Draft Treaty embodying the Statute of the European Community adopted by the Ad Hoc Assembly, in Strasbourg on 10 March 1953.

Meeting in Paris on 10 and 11 February 1961, the Heads of State or Government of the Six decide to establish an Intergovernmental Committee, to be chaired by the French diplomat, Christian Fouchet, with the task of studying the issues involved in European cooperation, in particular those concerning the development of the Communities.

At a meeting held in Bad Godesberg, a suburb of Bonn, on 10 and 11 February 1961, the Heads of State or Government of the Six instruct their Committee to submit to them proposals on the means which will as soon as possible enable a statutory character to be given to the political union of Europe.

On 19 October and 2 November 1961, in accordance with the task conferred upon it by the Conference of Heads of State or Government of the Six in Bonn on 18 July 1961, the Fouchet Committee submits a first Draft Treaty on European Political Union (Fouchet Plan I).

On 18 January 1962, the Fouchet Committee submits the second version of the Draft Treaty on European Political Union (Fouchet Plan II).

On 20 January 1962, having rejected the second version of the Fouchet Plan (Fouchet Plan II) submitted by France on 18 January 1962, France's five partners subsequently publish an alternative to the Treaty on European Political Union.

Am 27. Oktober 1970 verabschieden die Außenminister der Sechs in Luxemburg den Davignon-Bericht, der durch Zusammenarbeit auf dem Gebiet der Außenpolitik Fortschritte bei der politischen Einigung erzielen will.

In diesem Interview spricht Étienne Davignon, ehemaliger Generaldirektor für Politik im belgischen Außenministerium, über die Vorbereitung des späteren „Davignon-Berichts“, der im Jahr 1970 eine stärkere Zusammenarbeit der Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Gemeinschaften im Bereich der internationalen Politik befürwortet.

In diesem Interview erläutert Étienne Davignon, ehemaliger Generaldirektor für Politik im belgischen Außenministerium, wie die Außenminister der Sechs auf den „Davignon-Bericht“ reagierten, dem zufolge die politische Einheit Europas durch die Zusammenarbeit im Bereich der Außenpolitik vorangetrieben werden sollte.

Auf einem Gipfel vom 19. bis zum 21. Oktober 1972 in Paris bekräftigen die Staats- und Regierungschefs der auf neun Mitglieder erweiterten Gemeinschaft ihre Absicht, noch vor Ablauf des Jahrzehnts die Gesamtheit ihrer Beziehungen in eine Europäische Union umzuwandeln.

Die Staats- und Regierungschefs der zukünftigen Neun versammeln sich zum ersten Mal zu einem europäischen Gipfeltreffen in Paris (19.-21. Oktober 1972).

Following the Paris Summit of 19–21 October 1972 and the entry into force of the Treaty of Accession of Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom to the European Communities on 1 January 1973, François-Xavier Ortoli, President of the Commission, gives an address at the first session of the Council of the enlarged Community, held on 15 January 1973 in Brussels. In his speech, Ortoli emphasises the tremendous sense of hope inspired by the words ‘European Union’ for the future of European nations.

Aufbauend auf dem Davignon-Bericht, der am 27. Oktober 1970 in Luxemburg verabschiedet wurde, nehmen die Außenminister der Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Gemeinschaften am 23. Juli 1973 in Kopenhagen einen weiteren Bericht über die Stärkung der europäischen politischen Zusammenarbeit auf dem Gebiet der Außenpolitik an.

Bei ihrem Gipfeltreffen am 14. und 15. Dezember 1973 in Kopenhagen bekräftigen die Staats- und Regierungschefs der neun Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Gemeinschaften „ihre Absicht, vor Ablauf des Jahrzehnts die Gesamtheit ihrer Beziehungen in eine Europäische Union umzuwandeln“.

In diesem Interview erläutert der ehemalige belgische Premierminister Leo Tindemans die Reaktionen der Staats- und Regierungschefs der Neun auf seinen Bericht über die Europäische Union im Dezember 1975 und dessen wichtigste Aspekte, die später im europäischen politischen Einigungsprozess umgesetzt wurden.

