In seinen Erinnerungen schreibt Jean Monnet über die Gründe, die zur Entscheidung für Luxemburg als Sitz der Organe der EGKS führten.

Extract from the Conference of Foreign Ministers, held in Paris on 6 and 7 January 1958, on the provisional location of the institutional seats.

European Parliamentary Assembly Resolution of 21 June 1958 on the issue of the institutional seats.

European Parliamentary Assembly debates, of 23 June 1958, on the choice of seat for the European institutions.

Decision of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States on the provisional location of certain institutions and departments of the Communities. In a meeting held on 8 April 1965 in Brussels, the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States decided provisionally to locate the institutions and other bodies of the European Communities in Strasbourg, Brussels and Luxembourg.

Note du groupe de travail "Procédures et méthodes de travail du Parlement européen", du 16 octobre 1973, sur les conséquences découlant de l'absence d'un lieu de réunion fixe du Parlement européen.

Resolution of 20 November 1980 on the seat of the European Parliament. Parliament gives an ultimatum to the governments with a view to forcing them to take the decisions required to ensure its smooth running before 15 June 1981.

European Parliament Resolution of 7 July 1981 on the seat of the institutions of the European Community and in particular of the European Parliament.

European Parliament Resolution of 16 December 1981 on the action to be taken on paragraph 3(c) of the resolution of 7 July 1981 on the seat of the institutions of the European Community and in particular of the European Parliament

Annex to the memorandum presented on 4 December 1983, in Athens, by the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the governments of the Member States of the European Community. The annex focuses on the question of the seat of the Community institutions: the development of the legal framework until 1981 and the unstable situation resulting therefrom, heightened by the initiatives of the European Parliament concerning its places of work which the Luxembourg Government is seeking to thwart.

On 7 August 1981, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg brings an application for a declaration that the resolution of the European Parliament of 7ºJuly 1981 ‘on the seat of the institutions of the European Community and in particular that of the European Parliament’ is void. According to the resolution, Parliament will, in future, hold its plenary sittings in Strasbourg and meetings of its committees and political groups in Brussels. It furthermore establishes that the operation of the Secretariat — located in Luxembourg — ‘must be reviewed’ to meet the requirements of the conduct of the activities of Parliament in Strasbourg and Brussels. According to the judgment of the Court of Justice, the contested resolution does not infringe the decisions of the governments of the Member States regarding the seat since it does not go beyond the powers of the European Parliament to determine its internal organisation.

Following the action for annulment brought by the Luxembourg Government v the European Parliament on 10 June 1983, the Court of Justice of the European Communities (CJEC) delivers a judgment declaring that the resolution of the European Parliament of 20 May 1983 ‘on the consequences to be drawn from the European Parliament's adoption, on 7 July 1981, of the Zagari Report’ is void. The European Parliament would have infringed Article 4 of the Decision of 8 April 1965 on the provisional location of certain institutions and departments of the Communities which provides that ‘the General Secretariat of the Assembly and its departments shall remain in Luxembourg’.

European Parliament Resolution of 18 January 1989 on the seat of the Institutions and the main place of work of the European Parliament.

Decision of 12 December 1992 taken by common agreement between the representatives of the governments of the Member States on the location of the seats of the institutions and of certain bodies and departments of the European Communities.

European Parliament Resolution of 16 December 1992, on the conclusions of the European Council meeting in Edinburgh on 11 and 12 December 1992.

Protocol annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaties establishing the European Community, the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Atomic Energy Community by the Treaty of Amsterdam of 2 October 1997.

From the beginning of the European integration process, the question of where to locate the institutional seats has been a problem. Whilst at first noone seemed to want to accommodate the European institutions, later the choice became more complex, especially for the European Parliament.

Fifty years after the establishment of the European Parliament, the location of its seat is still a contentious issue.

On 14 October 2013, the Members of the European Parliament call for an EU treaty revision procedure to be initiated to allow Parliament to decide on the location of its seat and its internal organisation.

In describing the development of each of the three workplaces of the European Parliament, Jacques F. Poos, former Luxembourg Foreign Minister and Member of the European Parliament, identifies the supporters and opponents of the policy of decentralisation of the seat of the European institutions, a policy that he defends for historical reasons.

The Common Assembly of the ECSC, from 1952 to 1957, and the European Parliament, from 1958 to 1977, hold their plenary sittings in the Maison de l’Europe in Strasbourg, seat of the Council of Europe from 1950 to 1977.

From 1997 to 1999, the European Parliament holds its plenary sittings in the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg, seat of the Council of Europe since 1977.

Aerial view of the European district in Strasbourg. On the right, the Palais de l’Europe where the part-sessions of the European Parliament were held until 1999. On the left, on the bank of the River Ill, is the building which houses the offices of the MEPs.

Le 24 avril 1978, le maire de Strasbourg répond devant le Conseil municipal à la question de savoir quelles sont les dispositions que doit prendre la Ville afin de pouvoir accueillir les 410 parlementaires qui vont sortir des premières élections directes au Parlement européen de juin 1979. À l’instar de Bruxelles et de Luxembourg, Strasbourg s'apprête à entreprendre des travaux de construction dans le but d'obtenir un avantage dans la querelle du siège.

Strasbourg: the workplace and seat of the European Parliament. The new 'hemicycle' was opened in December 1999.

