A Short History of the European Union (EU)
and How It Came to Brussels
 

To understand how Brussels came to be the Capital of Europe, one must look back to the origins and history of the European Union.

It all began in 1950, when Europe was beginning to recover from the ravages of World War II. Driven by the wish for peace, the determination that economic union would replace the historic enmity between members, and that democracy would banish the threat of totalitarianism, Belgium, Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands initiated discussions aimed at establishing new institutions that would be based on shared interests and founded upon treaties. They began by creating the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) to work together to manage coal and steel production.

Over the next few years further discussions expanded the areas of agreement, leading to March 25, 1957, when the six nations signed the Treaty of Rome, establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) that would create a common market for a range of goods and services.

The location of the institutions' headquarters was not addressed in the Treaty of Rome! Indeed, the conference that was set up to make the decision could not reach consensus and in the meantime, Europe's administrative departments were set up in Brussels. Over the years, the officials and delegations became comfortable as facilities were constructed to meet their needs.

Finally, in 1992, a permanent arrangement agreeable to all was found:

• Brussels would keep most Commission Departments, the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, the Economic and Social Committee and host meetings of the parliament's committees and political groups.
• Luxembourg would host a quarterly meeting of the Council of Ministers and be home of the Court of Justice, Parliament Secretariat and European Investment Bank.
• Strasbourg would host the European Parliament's plenary sessions.

With this arrangement, Brussels could now count on the EU's presence and work with EU Facilities Planners to create a capitol that truly represents their status in the world community.