Origin and development
Origin and development
General context
‘The Council of Europe' explained by Professor Pierre Gerbet (Paris, 23 January 2004)
SonPierre Gerbet, Emeritus University Professor at the Paris Institute of Political Science, outlines the origins, powers and responsibilities, operating method and political development of the Council of Europe.
Interview with Peter Smithers: the birth of the Council of Europe (14 October 1998)
SonPeter Smithers, Member of the Consultative Assembly at the time of its constitution, and Secretary-General of the Council of Europe from 1964 to 1969, recounts the birth of the Council of Europe, conjuring up the enthusiastic atmosphere prevailing among the Members of the Assembly at that time.
Interview de Pierre Pflimlin: le Conseil de l'Europe (5 mars 1998)
SonAncien membre de l'Assemblée consultative du Conseil de l'Europe, et son président de 1963 à 1966, Pierre Pflimlin relate les épisodes clé de la naissance du Conseil de l'Europe et de son évolution ultérieure en tant qu'organisation de la Grande Europe.
The influence of the International Committee of the Movements for European Unity
The opening of the Congress of Europe in The Hague (7 May 1948)
ImageFrom 7 to 10 May 1948, some 800 activists representing the various European movements meet at the Hague Congress under the honorary chairmanship of Winston Churchill.
Winston Churchill
ImageIn May 1948, under the Honorary Chairmanship of Winston Churchill, the Hague Congress calls for the convening of a European Assembly, the drafting of a Charter for Human Rights and the establishment of a Court of Justice responsible for ensuring its proper implementation.
Political Resolution of the Hague Congress (7–10 May 1948)
TexteAt the end of the Congress of Europe held in The Hague in May 1948 by the International Committee of the Movements for European Unity, the participants adopt a Political Resolution calling for the convening of a European Assembly, the drafting of a Charter of Human Rights and the establishment a Court of Justice responsible for ensuring that the Charter is properly implemented.
Memorandum from the International Committee of Movements for European Unity (18 August 1948)
TexteOn 18 August 1948, in the light of the French proposal based on the resolutions of the Hague Congress that a European Assembly be established and the request from the British Government for clarification on the subject, the International Committee of the Movements for European Unity submits a memorandum to the governments concerned outlining a series of specific proposals on the way in which such an Assembly might be convened.
Extract from the minutes of the 27th sitting of the Standing Committee of the Treaty of Brussels (2 September 1948)
TexteAt the 27th sitting of the Standing Committee of the Treaty of Brussels held in London on 2 September 1948, the representatives of the governments of the five Powers adopt a position on the memorandum from the International Committee of the Movements for European Unity, dated 18 August 1948, with a view to the establishment of a European Assembly.
French note in reply to the British note dated 7 September 1948 (1 October 1948)
TexteIn the light of the British Government’s differing interpretation of the memorandum from the International Committee of the Movements for European Unity dated 18 August 1948, the French Government sets out its views on the role and composition of the European Assembly in order to avoid any misunderstandings.
Letter from Jules Guillaume to Paul-Henri Spaak (Paris, 15 October 1948)
TexteIn a letter dated 15 October 1948, Jules Guillaume, Belgian Ambassador to France, informs the Belgian Foreign Minister, Paul-Henri Spaak, of the British Government’s rather reticent position on the Franco-Belgian proposal for the establishment of an Assembly of Western European countries.
The work of the European Union Working Committee
Summary record of the third session of the Consultative Council of the Brussels Treaty Powers (Paris, 25–26 October 1948)
TexteOn 26 October 1948, the Consultative Council of the Brussels Treaty Powers decides to set up a ‘Committee for the Study of European Unity’, which will have its seat in Paris, to be responsible for reconciling the suggestions put forward by the French and Belgians, on the one hand, and by the British, on the other, with a view to establishing a closer union between the countries of Europe.
Communiqué published at the end of the third session of the Consultative Council of the Brussels Treaty Powers (Paris, 26 October 1948)
TexteCommuniqué published at the end of the third session of the Consultative Council of the Brussels Treaty Powers, held in Paris on 25 and 26 October 1948, at which a decision was taken to set up a committee to be responsible for reviewing the measures to be taken in order to achieve European unity.
Minutes of the first plenary sitting of the Committee for the Study of European Unity (26 November 1948)
TexteThe first plenary sitting of the Committee for the Study of European Unity, attended by delegations from the five signatory states to the Treaty of Brussels (Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom), is held in Paris on 26 November 1948. At that sitting, the delegation chairmen set out their reasons for participating in the activities and set out their views on ‘European rapprochement’ in the hope of finding a tangible form for that concept during the proposed discussions.
