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Historical research in the field of European co-operation and integration is no longer restricted to the consultation of archives of the single Member State. It often extends beyond the territorial borders and researchers might face difficulties finding the appropriate sources within the short delay allowed to contemporary studies governed by the drastic rule of “publish or perish”. This tendency has been reinforced by the last enlargement which saw the entry of 10 newcomers to the EU, which gave a new impetus to the necessity of orienting the researchers to formerly unknown and inaccessible material.
This site is the outcome of a joint effort by the Enlarged Group of Archivists of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the 25 Member States and the Institutions of the European Union. The group has been meeting twice-yearly since 1987, under each EU Presidency. Its main objectives are to share information, pool knowledge and best practices for the conservation and access to the European diplomatic documents.
The site provides in the form of a guide, in English and in French, summary details of the various collections (title, summary of contents, extreme dates, access and reproduction conditions, language) as well as, selected bibliography and studies strictly related to the collections concerning the process for European co-operation and integration, from 1945 to 1973 (first enlargement to the EU). Hyperlinks interconnected with the “Blue Guide” to the Archives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Member States and the Institutions of the EU makes it possible to get in touch directly with the individual National Archives which physically houses the collection and to plan the consultation of the sources available.
