Ireland and European Integration

Welcomes the referendum result in which Irish voters strongly approve membership of the European Communities.

Heads the government when Ireland becomes a member of the European Communities.

Represents Ireland at a Community summit during the country's first year of membership.

Represents Ireland as leaders agree to establish regular meetings under the title European Council.

Supports the Paris decision creating the European Council and advancing direct European Parliament elections.

Begins Ireland's first Presidency of the Council only two years after joining the Community.

Supports the Community directive requiring equal pay for men and women.

Hosts the first formal meeting of the European Council at Dublin Castle.

Leads Ireland during the establishment of the European Regional Development Fund, a major Irish Community priority.

Heads the Irish government when member states establish direct European Parliament elections.

Represents Ireland as leaders develop plans for a European Monetary System.

Supports the Bremen initiative for closer European monetary cooperation.

Heads the government when Ireland joins the new European Monetary System.

Oversees Ireland's entry into the European Monetary System and the Irish pound's break from sterling parity.

Heads the government when Irish voters participate in the first direct European Parliament elections.

Lynch returns Ireland to the Council chair as the second Irish Community Presidency begins.

Hosts the European Council as leaders debate the United Kingdom's Community budget contribution.

Represents Ireland as leaders discuss economic conditions and European political cooperation.

Supports the Community's Venice Declaration on the Middle East.

Represents Ireland as leaders consider budget disputes and renewed European integration.

Supports stronger European political cooperation during the London European Council.

Represents Ireland as leaders address enlargement, finances and future Community development.

Supports Ireland's participation in the Stuttgart declaration on closer European cooperation.

Represents Ireland as leaders adopt the Solemn Declaration on European Union.

FitzGerald opens Ireland's 1984 Presidency, with institutional reform, enlargement and famine relief high on the agenda.

Chairs the Ad Hoc Committee on Institutional Affairs established to propose reforms to European cooperation.

Hosts the European Council as leaders resolve issues involving wine production, budget discipline and enlargement.

Represents Ireland as leaders consider the internal market and institutional reform.

Supports convening an intergovernmental conference on treaty reform.

Heads the Irish government when Ireland signs the Single European Act.

Signs legislation intended to enable Irish ratification of the Single European Act.

Faces a High Court injunction preventing ratification of the Single European Act without further constitutional consideration.

Heads the government when voters approve the constitutional amendment permitting ratification of the Single European Act.

Heads the government when the Single European Act enters into force after Ireland completes ratification.

Represents Ireland as leaders establish the Delors Committee to study monetary union.

Supports work on concrete stages toward economic and monetary union.

Represents Ireland as leaders approve launching the first stage of economic and monetary union.

Supports the timetable beginning the first phase of economic and monetary union in July 1990.

Supports Irish participation in preparations for treaty negotiations on monetary and political union.

Begins Ireland's fourth Council Presidency during a period of rapid political change in Europe.

Hosts the special European Council that agrees a common approach to German unification.

Leads the Irish Presidency when the Community formally establishes the European Environment Agency.

Hosts the European Council as leaders agree to launch conferences on political union and monetary union.

Supports the decision to begin an intergovernmental conference on political union.

Represents Ireland as the intergovernmental conferences on political and monetary union formally open.

Represents Irish foreign policy as negotiations on political union begin.

Represents Ireland as leaders review progress in the two intergovernmental conferences.

Attends the Luxembourg European Council as Ireland considers the architecture of the proposed European Union.

Advances Ireland's position on convergence and the design of economic and monetary union.

Contributes Ireland's diplomatic position to the Luxembourg phase of the treaty negotiations.

Assesses the monetary-union framework from Ireland's economic-policy perspective during the Luxembourg talks.

Represents Ireland as the Maastricht European Council opens the decisive negotiations on European Union.

Represents Ireland at the opening of the summit that will settle the new Union treaty.

Accepts the final Maastricht settlement expanding European cooperation, citizenship rights and economic and monetary union.

Supports the final economic and monetary provisions agreed at Maastricht.

Helps conclude the political and foreign-policy provisions of the Maastricht settlement.

Works through the remaining diplomatic issues before Ireland accepts the Maastricht settlement.