Memorandum on the British proposal for a Council of Europe (26 November 1948)
TexteThe Committee for the Study of European Unity, created by decision of the Brussels Treaty Advisory Council, meets in Paris from November 1948 to January 1949, with the aim of conciliating the Franco-Belgian and British proposals to institutionalise European cooperation. On 27 November 1948, the British delegation submits to the Committee, for its second plenary session, a memorandum on the proposal for a Council of Europe.
Memorandum from the French Delegation on the plan for a European Consultative Assembly (29 November 1948)
TexteThe Committee for the Study of European Unity, created by decision of the Brussels Treaty Advisory Council, meets in Paris from November 1948 to January 1949, with the aim of conciliating the Franco-Belgian and British proposals to institutionalise European cooperation. On 30 November 1948, the French delegation submits to the Committee, for its third plenary session, a memorandum on the plan for a European Consultative Assembly, to which the Belgian delegation has given its provisional agreement.
Draft of the Sub-Committee of the Committee for the Study of European Unity (15 December 1948)
TexteOn 15 December 1948, the Sub-Committee of the Committee for the Study of European Unity submits a draft constituent text for a European Union.
"Le gouvernement et le parlement de l'Europe occidentale deviendraient réalité l'été prochain" dans La Libre Belgique (18 décembre 1948)
TexteParu le 18 décembre 1948 dans le quotidien belge La Libre Belgique, l'article dévoile, grâce aux révélations d'un délégué belge à Paris, le plan d'unité européenne approuvé par les délégués des cinq États membres du Pacte de Bruxelles et devant encore être soumis aux cinq ministres des Affaires étrangères pour approbation définitive. Ce plan comprendrait un "Conseil des ministres" et un "Parlement d'Europe occidentale".
Statement made by the Netherlands delegate (18 January 1949)
TexteAt the fifth plenary sitting of the Committee for the Study of European Unity, held in Paris on 18 January 1949, the Netherlands delegate expresses his satisfaction at the substance of the Subcommittee’s report and hopes that the agreement will be formalised under the Consultative Council established by the Treaty of Brussels.
Draft Heads of Agreement for a Council of Europe submitted by the British Delegation (18 January 1949)
TexteOn 18 January 1949, the British Government, unable to endorse the draft constituent text for a European Union submitted on 15 January 1949 by the Sub-Committee of the Committee for the Study of European Unity, submits a fresh proposal, and the Committee’s deliberations end on 20 January without any agreement having been reached.
‘The plan for a Western Parliament’ from Le Soir (26 January 1949)
TexteThis article, published on 26 January 1949 in the Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir on the eve of a meeting of the Brussels Treaty Council, explains the British Government’s reluctance to subscribe to the plan to create a European Ministerial Council and a Consultative Assembly, already approved by France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
The establishment of the Council of Europe
Summary record of the fourth session of the Consultative Council of the Brussels Treaty Powers (London, 27–28 January 1949)
TexteAt the fourth session of the Consultative Council of the Brussels Treaty Powers, held on 27 and 28 January 1949, the Foreign Ministers of the five Powers agree on the establishment of a Council of Europe consisting of a ‘ministerial committee’ and of a ‘consultative body’.
Draft invitation to attend the preparatory conference of the Standing Committee of the Treaty of Brussels (25 February 1949)
TexteFollowing the deliberations of the Standing Committee of the Treaty of Brussels, its Secretary-General draws up a draft invitation to attend the preparatory conference of the Council of Europe, to be issued to the governments of Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Norway and Sweden.
Draft organisation of the Council of Europe established by the Standing Committee of the Treaty of Brussels (4 March 1949)
TexteFinal version of the draft organisation of the Council of Europe, submitted by the Secretary-General of the Standing Committee of the Treaty of Brussels on 2 February 1949.
Conference on the establishment of a Council of Europe: extract concerning the name of the organisation (London, 3 and 4 May 1949)
TexteExtract from the minutes of the Conference on the establishment of a Council of Europe, held at St James’s Palace in London from 3 to 5 May 1949, concerning the issue of the name of the organisation.
The establishment of the Council of Europe
The establishment of the Council of Europe
VidéoThis archive film shows the early days of the Council of Europe in 1949 following the Congress of the European Movements held in The Hague in May 1948.
Signing of the Statute of the Council of Europe (London, 5 May 1949)
VidéoOn 5 May 1949 in St James’s Palace, London, the Foreign Ministers of Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom sign the Treaty establishing the Council of Europe.
