On 30 April 1948, as Belgium ratifies the Treaty of Brussels establishing Western Union, the Belgian liberal daily newspaper La Dernière Heure deplores the futile opposition of the Communist Party during the parliamentary debates and considers the fight against poverty as one of the essential tasks of Western Union and of a future united Europe.

‘For a strong Europe — Uncle Sam: “But with this Germany dying of hunger, you’ll never make it …”’ On 22 May 1948, referring to the Congress of Europe in The Hague and to the Soviet threat, the German cartoonist, Ernst Maria Lang, illustrates the questions that the the plan for a united Europe poses in America, particularly given the economic situation in Germany.

In December 2000, on the eve of the Nice European Council, the French monthly newspaper Le Monde Diplomatique questions whether the Heads of State or Government of the Fifteen will be able to find answers to the key questions facing the European Union.

‘Time bomb.' In 1991, the German cartoonist, Walter Hanel, portrays the high level of unemployment in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) as a threat to social cohesion in the reunified Germany.

On 23 June 2004, in a meeting chaired by Anne Anderson, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the European Union, Jacques Barrot, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Stavros Dimas, European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, Franz Fischler, European Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, Péter Bálazs, Shadow European Commissioner to Jacques Barrot, and Sandra Kalniete, Shadow European Commissioner to Franz Fischler, endorse development programmes implemented in support of the 10 new Member States of the European Union under ‘The Structural Funds 2004–2006’ together with the Permanent Representatives of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

On 23 June 1993, commenting on the results achieved at the Copenhagen European Council held on 21 and 22 June 1993, the Spanish daily newspaper El País considers the decisions taken by the Twelve with a view to the future enlargement of the European Communities to include the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEECs).

‘First tangible results in Luxembourg (Employment Summit: “Which of the gentlemen ordered the coffee?”)’ On 21 November 1997, the German cartoonist, Horst Haitzinger, takes an ironic look at the measures to tackle unemployment adopted by the Fifteen following the Luxembourg Extraordinary Council.

On 22 December 1986, the Council of the European Communities adopts a resolution according to which the Ten undertake to promote economic growth and reduce the level of unemployment in the Member States.

Le 21 novembre 1997, lors du Conseil extraordinaire sur l'emploi au Luxembourg, le président français Jacques Chirac détaille les lignes directrices pour lutter contre le chômage en Europe et lance un appel au dialogue social.