European Council holds its first ever meeting in Dublin (March 1975). Major decisions are taken enabling the UK Government to recommend continued membership of the Community. NOTE From here to end 1984 the Council reports are only available in French. Thereafter they are (at the very least) available in French, English and German.
RADIO BBC report of the governing Labour party’s decision to allow free campaigning in the referendum on continuing EC membership.(April 1975)
Many interesting snippets from the party Conference debate. Britain’s New Deal in Europe (1975) government pamphlet advising voters to vote for staying in EEC
RADIO Audio extract of BBC report on the “Yes” (67%) vote in the UK referendum on EEC membership (June 1975)
RADIO Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher speaking in favour of EC membership after the referendum
RADIO BBC counterfactual (April 2002) on what woiuld have happened if the referendum had voted “no”.
European Council, Brussels (July 1975) asks the Foreign Affairs Council for a report on the elections of the European Parliament by universal suffrage. The report is to be issued by the end of the year
Summit is held in Rambouillet, France (November 1975). Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and Japan stress the urgent need for economic recovery in the industrialised countries and express their willingness to intensify international cooperation
RADIO Audio extract Helmut Schmidt on the eve of the Rambouillet summit (November 1975) Go to Item 7. A longer extract here
European Council, Rome (December 1975) decides on the direct election of the European Parliament, on passport union and on a single Community representation for the North-South Dialogue.
European Council, Luxembourg (April 1976) holds an initial exchange of views on the Tindemans report on the European Union of January 7
European Council, Brussels (July 1976) agrees on the number and distribution of seats in the Parliament that is to be elected by universal suffrage in 1979 and appoints Roy Jenkins, President of the Commission
European Council, The Hague (November 1976) examines the economic situation and reaffirms commitment to the North-South Dialogue. Issues a statement on the construction of the European Union.
European Council, Copenhagen (April 1978) agrees on several issues relating to direct elections to the European Parliament.
European Council, Bremen (July 1978) agrees a common strategy to achieve higher economic growth in order to reduce unemployment. Propose creating a European Monetary System (EMS) for exchange rate stability.
European Council, Brussels (December 1978) establishes the European Monetary System based on a European currency unit (the ECU) and creates a committee of leading personalities to consider adjustments to institutional mechanisms and procedures in the context of enlargement
RADIO Audio extract Helmut Schmit on the creation of the EMS. Go to Item 14.
European Council, Paris (March 1979) settles March 13 as the date on which the European Monetary System (EMS) is to enter into force. It also discusses the economic and social situation, the common agricultural policy and energy
Margaret Thatcher becomes UK Prime-Minister (May 1979)
TELEVISION French Report of the First direct elections for the European parliament (June 1979)
European Council, Strasbourg (June 1979) agrees to work out a joint energy strategy and examines the problems linked to convergence of economic performances.
Lomé II (October 1979) signed between EEC and 58 ACP countries
European Council, Dublin (November 1979) discusses the convergence of economic performances and budgetary questions, the arrangements for examining Committee of Wise Men’s report on adjustments to institutional mechanisms and procedures and the proposals for regulation of agricultural markets.
European Council, Luxembourg (April 1980) discusses the problems linked with convergence and British contribution to the Community budget.
Greece signs Act of Accession (May 1980)
European Council, Venice (June 1980) Issues declarations on the Middle East, the Euro-Arab dialogue, Lebanon and Afghanistan
European Council, Luxembourg (December 1980) grants aids to be granted to Italy for reconstruction after the earthquake, and makes statements on East-West relations, on the Middle East and on the aids to be granted to Poland.
European Council, Copenhagen (December 1982) establishes priority objectives in the economic and social fields and confirms political engagement in favour of the enlargement.
European Council, Brussels (March 1983) confirms the priority objectives set out at the Copenhagen European Council
European Council, tuttgart (June 1983) Heads of State or Government and Foreign Ministers sign a Solemn Declaration on the European Union
Altiero Spinelli presents to the European Parliament a draft treaty establishing the European Union (September 1983)
European Council, Athens (December 1983) Discusses ways to finance the Commission, the budgetary unbalances, the adaptation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the strengthening of the Structural Funds and the development of new Community policies. Fails to solve the problem of the UK budgetary contribution
Draft Treaty on the establishment of the European Union (Spinelli draft) is passed by the European Parliament by a large majority (February 1984)
European Council, Brussels (March 1984) Agreements are reached in a number of areas, however, the vast majority can not be finalised given the disagreements on the calculation and the amount of compensation to be granted to the United Kingdom to reduce its contribution to the Community budget
Second direct elections to the European parliament (June 1984)
European Council, Fontainebleau (June 1984) reaches an agreement on the amount of compensation to be granted to the United Kingdom to reduce its contribution to the Community budget. It brings to an end an eleven year episode that had poisoned UK-EEC relations.
Reactivation of WEU (October 1984). Ministerial communiqué can be downloaded here. For other docs see WEU under collections
European Council, Dublin (December 1984) decides to reinforce the European Monetary System (EMS) and to enhance the role of the ECU.
Third ACP-EEC Convention (December 1984) is signed in Lomé by the 10 Member States of the Community and their 65 partners of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States.