Address given by Ernest Bevin (London, 5 May 1949)
SonErnest Bevin, British Foreign Secretary, delivers the inaugural address at the ceremony held to mark the signing of the Statute of the Council of Europe on 5 May 1949 in London. On this occasion, he declares that the new institution has given the peoples of Europe new hope.
Signing of the Statute of the Council of Europe (London, 5 May 1949)
ImageThe signing of the Statute of the Council of Europe takes place on 5 May 1949 at St James’s Palace, London.
Signing of the Statute of the Council of Europe (London, 5 May 1949)
ImageOn 5 May 1949 in London, Robert Schuman, French Foreign Minister, signs the Statute of the Council of Europe, on behalf of France.
Statute of the Council of Europe (London, 5 May 1949)
TexteOn 5 May 1949, in London, the Foreign Ministers of Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom sign the Statute of the Council of Europe. It enters into force on 3 August 1949.
Pages bearing the signatures to the Statute of the Council of Europe
TexteThe final pages of the Statute of the Council of Europe bearing the signatures of the representatives of the ten founding member States.
‘The Council of Europe' from Le Monde (7 May 1949)
TexteOn 7 May 1949, commenting on the signing of the Treaty establishing the Council of Europe in London two days earlier, the French daily newspaper Le Monde analyses the powers and the role of the Strasbourg institution.
Certificate on the entry into force of the Statute of the Council of Europe (London, 3 August 1949)
TexteOn 3 August 1949, the Head of the Treaty Department of the British Foreign Office delivers a certificate on the entry into force of the Statute of the Council of Europe on behalf of the Government of the United Kingdom, depositary of the instruments of ratification.
General Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the Council of Europe (Paris, 2 September 1949)
TexteGeneral Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the Council of Europe, signed in Paris on 2 September 1949 and coming into force on 10 September 1952. According to Article 1 of the Agreement, the Council of Europe possesses juridical personality.
The evolution of the Council of Europe
Austria accedes to the Council of Europe (Strasbourg, 16 April 1956)
VidéoOn 16 April 1956, the day of Austria's accession to the Council of Europe, Leopold Figl, Austrian Foreign Minister, and Bruno Kreisky, State Secretary, attend a meeting of the organisation's Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg for the first time.
‘The Council of Europe celebrates its tenth anniversary’ from Le Soir (21 April 1959)
TextePublished on 21 April 1959 in the Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir to mark the tenth anniversary of the Council of Europe, this article describes how the organisation was founded under the patronage of eminent European political figures. After emphasising the influence of the Consultative Assembly in promoting the European idea and the work of the Committee of Ministers in drafting conventions, the article’s author gives the European Convention on Human Rights a special mention as the most remarkable achievement of the Council of Europe.
Declaration of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (5 May 1989)
TexteOn 5 May 1989, the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the Council of Europe, the Committee of Ministers adopts a Declaration which marks a turning point in the organisation’s history. In the light of the process of reform taking place in Eastern Europe, the Council of Europe is considering new prospects for cooperation with the countries of Eastern Europe, in particular in the fields of the promotion of human rights and the development of pluralist democracy.
Interview with Catherine Lalumière: the activities of the Council of Europe (Paris, 17 May 2006)
VidéoIn this interview, Catherine Lalumière, former Secretary General of the Council of Europe, describes this institution’s political revival following the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, in particular through its support for the democratisation of the countries of the former Communist bloc.
"Le Conseil de l'Europe, creuset de la confédération" dans Le Monde (12 mai 1952)
TexteUne semaine après l’intervention de François Mitterrand, Président de la République française, devant l’Assemblée parlementaire du Conseil de l’Europe à Strasbourg le 4 mai 1992, le quotidien français Le Monde retrace les étapes principales de l’histoire de l’organisation, depuis sa fondation jusqu’à son élargissement vers l’Est, et fournit les clés pour comprendre le rôle d’une institution qui cherche à préserver sa place dans le concert des organisations européennes.
Declaration of the Council of Europe's First Summit (Vienna, 9 October 1993)
TexteOn 9 October 1993, the Heads of State or Government of the member states of the Council of Europe, meeting in Vienna, adopt a Declaration which confirms the organisation’s pan-European vocation and sets out new political priorities, including the protection of national minorities and the fight against all forms of racism, xenophobia and intolerance.
First summit of the Council of Europe (Vienna, 8 and 9 October 1993)
ImageGroup photo of the Heads of State or Government of the member States of the Council of Europe taken at that organisation’s first summit, held in Vienna on 8 and 9 October 1993.