In July 1999, the European Parliament holds its first session since its election in June 1999 in its new buildings in Strasbourg.

On 14 December 1999 in Strasbourg, the new European Parliament building is opened in the presence of the President of the French Republic.

Arial photograph of the European Parliament buildings in Strasbourg.

The European Parliament's Louise Weiss Building, in Strasbourg is opened on 14 December 1999. It houses Parliament's Debating Chamber and the offices of the MEPs.

Der Beschluss des Europäischen Rates von Maastricht, den Status quo für die Arbeitsorte der Europäischen Gemeinschaften beizubehalten, ändert nichts am „Materialwettstreit“ zwischen Straßburg und Brüssel. Der Ausgang der von Straßburg geführten Schlacht bleibt aber weiter ungewiss: Die Entfernung zum gemeinschaftlichen Entscheidungszentrum in Brüssel könnte das Europäische Parlament daran hindern, eine wichtigere Rolle zu spielen.

Published in the Spanish daily newspaper El País on 16 September 1987, this article reflects the concern of the French authorities that Strasbourg remain the seat of the European Parliament in view of initiatives carried out by MEPs in favour of Brussels, and even by some members of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in favour of Luxembourg.

Paru dans le quotidien français Le Figaro, l’article commente le déroulement des travaux pour la construction du quatrième bâtiment du Parlement européen à Strasbourg, comprenant un hémicycle et des bureaux supplémentaires, et analyse les avantages économiques de la confirmation de la ville comme siège de l’institution.

In August 2003, the German monthly Europäische Zeitung outlines the difficulties that Members of the European Parliament encounter in their everyday life because of the lack of transport links between Strasbourg and elsewhere. Despite their dissatisfaction, France possesses in the treaties the best weapon in its battle to keep the seat of the European Parliament there.

Aerial view of the European Parliament’s Louise Weiss Building in Strasbourg. It houses the hemicycle and MEPs’ offices.

View of the building in Brussels to be used from 1985 to 1993 to host additional part-sessions of the European Parliament.

Arial photograph of the European Parliament buildings in Brussels.

Constructed behind the Gare Léopold in Brussels, the European Parliament building, opened in 1993, is named the Paul-Henri Spaak Building in 1999. The photo, taken in 1992, shows the building during its construction phase.

Published in the Spanish daily newspaper El País on 30 September 1993, this article retraces the steps that led to the successful construction of the new building for the European Parliament in Brussels, despite adverse criticism from defenders of the architectural heritage of the Léopold district.

The new European Parliament building in Brussels is opened in 1998. The photo shows José María Gil-Robles and King Albert II of Belgium during a visit to an exhibition held in the building.

View of the new European Parliament building in Brussels. Opened in 1998, it is named the Alterio Spinelli Building in 1999.

On 14 July 1999, the President of the European Parliament, the Spaniard José-Maria Gil-Robles Gil-Delgado, renames the three new Parliament buildings in Brussels. They are henceforth known as the Bertha von Suttner, the Altiero Spinelli and the Paul-Henri Spaak buildings. The ceremony is attended, in particular, by the daughter of the former Belgian Prime Minister, Paul-Henri Spaak.

Aerial view of the buildings that house the European Parliament in Brussels.

La perspective de l'élection des membres du Parlement européen au suffrage universel direct anime le Gouvernement luxembourgeois à développer un projet d'extension des locaux du Parlement à Luxembourg. Ce projet est présenté à la presse le 25 janvier 1978.

Aerial view of the premises occupied by the European Parliament Secretariat in the Kirchberg district of Luxembourg.

Constructed between 1960 and 1965 in the European district of Kirchberg, the European Parliament’s 22-storey Alcide De Gasperi or Tower Building is the first ‘skyscraper’ to be built in Luxembourg City.

The European Parliament’s Robert Schuman Building in Luxembourg was built in the European district from 1970 to 1973. It houses a 120-seat debating chamber where a small number of plenary sittings were held until the new chamber was opened in the Kirchberg Conference Centre in1979.

The European Parliament’s Konrad Adenauer Building (BAK) built in Luxembourg in 1987.

Dans une lettre adressée le 19 décembre 2000 à Jean-Claude Juncker, Premier ministre luxembourgeois, Nicole Fontaine, Présidente du Parlement européen, tient à préciser que le transfert d'une tranche supplémentaire de postes du Secrétariat général hors de Luxembourg respecte pleinement les termes de l'accord établi en 1996 entre lui-même et l'ancien Président du Parlement, Klaus Hänsch.

Dans sa réponse à la lettre de Nicole Fontaine du 19 décembre 2000, Jean-Claude Juncker, Premier ministre luxembourgeois, confirme à la Présidente du Parlement européen que le transfert d'une tranche supplémentaire de postes du Secrétariat général hors de Luxembourg respecte les termes de l'accord de coopération de 1996 et exprime son souhait de continuer à adhérer aux procédures de contact et d'échanges d'information instaurées par celui-ci.

This article, published on 18 December 2003 in the newspaper Luxemburger Wort when the European Parliament acquires the ‘Konrad Adenauer’ building in Luxembourg, shows how the town’s status as seat of the General Secretariat of the institution is strengthened as a result.

Aerial view of the European Parliament’s Robert Schuman Building in Luxembourg.