In 1972, demonstrators from the European Movement take to the street in front of the seat of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, calling for European elections by direct universal suffrage.

Tableau reprenant la composition du groupe ad-hoc de personnalités indépendantes chargées d'établir un rapport sur l'accroissement des compétences législatives et budgétaires du Parlement européen.

On 21 April 1972, the French daily newspaper Le Monde analyses the report drawn up by a group of 14 professors and legal experts, chaired by the French judge Georges Vedel, which calls for a strengthening of the legislative powers of the European Parliament.

In a speech to the European Parliamentary Assembly on 16 January 1973, British Conservative MP Peter Kirk presents a memorandum comprising a number of proposals aimed at improving the operation of the Assembly.

In 1973, Peter Kirk, Leader of the British Conservative Group in the European Parliament, addresses the Assembly in Strasbourg.

Im Rahmen eines Kolloquiums in Österreich im Jahre 1974 zur wirtschaftlichen und politischen Lage in Europa spricht sich der Vorsitzende der internationalen Paneuropa-Union Otto von Habsburg-Lothringen für die allgemeine Direktwahl der Mitglieder des Europäischen Parlaments aus.

On 24 May 1973, the Bureau of the European Parliament instructs the Political Affairs Committee to draw up a report on the election of the Members of the Assembly by direct universal suffrage. On 13 January 1975, the Dutch rapporteur, Schelto Patijn, submits the report which will be adopted by the House the following day.

Am 10. April 1976 wird der belgische Premierminister Leo Tindemans auf RTL interviewt. Er äußert sich optimistisch über die Einführung der allgemeinen Direktwahl des Europäischen Parlaments, die frühestens im Jahr 1978 stattfinden wird.

In January 1975, the European Parliament adopts a draft agreement on the election of Members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage. On the basis of this draft, and after overcoming various differences of opinion, the Heads of State or Government reach an agreement at their meeting on 12 and 13 July 1976.

During the Brussels European Council on 12 and 13 July 1976, a large crowd demonstrates in favour of the election by direct universal suffrage of the Members of the European Parliament. The photo shows the arrival of the French President, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing.

On 20 September 1976, representatives of the Nine, at a meeting of the Council, adopt the Act concerning the election of representatives to the Assembly by direct universal suffrage.

In diesem Interview verleiht Hans-August Lücker, von 1958 bis 1985 Mitglied der Europäischen Parlamentarischen Versammlung und später des Europäischen Parlaments, seiner Enttäuschung darüber Ausdruck, welche Entwicklung diese Institution trotz der Einführung der allgemeinen Direktwahl ihrer Mitglieder im Jahre 1979 durchgemacht hat.

On 20 September 1976 in Brussels, the representatives of the nine Member States of the European Communities adopt the Act concerning the election of the representatives to the Assembly by direct universal suffrage.

On 20 September 1976, Georges Spénale, President of the European Parliament, welcomes the signing, in Brussels, of the Act concerning the election of the representatives of the Assembly by direct universal suffrage.

On 20 September 1976, Max van der Stoel, Netherlands Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities, welcomes the signing, in Brussels, of the Act concerning the election of the representatives of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage.

On 20 September 1976, François-Xavier Ortoli, President of the European Commission, welcomes the signing, in Brussels, of the Act concerning the election of the representatives of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage.

On 20 September 1976, in Brussels, the Council of Ministers of the European Community adopts the Act concerning the election of representatives to the Assembly by direct universal suffrage.

Am 20. September 1976 begrüßen Max van der Stoel, niederländischer Außenminister und amtierender Präsident des Rates der Europäischen Gemeinschaften, und François-Xavier Ortoli, Präsident der Europäischen Kommission, in Brüssel die Unterzeichnung des Aktes zur Einführung allgemeiner unmittelbarer Wahlen der Abgeordneten der Parlamentarischen Versammlung der Europäischen Gemeinschaften.

Im Januar 1977 legt Lord Frederick Bessborough, konservatives Mitglied des Europäischen Parlaments, auf den Seiten der Monatszeitschrift 30 jours d'Europe seine Sichtweise der Rolle der Versammlung im Europäischen Aufbauwerk dar.

On the margins of the Brussels European Council held on 5 and 6 December 1977, demonstrators call for the establishment of a single currency and the election of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage.

