The first meeting of the Council of the European Economic Community (EEC) was held in Brussels under Belgium’s presidency, inaugurating the practice of a rotating Council presidency among member states.
The Merger Treaty (Treaty of Brussels) was signed, consolidating the separate Councils and Commissions of the ECSC, EEC and Euratom into a Single Council and Single Commission (later taking effect in 1967).
Following the 1965–1966 “empty chair” crisis, the Luxembourg Compromise established a political practice that, where a member state claimed a very important national interest, Council discussions should continue until unanimous agreement could be reached—effectively reinforcing the use of vetoes even where treaties foresaw majority voting.
EU leaders meeting in Paris decided that heads of state or government would meet regularly (three times a year and when necessary). This moment is widely regarded as the founding of the European Council, reshaping how political guidance interacted with Council (ministerial) work and rotating presidencies.
Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands signed the Schengen Agreement to gradually abolish internal border controls among them—initially outside the then-European Community framework but closely tied to Council and member-state cooperation.
The Single European Act was signed (in two ceremonies in Luxembourg and The Hague). It expanded the use of qualified majority voting (QMV) in the Council to enable completion of the single market, reducing the range of matters requiring unanimity.
The Single European Act entered into force, giving treaty-level force to reforms that broadened QMV and accelerated Council decision-making in areas connected to the single market programme.
The Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty) was signed, creating the EU and reshaping governance across policy “pillars,” with major implications for Council responsibilities and coordination (including foreign and security policy structures).
The Treaty of Amsterdam entered into force, shifting major justice and home affairs areas toward the EU framework and integrating the Schengen acquis into EU law—affecting Council legislative workload and inter-institutional procedures.
The Treaty of Nice was signed to reform EU institutions in preparation for enlargement. It expanded qualified-majority voting to more areas and adjusted institutional rules relevant to Council decision-making.
The Treaty of Nice entered into force, implementing institutional and voting-rule changes intended to help the Council function in a larger Union.
The Lisbon Treaty entered into force, introducing the 18‑month ‘trio’ presidency system for continuity and specifying that the rotating presidency does not chair the Foreign Affairs Council (which is chaired by the High Representative).
A Council Decision set out operational rules for the post-Lisbon presidency system, including how groups of three member states assist one another under an 18‑month programme and confirming that the rotating presidency chairs Council configurations except Foreign Affairs.
The Council approved a declaration marking 40 years since the 1985 Schengen Agreement, reaffirming political commitment to the Schengen area and setting out forward-looking priorities (e.g., external border management and mutual trust).
Council of the European Union: presidency rotations and key decisions (1958–2024)