On 14 February 1984, the European Parliament adopts a draft Treaty on European Union, also known as the ‘Spinelli draft’, with a view to bringing about a reform of the Community institutions. Despite the limited impact of the draft Treaty, its adoption motivates the governments of the Member States of the Communities to propose a treaty, the draft Single European Act, in December 1985.

Altiero Spinelli, Rapporteur for the Draft Treaty establishing the European Union, on the benches of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 14 February 1984.

The 1985 Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) opens in Luxembourg on 9 September 1985. The photo shows Jacques Poos, Luxembourg Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council, chairing the first ministerial meeting.

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.

Am 5. Dezember 1985 hält der deutsche Bundeskanzler Helmut Kohl vor dem Bundestag eine Rede über die Ergebnisse des Europäischen Rates in Luxemburg vom 1. und 2. Dezember 1985.

On 5 December 1985, the French newspaper Le Figaro gives an account of the Luxembourg European Council and welcomes the agreements reached in extremis by the Heads of State and Government of the European Economic Community concerning the revision of the Treaty of Rome.

On 17 February 1986, in Luxembourg, nine Member States sign the Single European Act (Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom). In the foreground is the Dutch President of the European Council, Hans van den Broek.

Title page of the Single European Act.

In its Resolution of 17 April 1986, the European Parliament takes the view that the Single European Act, even with the few improvements expected, does not bring into being the European Union and that the establishment of such European Union is more necessary than ever.

In diesem Interview legt der ehemalige luxemburgische Außenminister Jacques F. Poos die Fortschritte dar, die der große Binnenmarkt dank der Unterzeichnung der Einheitlichen Europäischen Akte im Jahre 1986 gemacht hat.

In diesem Interview zeichnet Jacques Santer, ehemaliger luxemburgischer Premierminister und Finanzminister, die Ursprünge der Einheitlichen Europäischen Akte (EEA) nach, insbesondere im Hinblick auf die Hindernisse, die in letzter Minute auf dem Europäischen Rat von Luxemburg am 2. und 3. Dezember 1985 auftraten.

Helmut Kohl, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, and François Mitterrand, President of the French Republic, on 17 December 1985 in the Elysée Palace, during one of their many meetings.

In its Resolution of 14 June 1990, the European Parliament indicates its intention to draw up a draft constitution for the European Union, thereby updating the draft treaty of 14 February 1984. The European Parliament points out that the ‘Spinelli draft treaty’ is still the only comprehensive and coherent model for European Union.

By this Resolution of 11 July 1990, the European Parliament decides to draw up a draft constitution for the European Union on the basis of the main points of the Spinelli draft treaty of 14 February 1984 and in accordance with guidelines laid down by Parliament to take account of the experience of the Single European Act.

By this Resolution of 11 July 1990, the European Parliament welcomes the convening of a Conference on Political Union and the fact that the agenda of the forthcoming reform of the Treaties is to be widened beyond economic and monetary union. Whereas the division between external economic relations and European Political Cooperation (EPC) is increasingly difficult to maintain in practice, the European Parliament calls for these two aspects of the Community’s international action to be dealt with within the Community framework.

In its Opinion of 21 October 1990, the European Commission advocates a single Community that will encompass the Community policies and European Political Cooperation (EPC), making them subject to the same institutions and to the same decision-making procedures.

On 27 and 28 October 1990, at a time when German reunification marks a decisive moment in the process of European integration, the European Council meets in Rome to hold a wide-ranging discussion on preparations for the two Intergovernmental Conferences (IGCs), one on Economic and Monetary Union and the other on Political Union, which are planned for December.

Group photo of the Rome European Council meeting of 27 and 28 October 1990 convened with a view to taking stock of the organisation of the two Intergovernmental Conferences (IGC) on Economic and Monetary Union and Political Union.

In its conclusions adopted on 15 December 1990, the Rome European Council provides the context for the holding of two Intergovernmental Conferences (IGC) on Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and on Political Union, officially opening in Rome on the same date.

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.

In diesem Interview kommentiert Jacques Santer, ehemaliger luxemburgischer Premierminister und Minister für das Staatsvermögen, die Arbeiten der Regierungskonferenz (RK) zur Europäischen Union und erläutert die Ursprünge der drei Säulen als Grundstruktur der Union, die die luxemburgische Präsidentschaft am 17. April 1991 für den zukünftigen Vertrag über die Europäische Union vorschlug.