The European Council is the body in which the heads of state or government of the European Union member states meet to set the general direction and priorities of the Union. It grew out of informal summits and was established as a regular forum at a meeting in Paris in December 1974, on the initiative of French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing and West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. It was first given legal recognition in the Single European Act of 1986 and became a formal institution of the Union under the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009. It does not pass laws but sets political guidelines, with a permanent president chairing its meetings, and it is distinct from the Council of the European Union and the Council of Europe.
Before and after
- 12 November 1974Registration Convention
- 18 November 1974Founding of International Energy Agency
- 21 November 1974Birmingham pub bombings
- 24 November 1974Discovery of Lucy
- 9 December 1974Founding of European Council
- 1975Construction of Zara
- 1975César Award
- 1975Discovery of Luzia
- 1975Publication of Angola Avante
More in Society, economy & sport
- 1950Origins of Formula One
- 8 August 1967Founding of ASEAN
- 10 December 1987Rise of Hamas
- 9 September 1999Founding of African Union
- 11 September 2001September 11 attacks
- from 15 November 2019 to 5 May 2023COVID-19 pandemic
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.