General view of the ‘Burgerzaal' during the signing of the Amsterdam Treaty on 2 October 1997 in the Royal Palace, Amsterdam. Following an official ceremony opened by Wim Kok, Netherlands Prime Minister, the Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the European Union sign the Treaty of Amsterdam in the presence of Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg Prime Minister and President-in-Office of the Council, Jacques Santer, President of the Commission, and José María Gil-Robles, President of the European Parliament.