This archive film portrays the origins and the early days of the Council of Europe in 1949 following the Congress of Europe held in The Hague in May 1948.

Robert Schuman (on the right), French Foreign Minister, and his British counterpart, Ernest Bevin (on the left), at the first meeting of the Council of Europe in 1949.

Diagram showing the organisation and operation of the Council of Europe according to the provisions of the Statute of the Council of Europe of 5 May 1949.

From 1950 onwards, Robert Schuman encourages the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). From amongst his reasons for doing so, he singles out the weakness of intergovernmental European organisations such as the Council of Europe.