List of the Luxembourg Presidencies of the Council from a historical point of view (EEC Council, Council of the European Communities and Council of the European Union).

This article by Jacques Delors, President of the Commission of the European Communities from 1985 to 1995, is an assessment of the first four European Councils held under Luxembourg’s presidency in Luxembourg in April 1976, December 1980, December 1985 and June 1991, and forms part of the collection of essays published in 1993 in honour of Pierre Werner.

List of the European Councils held in Luxembourg under the Luxembourg Presidency since 1976, including a summary table of the presidency conclusions.

Group photo of the first European Council held under the Luxembourg Presidency, taken at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg on 1 April 1976. In the first row: Helmut Schmidt, Aldo Moro, Leo Tindemans, Joop den Uyl, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, Grand Duke Jean, Gaston Thorn, James Callaghan, Anker Jorgensen, Liam Cosgrave and François-Xavier Ortoli. In the second row, among others: Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Knud Borge Andersen, Max van der Stoel, Renaat van Elslande, Wilhelm Haferkamp, Garret Fitzgerald, Jean Victor Sauvagnargues and Mariano Rumor.

In this interview, Jean-Jacques Kasel, Legation Attaché in the Luxembourg Foreign Ministry from 1973 to 1976, summarises the main difficulties encountered during the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Communities from 1 January to 30 June 1976.

Group photo of the second European Council held under Luxembourg Presidency, taken at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg on 1 December 1980.

Photo of the conference table taken during the Luxembourg European Council held on 2 and 3 December 1985. Among others, from left to right: Jacques Santer, Jacques Poos, Giulio Andreotti, François Mitterrand, Roland Dumas, Helmut Kohl, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Jacques Delors and Wilfried Martens.

Group photo of the Heads of State or Government taken during the informal European Council held in Luxembourg on 8 April 1991 at the Conference Centre on Kirchberg.

Group photo of the European Council held on 28 and 29 June 1991 in the Kirchberg Conference Centre, Luxembourg.

Group photo of the European Council held on 20 and 21 November 1997 in the Conference Centre on Kirchberg.

Group photo of the European Council held on 12 and 13 December 1997 in the Kirchberg Conference Centre, Luxembourg.

Group photo of the Brussels European Council held on 22 and 23 March 2005 during the Luxembourg Presidency.

Group photo of the Brussels European Council held on 16 and 17 June 2005 during the Luxembourg Presidency.

On 1 and 2 April 1976, the first European Council, devoted to a review of the economic and monetary situation, is held in Luxembourg under the Luxembourgish Presidency. Despite the fact that the European Council does not succeed in adopting a set of conclusions, Gaston Thorn, President-in-Office of the Council, establishes that it is for the Ministers of Finance and of Economic Affairs to take tangible decisions, without neglecting the role of the European Council as a useful forum for Heads of State or Government to exchange views.

Conclusions of the Presidency of the Luxembourg European Council, held on 1 and 2 December 1980, mainly concerning current international political issues.

On 2 and 3 December 1985, the Luxembourg European Council reaffirms the desire of the Ten to establish the single internal market before 1992.

On 2 and 3 December 1985, the European Council, held under the Luxembourgish presidency, adopts a series of texts which, combined in a ‘Single European Act’, are to be completed at the Luxembourg Intergovernmental Conference on 16 and 17 December 1985 and approved on 17 February 1986.

The Luxembourg European Council, held on 28 and 29 June 1991, considers that the draft Treaty on European Union drawn up by the Luxembourg Presidency forms the basis for the continuation of negotiations at the two Conferences, on Political Union and on Economic and Monetary Union, which will lead to the ratification of the Treaty of Maastricht on 7 February 1992.

The Extraordinary Luxembourg European Council on 20 and 21 November 1997 decides on the early implementation in 1998 of the provisions of the new Title on employment in the Treaty of Amsterdam, prior to the entry into force of that Treaty. This decision forms part of an overall strategy involving the coordination of Member States’ employment policies, the development of a macro-economic policy and the systematic harnessing of all Community policies to support employment.

