This session is devoted to observational, modelling and theoretical studies aimed at identifying and quantifying the properties of solar wind structures and the mechanisms that make them important for solar wind – planetary magnetosphere interaction. Past and recent studies have revealed that the energy carried by the solar wind may affect near-Earth space in various ways. Geomagnetic storms at Earth for instance, driven by solar wind structures such as CMEs and CIRs, are the events during which much energy is dissipated in the magnetosphere. We solicit contributions which address (1) the mechanisms that control the propagation and properties of large-scale solar wind structures, (2) how the energy is transferred and dissipated in solar wind –magnetosphere coupling (e.g., state of the plasma sheet, plasmasphere, preconditioning and geoeffectiveness), and (3) how those effects differ at various planetary magnetospheres. This session thus also encompasses efforts aimed at modelling and predicting the geoeffectiveness of solar wind structures in terms of various geomagnetic indices. The mechanisms under consideration are of prime importance for space weather modelling applications.