Final Declaration of the Council of Europe’s Second Summit (Strasbourg, 10 and 11 October 1997)
TexteOn 10 and 11 October 1997, the Heads of State or Government of the member States of the Council of Europe, meeting in Strasbourg at the organisation’s Second Summit, define their priorities following the enlargement of the Council of Europe to encompass 40 member States.
Action Plan of the Council of Europe’s Second Summit (Strasbourg, 10 and 11 October 1997)
TexteAt the Council of Europe’s second Summit, held on 10 and 11 October 1997 in Strasbourg, the Heads of State or Government of the organisation’s member States draw up an Action Plan annexed to the Final Declaration which seeks to define the main tasks for the Council of Europe in the coming years, particularly in the run-up to its 50th anniversary.
Second Council of Europe Summit (Strasbourg, 10 and 11 October 1997)
ImageGroup photo of the Heads of State or Government of the member States of the Council of Europe taken at their meeting in Strasbourg on 10 and 11 October 1997 on the occasion of that organisation’s Second Summit.
Final Declaration of the Third Council of Europe Summit (Warsaw, 16 and 17 May 2005)
TexteMeeting in Warsaw on 16 and 17 May 2005 for the organisation’s Third Summit, the Heads of State or Government of the member states of the Council of Europe undertake to promote the values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law and to guarantee cultural diversity, security and the fight against discrimination. In the implementation of these core objectives, the complementarity of the Council of Europe and other organisations must be ensured.
Action Plan of the Council of Europe’s Third Summit (Warsaw, 16 and 17 May 2005)
TexteOn the occasion of the Council of Europe’s Third Summit, held in Warsaw on 16 and 17 May 2005, the Heads of State or Government of the organisation’s member States draw up an Action Plan, annexed to the Final Declaration, in order to establish the principal tasks of the Council of Europe in the next few years.
Group photo of the hird summit of the Council of Europe (Warsaw, 16 and 17 May 2005)
ImageGroup photo of Heads of State or Government of Council of Europe Member States meeting in Warsaw on 16 and 17 May 2005 for the organisation’s third summit.
Presidency of the third Council of Europe Summit (Warsaw, 16 and 17 May 2005)
ImageTable of the Polish Presidency of the third Council of Europe Summit, held in Warsaw on 16 and 17 May 2005. From left to right: Aleksander Kwasniewski, President of Poland, and Marek Belka, Prime Minister.
Conference room at the third Council of Europe Summit (Warsaw, 16–17 May 2005)
ImageGeneral view of the conference room where the third Council of Europe Summit was held on 16 and 17 May 2005 in Warsaw.
The evolution of the Council of Europe
René van der Linden, Terry Davis and Aleksander Kwasniewski (Warsaw, 16 and 17 May 2005)
ImagePhoto of the press conference held in Warsaw at the third Council of Europe Summit of 16 and 17 May 2005. From left to right: René van der Linden, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Terry Davis, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, and Aleksander Kwasniewski, President of Poland.
Address given by Terry Davis at the closing session of the Third Council of Europe Summit (Warsaw, 17 May 2005)
TexteIn an address given in Warsaw on 17 May 2005 at the closing session of the Third Summit of the Heads of State or Government of the member States of the Council of Europe, Terry Davis, Secretary General of the organisation, reviews the outcome of the Summit.
‘The Council of Europe speculates over its future in the area of the supervision of human rights’ from Le Monde (17 May 2005)
TexteOn 17 May 2005, reporting on the Third Council of Europe Summit, which opened in Warsaw the previous day, the French daily newspaper Le Monde outlines the implications of a meeting devoted to strengthening the organisation’s political mandate and to the definition of its scope vis-à-vis that of the European Union.
‘The Council of Europe in search of an identity’ from the Luxemburger Wort (18 May 2005)
TexteOn 18 May 2005, the day after the conclusion of the Third Council of Europe Summit, held in Warsaw on 16 and 17 May, the daily newspaper Luxemburger Wort comments on a meeting that was primarily marked by the issue of the clarification of the Council of Europe’s role in the hierarchy of the European organisations and, in particular, by its need to redefine its relations with the European Union.
‘The Council of Europe unsettled by Russia’ from Le Monde (1 July 2005)
TexteOn 1 July 2005, this article published in the French daily newspaper Le Monde analyses the influence of Russia, a member of the Council of Europe since 1996, in exacerbating the identity crisis that the organisation is experiencing at the turn of the 21st century.
Communication by Thorbjørn Jagland on the progress of the Council of Europe reform (Strasbourg, 11 April 2011)
TexteOn 11 April 2011, at the second part of the 2011 Ordinary Session of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland highlights the new political challenges facing the Council of Europe and emphasises the need to complete the reform of the organisation.