On 7, 8 and 9 December 2000, at the end of the French Presidency, the Nice European Council is held to decide on the amendments to be made to the Treaty on European Union. This is the longest Council ever held, mainly because of the marked differences of opinion and lively debates between the governments on the reform of the institutions. The photo shows French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (sitting down), both in a good mood, at the beginning of the first working session of the Council.