1974 9th December
European Council Creation
Giscard hosted the Paris summit that created the European Council as a regular forum for national leaders.
European integration · permanent subject timeline
Creation of the European Council
The establishment of regular summits of EEC heads of government. This page combines historical context with 10 matching records drawn directly from the World History Database EEC archive.
Historical context
Creation of the European Council: overview and significance
What happened?
European leaders agreed in 1974 to institutionalise regular meetings of heads of state or government as the European Council. The first meetings followed in 1975.
Why was it important?
The European Council became the central forum for resolving major strategic questions and setting the political direction of European integration.
World History Database records
Creation of the European Council timeline
The records below are selected from the 936-record EEC and European integration archive and rendered as static HTML in chronological order.
1974
1974 9th December
Creation of European Council
Represents Germany at the Paris summit where leaders establish regular meetings under the name European Council.
1974 10th December
Creation of European Council
Supports the Paris decision creating the European Council and advancing direct European Parliament elections.
1974 10th December
Creation of European Council
Supports the agreement creating the European Council and advancing direct European Parliament elections.
1975
1975 10th March
First European Council
Represents Germany at the first meeting formally held under the title European Council.
1975 10th March
First Formal European Council
Hosts the first formal meeting of the European Council at Dublin Castle.
1975 11th March
First European Council Meeting
Giscard represented France at the first meeting of the newly created European Council in Dublin.
1981
1981 June
First European Council as President
Mitterrand represented France at a European Council soon after becoming President and reaffirmed France's role in Community affairs.
1981 26th November
London European Council
Represents Greece at his first European Council after taking office as prime minister.
1982
1982 December
Copenhagen European Council
Attends his first European Council as chancellor while the Community addresses budgetary and institutional questions.
Editorial provenance
Sources and editorial review
Compiled and edited by World History Database.
Historical context is editorial material; the chronology is generated from World History Database EEC records.
Last reviewed: September 2026.
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