One year before the first elections to the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, the federalist magazine L’Europe en formation reviews the stage in political preparation reached in each of the Member States of the European Community.

In December 1978, the monthly publication 30 jours d'Europe publishes a speech by Emilio Colombo, President of the European Parliament, highlighting the issues involved in the forthcoming and first European elections by direct universal suffrage.

‘Wedding photo of the year.’ In January 1979, with a view to the first elections to the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, the German cartoonist, Horst Haitzinger, takes an ironic look at Parliament’s lack of powers.

‘All we need now is the boat.’ In 1979, the German cartoonist, Hans Geisen, illustrates the first elections to the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage and considers the new role of the European Parliament.

The cartoonist Behrendt mocks the very 'respectable' age of many candidates standing for the first direct elections to the European Parliament in June 1979. For some of them, the office of MEP would be a last job before retirement rather than a new challenge.

On 17 July 1979, the French MEP Simone Veil is elected by her peers to the post of President of the European Parliament elected for the first time by direct universal suffrage.

‘The immigrant worker in Strasbourg. Already time for a tea break. — Building of the Europe supermarket. Babel-Volapük Company. Site manager S. Veil. — Site plan. — “It’s so I can send some money back to my country.”’ On 25 July 1979, French cartoonist Moisan speculates on the real powers of the European Parliament, which was elected by direct universal suffrage for the first time in June 1979. One week earlier, on 17 July, French MEP Simone Veil was elected as President of the European Parliament by her fellow Members.

‘Get up, Europe!’ ‘I really like that Simone V…zzzzzz’ In July 1979, the French cartoonist, Plantu, illustrates the efforts being made by Simone Veil, elected President of the European Parliament, to give fresh impetus to the European integration process among the general public.

Am 31. Juli 1979 beschreibt die spanische Tageszeitung El País die Zusammensetzung des Europäischen Parlaments, das zum ersten Mal in allgemeiner, direkter Wahl gewählt worden ist, und stellt die neu gewählte Präsidentin der Versammlung Simone Veil vor.

En juillet 1979, Emanuele Gazzo commente dans la revue Affari esteri les premières élections au Parlement européen au suffrage universel direct.

In diesem Interview spricht Jacques Santer, ehemaliges Mitglied des Europäischen Parlaments, über die Debatten, die in den sechziger Jahren über die allgemeine Direktwahl der Mitglieder der Versammlung geführt wurden.

Le 26 mai 1977, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, ministre des Affaires étrangères de la République fédérale d'Allemagne (RFA), s'exprime devant le Bundestag à l'occasion des débats sur les lois électorales pour l'élection du Parlement européen.

‘Europe is marching.’ On 3 December 1976, Fritz Behrendt, a Dutch cartoonist originally from Berlin, illustrates the issues surrounding the European elections by universal suffrage and the desire to involve European citizens in the voting procedure. A large-scale campaign is launched to convince the people of Europe to take part in the decision-making process of the European Economic Community (EEC).

On 12 July 1976, while the Nine seek agreement on the number and the distribution of seats in the directly elected European Parliament, in London, the House of Commons holds a debate on the size and composition of the Assembly, its legislative timetable and the status of its Members.

On 7 February 1977, the House of Commons debates the issues surrounding the future direct election of the European Parliament.

In March 1976, French President, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, states his opinion on the future election of the European Parliament (EP) by direct universal suffrage as of 1979.

Der ehemalige französische Premierminister Michel Debré ist Gegner jeder Form der Supranationalität und lehnt die allgemeine Direktwahl des Europäischen Parlaments ab.

On 10 February 1977, in an article published in the daily newspaper Le Monde, the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre harshly criticises the establishment of a capitalist Europe and calls on Socialist Party members not to ratify the bill concerning elections to the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage.

On 18 February 1977, in an article published in the French daily newspaper Le Monde, Altiero Spinelli, leader of the independent left-wing political group in the Italian Chamber of Deputies and Member of the Communist and Allies Group in the European Parliament, gives his response to the article by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, published in the same newspaper on 10 February, in order to demonstrate his support for elections to the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage.

Le 7 décembre 1978, soit six mois avant les premières élections du Parlement européen au suffrage universel direct, Vadim Ardatovski, commentateur de l'agence de presse soviétique Novosti, exprime son scepticisme quant aux chances d'un renforcement des pouvoirs politiques de l'assemblée.