In December 1980, Colette Flesch, Luxembourg Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities, expresses her satisfaction at the accession of Greece to the Communities, as of 1 January 1981.

On 2 December 1969, at the conclusion of European Summit at The Hague, Jean Rey, President of the European Commission, indicates the resolve of the Six gradually to establish an economic and monetary union.

On 19 October 1972, the Heads of State or Government of the future Community of the Nine meet at the European Summit in Paris. In the opening address, Georges Pompidou, French President, welcomes the first appearance of officials from Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Barend W. Biesheuvel, Netherlands Prime Minister and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities, speaks next and emphasises the need to mobilise young people in favour of European integration.

In 1975, Leo Tindemans, Belgian Prime Minister, outlines the circumstances in which he was appointed by his peers at the Paris Summit of 9 and 10 December 1974 to draw up a report on European Union and specifies the aims of this report.

On 7 July 1978, following the Bremen European Council, Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities, holds a press conference during which he confirms the Nine’s decision to establish a European Monetary System (EMS).

On 5 December 1978, following the Brussels European Council, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, French President, holds a press conference during which he announces the Nine’s decision to establish, on 1 January 1979, the European Monetary System (EMS).

At the end of the Hanover European Council of 27 and 28 June 1988, Jacques Delors, President of the European Commission, and Helmut Kohl, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities, hold a press conference during which they outline the advantages of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and the working method required to achieve this.

On 27 June 1989, following the Madrid European Council, Felipe González Márquez, Spanish Prime Minister and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities, and Jacques Delors, President of the European Commission, outline the implications of the three stages leading to Economic and Monetary Union (EMU).

On 9 December 1989, following the Strasbourg European Council, François Mitterrand, French President and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Communities, holds a press conference during which he announces the Twelve’s decision to convene an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the establishment of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in successive stages.

The announcement on 10 March 1966 that France intends to withdraw from the Atlantic Alliance’s integrated military command results in SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) leaving its base in Marly-le-Roi, Yvelines, where it has been housed since 1951, and transferring to Brussels and Casteau, Belgium, in March 1967.