The competition was open to skaters from a European member nations of the International Skating Union who had reached the age of 15 before 1 July 2010.

National associations selected their entries based on their own criteria but those skaters had to achieve a minimum technical elements score (TES) at an international event prior to the European Championships.

The minimum TES for each discipline and segment were: With the exception of pairs, skaters who were ranked lower in the World Standings list also had to skate in a preliminary round before the main event.

[6] In the ladies event, Sarah Meier, a previous medalist, ended her competitive career with her first European title in front of her home crowd.

In the pairs event, Aliona Savchenko / Robin Szolkowy won their fourth European title, edging out defending champions Yuko Kavaguti / Alexander Smirnov.

[3][9] Nathalie Pechalat / Fabian Bourzat, who had finished fourth in 2009 and 2010, reached their first ISU Championship podium and captured the gold in the ice dance event.