In its communication dated 15 February 1987 entitled Making a success of the Single Act: a new frontier for Europe, commonly known as the ‘Delors I Package’, the Commission sets out its proposals for reform which would provide the Community with the resources required to attain the objectives of the Single Act and plans to introduce new rules governing budgetary discipline. Among other things, it recommends the establishment of multiannual financial forecasts to ensure the observance of budgetary discipline.

On 18 February 1987, Jacques Delors, President of the Commission of the European Communities, outlines what will be the focus of the Commission Communication entitled Making a success of the Single Act: a new frontier for Europe to the European Parliament.

On 19 February 1987, the French daily newspaper Le Monde analyses the proposals set out in the Delors I package on the reform of the Community budget.

On 10 March 1987, Emanuele Gazzo, Director of Agence Europe, emphasises the importance of the European Parliament debate on the Delors I Package on the reform of the Community budget.

On 12 March 1987, Emanuele Gazzo, Director of Agence Europe, defends the proposals set out in the Delors Plan to increase the revenue of the Twelve and reform the Community budget.

On 29 June 1987, as the European Council opens in Brussels, French President François Mitterrand expresses his optimism at the planned reform of Community funding put forward by the European Commission.

On 30 June 1987, the Brussels European Council issues its conclusions on the Commission communication entitled Making a success of the Single Act: a new frontier for Europe.

On 30 June 1987, following the Brussels European Council, the President of the French Republic, François Mitterrand, and his Prime Minister, Jacques Chirac, reply to questions from journalists on the issue of the financing of the Community.

Following the Brussels European Council, held on 29 and 30 June 1987, in its summer edition the federalist journal L'Europe en formation, analyses the disagreements between Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister, and her European counterparts over the Delors plan guidelines.

In its autumn 1987 edition, the federalist journal L'Europe en formation analyses the reasons for the failure of the Copenhagen European Council of 4 and 5 December 1987 on the adoption of the Delors Package.

After intense negotiations, the European Council, meeting in Brussels from 11 to 13 February 1988, adopts the ‘Delors I Package’.

Interinstitutional Agreement of 29 June 1988 on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure.

Jacques Delors, French President of the European Commission from 1985 to 1995.

In this interview, Jean-Jacques Kasel, Director of Political and Cultural Affairs in the Luxembourg Foreign Ministry from 1986 to 1992, discusses the difficulties encountered during the reform of the Community budget, undertaken in response to communications from the Commission known as the ‘Delors I and II Packages’. He particularly describes the general atmosphere of bargaining between the States which were net contributors and those which were net beneficiaries.

In this interview excerpt, Jacques Delors, President of the Commission of the European Communities from 1985 to 1995, discusses the origins of the concept of multiannual financial perspectives, and the negotiation of the first ‘Delors Package' in 1988.