In this interview excerpt, Philippe de Schoutheete, Honorary Belgian Ambassador and General Director of Political Affairs at the Belgian Foreign Ministry from 1985 to 1987, describes the role of ‘General Director of Political Affairs’, which particularly involved sitting on the Political Committee of the Council of Ministers. This committee was responsible for European Political Cooperation, which, according to de Schoutheete, continued to develop progressively after it was formalised in the Single Act.