Signs the Treaty on European Union for Ireland as Minister for Finance alongside Gerry Collins.

Signs the Treaty on European Union for Ireland as Minister for Finance.

Signs the Treaty on European Union for Ireland as Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Welcomes the referendum result approving the Maastricht Treaty with 69.1 percent voting yes.

Campaigns for approval of the Maastricht Treaty before Ireland's constitutional referendum.

Heads Ireland when its completed Maastricht ratification is formally notified to the Italian Government.

Represents Ireland as leaders address Maastricht ratification, financing and future enlargement.

Represents Ireland during the summit that agrees special arrangements addressing Denmark's Maastricht concerns.

Works with Community partners as Ireland accepts the Edinburgh solution to the ratification crisis.

Leads Ireland when the Treaty on European Union becomes effective on 1 November 1993.

Heads the Irish government when the Maastricht Treaty enters into force and the European Union is established.

Represents Ireland as leaders discuss enlargement and preparation for further institutional reform.

Represents Ireland as leaders develop a pre-accession strategy for Central and Eastern Europe.

Heads the Irish government as Austria, Finland and Sweden join the European Union.

Represents Ireland as leaders choose euro as the name of the future single currency.

Supports the timetable and legal preparations for the future single currency.

Begins Ireland's fifth Council Presidency with monetary union and treaty reform as major priorities.

Hosts the European Council as leaders negotiate monetary rules and treaty reform.

Supports the Presidency draft that becomes an important basis for the Treaty of Amsterdam.

Helps secure political agreement on the fiscal framework accompanying the euro.

Helps broker arrangements governing the legal transition to the future single currency.

Represents Ireland as leaders reach political agreement on the Amsterdam Treaty.

Welcomes voter approval of the Amsterdam Treaty in Ireland's constitutional referendum.

Heads the government when the euro becomes Ireland's currency for electronic payments and accounting.

Oversees Irish fiscal policy as Ireland enters the third stage of economic and monetary union.

Amsterdam's institutional reforms become legally effective while Ahern leads the Irish government.

Represents Ireland as leaders launch the Lisbon strategy for employment, innovation and economic reform.

Represents Irish diplomacy as leaders negotiate institutional reforms for enlargement.

Represents Ireland at the signing of the Treaty of Nice.

Acknowledges the referendum rejection of the Treaty of Nice, with 53.9 percent voting no.

Oversees the physical currency changeover from Irish pounds to euro notes and coins.

Heads the government when euro banknotes and coins replace the Irish pound in everyday use.

Supports European assurances that the Nice Treaty does not undermine Ireland's traditional policy of military neutrality.

Irish voters reverse the earlier Nice rejection and approve the treaty by 62.89 percent.

Campaigns for approval of the Nice Treaty after European assurances concerning Irish neutrality.

The Nice Treaty becomes legally effective during Ahern's government, preparing Union institutions for enlargement.

Begins Ireland's sixth Council Presidency with enlargement and constitutional negotiations as central priorities.

Directs Irish diplomatic work during the first half of the 2004 Presidency.

Hosts celebrations welcoming ten new countries during the largest enlargement in European Union history.

Helps broker unanimous political agreement on the draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.

Signs the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe on behalf of Ireland.

Signs the European Constitutional Treaty for Ireland as Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Heads the government when Irish becomes an official and working language of the European Union.

Serves as Foreign Minister when Irish receives official and working language status in the Union.

Signs the Treaty of Lisbon on behalf of Ireland.

Signs the Treaty of Lisbon for Ireland as Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Acknowledges the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty, with 53.4 percent of voters opposing ratification.

Begins consultations with European partners after Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty.

Seeks assurances addressing Irish concerns over taxation, neutrality, ethical issues and retention of a national Commissioner.

Secures European Council guarantees intended to clarify Ireland's position before a second Lisbon referendum.

Supports the legal and political assurances designed to address concerns raised in the first referendum.

Receives public approval to complete Ireland's Lisbon Treaty ratification process.

Cowen welcomes a 67.1 percent yes vote, clearing the constitutional obstacle to Irish Lisbon ratification.

Serves as Foreign Minister as the Lisbon Treaty reforms become legally effective.

Lisbon's institutional reforms become binding across the Union while Cowen serves as Taoiseach.