1995 26th June
Cannes European Council
Chirac hosted European leaders at Cannes as they addressed enlargement, Mediterranean policy and preparations for monetary union.
European integration · permanent subject timeline
Jacques Chirac
French president during the euro, Amsterdam, Nice and eastern enlargement. This page combines historical context with 16 matching records drawn directly from the World History Database EEC archive.
Historical context
Jacques Chirac: overview and significance
What happened?
Jacques Chirac represented France through major European Council negotiations involving the euro, institutional reform and enlargement.
Why was it important?
His presidency spanned the transition from Maastricht implementation to a much larger European Union and the constitutional-treaty debate.
World History Database records
Jacques Chirac timeline
The records below are selected from the 936-record EEC and European integration archive and rendered as static HTML in chronological order.
1995
1995 16th December
Euro Name Agreement
Chirac joined European leaders in adopting the name euro for the future single currency.
1995
Diplomacy
Chirac and Helmut Kohl reaffirmed Franco-German commitment to the planned single European currency.
1995
Diplomacy
Kohl & Chirac meet to confirm their committment to a single currency in the EU
1995
Reform of Royal Succession
Kohl & Chirac meet to confirm their committment to a single currency in the EU
1996
1996 29th March
Turin Intergovernmental Conference
Chirac participated in launching negotiations that produced the Amsterdam Treaty.
1997
1997 17th June
Amsterdam Treaty Agreement
Chirac joined European leaders in reaching political agreement on the Amsterdam Treaty.
1997 13th December
Luxembourg Enlargement Process
Chirac supported opening the enlargement process with Central and Eastern European applicant states.
1999
1999 1st January
Euro Launch
France adopted the euro for accounting and electronic transactions when the single currency was launched.
2000
2000 24th March
Lisbon Strategy
Chirac backed the European strategy for employment, economic reform and a more competitive knowledge-based economy.
2000 14th October
Biarritz Charter Agreement
Chirac hosted European leaders as they endorsed the draft Charter of Fundamental Rights.
2000 11th December
Nice European Council
Chirac chaired the Nice European Council, which reached agreement on institutional reforms for future enlargement.
2001
2001 26th February
Treaty of Nice Signature
Chirac joined European leaders in signing the Treaty of Nice, designed to prepare the institutions for enlargement.
2002
2002 1st January
Euro Cash Changeover
Euro banknotes and coins entered circulation in France and eleven other participating countries.
2004
2004 1st May
Eastern Enlargement
Chirac welcomed ten new member states as the European Union completed its largest enlargement.
2004 29th October
Constitutional Treaty Signature
Chirac joined European leaders in signing the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.
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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