The International Linear Collider. A European Perspective

The International Linear Collider (ILC) being proposed in Japan is an electron-positron linear collider with an initial energy of 250 GeV. The ILC accelerator is based on the technology of superconducting radio-frequency cavities. This technology has reached a mature stage in the European XFEL project and is now widely used. The ILC will start by measuring the Higgs properties, providing high-precision and model-independent determinations of its parameters. The ILC at 250 GeV will also search for direct new physics in exotic Higgs decays and in pair-production of weakly interacting particles. The use of polarised electron and positron beams opens new capabilities and scenarios that add to the physics reach. The ILC can be upgraded to higher energy, enabling precision studies of the top quark and measurement of the top Yukawa coupling and the Higgs self-coupling. The international -- including European -- interest for the project is very strong. Europe has participated in the ILC project since its early conception and plays a major role in its present development covering most of its scientific and technological aspects: physics studies, accelerator and detectors. The potential for a wide participation of European groups and laboratories is thus high, including important opportunities for European industry. Following decades of technical development, R&D, and design optimisation, the project is ready for construction and the European particle physics community, technological centers and industry are prepared to participate in this challenging endeavour.