Each year one section hosts the annual congress, providing an opportunity for members to meet like-minded journalists from around Europe. The congress consists of a Conference on issues of current importance, and a General Assembly where representatives debate and pass resolutions on professional matters and vote on the administration of the international AEJ.
Past congresses
| 1962 | San Remo | Italy |
| 1963 | Brussels | Belgium |
| 1964 | Strasbourg | France |
| 1965 | Palermo-Messina | Italy |
| 1966 | Berlin | Germany |
| 1967 | Brussels | Belgium |
| 1968 | Bad-Honingen | Germany |
| 1969 | Bordeaux | France |
| 1970 | Luxembourg | Luxembourg |
| 1971 | Bristol | London |
| 1972 | Cagliari | Italy |
| 1973 | Brussels | Belgium |
| 1974 | Mayence | Germany |
| 1975 | Athens | Greece |
| 1976 | Nice | France – Monaco |
| 1977 | Dublin-Galway, | Ireland |
| 1978 | The Hague | Holland |
| 1979 | Luxembourg | Luxembourg |
| 1980 | Roma | Italy |
| 1981 | Lisbon | Portugal |
| 1982 | Madrid-Oviedo | Spain |
| 1983 | Strasbourg | France |
| 1984 | Berlin | Germany |
| 1985 | Brussels – Hasselt – Liege – Maastricht | Belgium, Holland |
| 1986 | Trento-Venice | Italy |
| 1987 | Madeira | Portugal |
| 1988 | Dublin | Ireland |
| 1989 | Berlin | Germany |
| 1990 | Lille-Paris | France |
| 1991 | Madrid – Sevilla | Spain |
| 1992 | London | United Kingdom |
| 1993 | Athens | Greece |
| 1994 | Helsinki | Finland |
| 1995 | Malta | Malta |
| 1996 | Budapest | Hungary |
| 1997 | Lisbon | Portugal |
| 1998 | Warsaw | Poland |
| 1999 | Berlin | Germany |
| 2000 | Thessaloniki | Greece |
| 2001 | Bratislava | Slovakia |
| 2002 | San Remo | Italy |
| 2003 | Budapest | Hungary |
| 2004 | Kosice | Slovakia |
| 2005 | Patras | Greece |
| 2006 | Oviedo | Spain |
| 2007 | Dublin | Ireland |
| 2008 | Linz | Austria |
| 2009 | Maastricht | Holland |
| 2010 | Ordu | Turkey |
| 2011 | Bucharest | Romania |
| 2012 | Offida | Italy |
| 2013 | Brussels | Belgium |
| 2014 | Burgenland | Austria |
| 2015 | Sibiu | Romania |
| 2016 | Kilkenny | Ireland |
| 2017 | Vilnius | Lithuania |
| 2018 | Aitoloakarnania | Greece |
| 2019 | Paris | France |
| 2020 | Cancelled by Covid pandemic | |
| 2021 | Covid pandemic | |
| 2022 | Eretria | Greece |
| 2023 | Vlore | Albania |