On 3 January 1981, Altiero Spinelli sends a letter to Simone Veil, President of the European Parliament. Spinelli discusses the views that Veil recently expressed on the state of the European Community, criticising these views for lacking commitment to institutional reform and instead asserting the position that he set out in his ‘crocodile’ letters.

On 31 October 1979, Simone Veil, President of the European Parliament, welcomes the signing of the second Lomé Convention, which, for the next five years, regulates trade relations between the nine Member States of the European Economic Community (EEC) and 57 African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries.

‘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.

‘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.

On 18 July 1979, Colette Flesch, Member of the European Parliament, and Jean Wolter, Interior Minister, comment on the election of Simone Veil as President of the European Parliament.

From 17 to 20 July 1979, the first sitting of the European Parliament elected by direct universal suffrage takes place in Strasbourg, with Simone Veil as President.

The first direct elections to the European Parliament took place between 7 and 10 June 1979. The resulting Parliament met for the first time in July 1979, under its President, Simone Veil.

On 31 July 1979, the Spanish daily newspaper El País outlines the composition of the European Parliament elected for the first time by direct universal suffrage and depicts the personality of Simone Veil, elected President of the House.

Suite à la résolution du Parlement européen, du 11 avril 1983, sur l'adoption d'un drapeau pour la Communauté européenne, la commission juridique du Parlement européen, propose, dans un avis du 26 avril 1984, la mise en place d'un concours pour le choix d'un drapeau propre à la Communauté et apparenté à celui du Conseil de l'Europe.