The Archives Service of the Council of the European Union transferred approximately 3200 paper files to the Historical Archives of the European Union earlier this autumn 2025. The files have been filed, described and digitised by the Council Archives, then processed by the HAEU to make them available in digital format for online consultation. The physical files, preserved in the HAEU’s vaults in Florence, occupy approximately 63 linear metres of shelving.
The transfer concerns two main collections pertaining to the CM2 fonds (Council of the European Communities (EEC, EAEC, ECSC)).
The collection relating to political and consultative bodies has been enriched with files dating from 1973-1993. They refer to the 1993 sessions of the Council of Ministers, thus completing the series of Council of Ministers meetings in CM2, and to the informal Council meetings from 1974 to 1993. A significant volume of files is related to the preparatory work and contributions from various Council working groups, consultative bodies and committees during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. These include, among others, the Committee for Cultural Affairs, the Special Committees of Agriculture, the Committee for Education, the Committee for Energy, and files from the various Council ad hoc Working Groups.
The second tranche of the 2025 transfer comprises the European Community budgetary files from 1958 to 1995. These files provide information on the financial contributions of member states and the budgetary dispositions that were applied, as well insights into financial planning, budgetary controls, and the financial instruments used by the EC.
Archival holdings from the Council of the European Union
Following the Council Regulation 2015/496 amending the original Archives Regulation 354/83, all EU institutions, bodies and agencies are obliged to deposit their archives at the HAEU in Florence, where they are made available to the public according to the 30 years rule governing access to archives of the European Union.
The HAEU’s holdings on the Council go back to the Special Council of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), which met for the first time in 1952.
Researchers should note that the classification structure for Council archives is under revision. Files from the most recent transfer have been inserted into the hierarchical classification structure CM2. This new structure sits alongside the past Council archives which were organised by year. Eventually, all previous Council files (Conseil des Communautés européennes (CEE, CEEA, CECA)) will be integrated under this new structure. In the meantime, the two classifications will co-exist.
More information on the Council Archives is available here.
Photo: The European Council in Summit of Dublin, 10 and 11 March 1975 - From left to right: Mariano RUMOR (IT), François-Xavier ORTOLI (EC President), Helmut SCHMIDT (RFA), Gaston THORN (LU), Johannes DEN VYL (NL), Knud Borge ANDERSEN (DK), William Thomas COSGRAVE (IE), Valéry GISCARD D'ESTAING (FR), Harold WILSON (UK), Léo TINDEMANS (BE). Source: European Parliament Multimedia Centre