The Luxembourg European Council of 12 and 13 December 1997 decides to launch a comprehensive, inclusive and ongoing enlargement process, encompassing the ten countries applying for accession to the Union from Central and Eastern Europe, plus Cyprus. In addition, it decides to begin, in the spring of 1998, accession negotiations with Cyprus, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia.

On 22 and 23 March 2005, the Brussels European Council, held during the Luxembourg Presidency, approves a more efficient implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact and decides in particular to relaunch the Lisbon Strategy at its mid-term point so as to encourage growth and employment in a European area of knowledge, and in compliance with the principle of sustainable development.

At the Brussels European Council held on 16 and 17 June 2005 during the Luxembourg Presidency, although the Twenty-Five do not manage to adopt the financial perspective for the Community budget for the period 2007–2013, they nevertheless establish priorities for the European Union regarding growth and employment policy; the strengthening of the area of freedom, security and justice; the fight against terrorism; external relations; and the European security and defence policy (ESDP).

At the end of the Brussels European Council of 16 and 17 June 2005, Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg Prime Minister and President-in-Office of the European Council, expresses his disappointment at the failure of the negotiations on the financing of the European Union budget for the period 2007–2013.

At the end of the Brussels European Council of 16 and 17 June 2005, Tony Blair, British Prime Minister, gives his views on the failure of the negotiations on the financing of the European Union budget for the period 2007–2013.

On 18 June 1991, the Luxembourg Council Presidency presents a draft Treaty on European Union, drawn up on the basis of the proceedings at the two intergovernmental conferences on Political Union and Economic and Monetary Union, which began on 15 December 1990 in Rome. This draft, which proposes the establishment of three pillars for the Union, is to be the basis for negotiations within the two conferences that will lead to the adoption of the Treaty of Maastricht on 7 February 1992.

The Treaty on European Union is signed in Maastricht on 7 February 1992 and enters into force on 1 November 1993.

The Treaty signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht lays the foundations for a new European structure. It establishes a ‘European Union' that brings together not only the three European Communities, but also two areas of political cooperation between Member States (CFSP and JHA). The aim is to allow these three elements to develop within a unified framework. This new structure is generally represented in the form of a Greek temple made of three pillars: the Community pillar, which has a supranational character, and the second and third pillars, which have an intergovernmental character.

On 22 June 2005, in a plenary sitting of the European Parliament in Brussels, Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg Prime Minister and Finance Minister and President-in-Office of the European Council, gives an address on the achievements of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On 22 June 2005, in a plenary sitting of the European Parliament in Brussels, José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, notes the achievements of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On 22 June 2005, in a plenary sitting of the European Parliament in Brussels, the German Hans-Gert Poettering, Chairman of the Group of the European People's Party (EPP), delivers an address on the achievements of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On 22 June 2005, in a plenary sitting of the European Parliament in Brussels, the German Martin Schulz, Chairman of the Group of the Party of European Socialists (PES), gives an address on the achievements of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On 22 June 2005, in a plenary sitting of the European Parliament in Brussels, Graham Watson, the British Chairman of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), gives an address on the achievements of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On 22 June 2005, in a plenary sitting of the European Parliament in Brussels, the Italian Monica Frassoni, Co-Chairman of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA), gives an address on the achievements of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On 22 June 2005, in a plenary sitting of the European Parliament in Brussels, Jean Spautz, Luxembourg Member of the Bureau of the Group of the European People’s Party (EPP), gives an address on the achievements of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On 22 June 2005, in a plenary sitting of the European Parliament in Brussels, Robert Goebbels, Luxembourg Vice-Chairman of the Group of the Party of European Socialists (PES), gives an address on the achievements of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On 22 June 2005, in a plenary sitting of the European Parliament in Brussels, Claude Turmes, Luxembourg Vice-President of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA), gives an address on the achievements of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On 22 June 2005, in a plenary sitting of the European Parliament in Brussels, Nicolas Schmit, Luxembourg Minister with responsibility for Foreign Affairs and Immigration, gives an address on the achievements of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union.