alexei Ulanov | Almut Lehmann / Herbert Wiesinger |
| 1974 | Zagreb, Yugoslavia | Irina Rodnina / Alexander Zaitsev | Romy Kermer / Rolf Österreich | Ludmila Smirnova / Alexei Ulanov |
| 1975 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Irina Rodnina / Alexander Zaitsev | Romy Kermer / Rolf Österreich | Manuela Groß / Uwe Kagelmann |
| 1976 | Geneva, Switzerland | Irina Rodnina / Alexander Zaitsev | Romy Kermer / Rolf Österreich | Irina Vorobieva / Alexandr Vlasov |
| 1977 | Helsinki, Finland | Irina Rodnina / Alexander Zaitsev | Irina Vorobieva / Alexandr Vlasov | Marina Cherkasova / Sergei Shakhrai |
| 1978 | Strasbourg, France | Irina Rodnina / Alexander Zaitsev | Marina Cherkasova / Sergei Shakhrai | Manuela Mager / Uwe Bewersdorff |
| 1979 | Zagreb, Yugoslavia | Marina Cherkasova / Sergei Shakhrai | Irina Vorobieva / Igor Lisovski | Sabine Baess / Tassilo Thierbach |
| 1980 | Gothenburg, Sweden | Irina Rodnina / Alexander Zaitsev | Marina Cherkasova / Sergei Shakhrai | Marina Pestova / Stanislav Leonovich |
| 1981 | Innsbruck, Austria | Irina Vorobieva / Igor Lisovski | Christina Riegel / Andreas Nischwitz | Marina Cherkasova / Sergei Shakhrai |
| 1982 | Lyon, France | Sabine Baess / Tassilo Thierbach | Marina Pestova / Stanislav Leonovich | Irina Vorobieva / Igor Lisovski |
| 1983 | Dortmund, West Germany | Sabine Baeß / Tassilo Thierbach | Elena Valova / Oleg Vasiliev | Birgit Lorenz / Knut Schubert |
| 1984 | Budapest, Hungary | Elena Valova / Oleg Vasiliev | Sabine Baeß / Tassilo Thierbach | Birgit Lorenz / Knut Schubert |
| 1985 | Gothenburg, Sweden | Elena Valova / Oleg Vasiliev | Larisa Selezneva / Oleg Makarov | Veronika Pershina / Marat Akbarov |
| 1986 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Elena Valova / Oleg Vasiliev | Ekaterina Gordeeva / Sergei Grinkov | Elena Bechke / Valeri Kornienko |
| 1987 | Sarajevo, Yugoslavia | Larisa Selezneva / Oleg Makarov | Elena Valova / Oleg Vasiliev | Katrin Kanitz / Tobias Schröter |
| 1988 | Prague, Czechoslovakia | Ekaterina Gordeeva / Sergei Grinkov | Larisa Selezneva / Oleg Makarov | Peggy Schwarz / Alexander König |
| 1989 | Birmingham, Great Britain | Larisa Selezneva / Oleg Makarov | Mandy Wötzel / Axel Rauschenbach | Natalia Mishkutenok / Artur Dmitriev |
| 1990 | Leningrad, Soviet Union | Ekaterina Gordeeva / Sergei Grinkov | Larisa Selezneva / Oleg Makarov | Natalia Mishkutenok / Artur Dmitriev |
| 1991 | Sofia, Bulgaria | Natalia Mishkutenok / Artur Dmitriev | Elena Bechke / Denis Petrov | Evgenia Shishkova / Vadim Naumov |
| 1992 | Lausanne, Switzerland | Natalia Mishkutenok / Artur Dmitriev | Elena Bechke / Denis Petrov | Evgenia Shishkova / Vadim Naumov |
| 1993 | Helsinki, Finland | Marina Eltsova / Andrei Bushkov | Mandy Wötzel / Ingo Steuer | Evgenia Shishkova / Vadim Naumov |
| 1994 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Ekaterina Gordeeva / Sergei Grinkov | Evgenia Shishkova / Vadim Naumov | Natalia Mishkutenok / Artur Dmitriev |
| 1995 | Dortmund, Germany | Mandy Wötzel / Ingo Steuer | Radka Kovaříková / René Novotný | Evgenia Shishkova / Vadim Naumov |
| 1996 | Sofia, Bulgaria | Oksana Kazakova / Artur Dmitriev | Mandy Wötzel / Ingo Steuer | Sarah Abitbol / Stephane Bernadis |
| 1997 | Paris, France | Marina Eltsova / Andrei Bushkov | Mandy Wötzel / Ingo Steuer | Yelena Berezhnaya / Anton Sikharulidze |
| 1998 | Milan, Italy | Yelena Berezhnaya / Anton Sikharulidze | Oksana Kazakova / Artur Dmitriev | Sarah Abitbol / Stephane Bernadis |
| 1999 | Prague, Czech Republic | Maria Petrova / Alexei Tikhonov | Dorota Zagórska / Mariusz Siudek | Sarah Abitbol / Stephane Bernadis |
| 2000 | Vienna, Austria | Maria Petrova / Alexei Tikhonov | Dorota Zagórska / Mariusz Siudek | Sarah Abitbol / Stephane Bernadis |
| 2001 | Bratislava, Slovakia | Yelena Berezhnaya / Anton Sikharulidze | Tatiana Totmianina / Maxim Marinin | Sarah Abitbol / Stephane Bernadis |
| 2002 | Lausanne, Switzerland | Tatiana Totmianina / Maxim Marinin | Sarah Abitbol / Stephane Bernadis | Maria Petrova / Alexei Tikhonov |
| 2003 | Malmö, Sweden | Tatiana Totmianina / Maxim Marinin | Sarah Abitbol / Stephane Bernadis | Maria Petrova / Alexei Tikhonov |
| 2004 | Budapest, Hungary | Tatiana Totmianina / Maxim Marinin | Maria Petrova / Alexei Tikhonov | Dorota Zagórska / Mariusz Siudek |
| 2005 | Turin, Italy | Tatiana Totmianina / Maxim Marinin | Julia Obertas / Sergei Slavnov | Maria Petrova / Alexei Tikhonov |
| 2006 | Lyon, France | Tatiana Totmianina / Maxim Marinin | Aliona Savchenko / Robin Szolkowy | Maria Petrova / Alexei Tikhonov |
| 2007 | Warsaw, Poland | Aliona Savchenko / Robin Szolkowy | Maria Petrova / Alexei Tikhonov | Dorota Siudek / Mariusz Siudek |
| 2008 | Zagreb, Croatia | | | |
| 2009 | Helsinki, Finland | | | |
.