En 1951, le Conseil de l'Europe a conclu un accord avec l'Organisation du Traité de Bruxelles, selon lequel l'Organisation du Traité de Bruxelles transmettrait des rapports annuels aux deux organes du Conseil de l'Europe pour commentaires (SG/D(60)4 p. 4 [en], SG/D(60)4 p.4 [fr]).

In October 1954 in Paris the Brussels Treaty was amended and the Western European Union (WEU) emerged as a result.

Two more states joined at this point: Italy and the Federal Republic of Germany.
The close cooperation between the Council of Europe and the WEU is attested by the Article IX of the amended Brussels Treaty text: "The Council of Western European Union shall make an annual report on its activities and in particular concerning the control of armaments to an Assembly composed of representatives of the Brussels Treaty Powers to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe"

This close cooperation is demonstrated in the following documents: A/1559 [fr]; Resolution 67 [en]; Résolution 67 [fr] WEU Doc. 20 [fr]; Agreement between the Secretariat General of the Council of Europe and the Secretariat General of the Brussels Treaty Organisation

A general survey of the close collaboration between the two institutions can be found in Twenty Years in the Service of Europe: From Brussels Treaty Organisation to the Council of Europe.

On 1 January 1960 in accordance with the decision taken on 21st October 1959 by the Council of Western European Union and with Resolution(59)23 adopted on 16th November 1959 by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the WEU activities in social and cultural areas (Social Committee, Public Health Committee, Joint Committee on the Rehabilitation and Resettlement of the Disabled and Cultural Committee) were transferred to the Council of Europe which was already running programmes in these fields. The European Universities Committee (see CM(60)4; C(59)127 and CM(59)130 [en];   CM(59)130 [fr]) was transferred to the Council of Europe separately from the rest of WEU cultural activities.

Transfers to the Archives

Transfer of activities

Information concerning the transfer can be found in our Archives files (ES1, ES 26, D262 - D265). The documents contained in these files discuss the competences of the two authorities before unification and how the transfer of activities should go ahead.

The procedure for transfer is discussed in the External Relations memorandum of 21/10/59.

The following documents relate to the transfer of social activities: CM(60)77; CE/Soc(60)25; CM(59)92; Note for the attention of the Secretary General: transfer of WEU activities in the social field to the Secretariat general of the Council of Europe; WEU Doc. 149.

In relation to the transfer of cultural activities the following documents are of importance: CM(60)97 [en]; CM(60)97 [fr]; CM(59)102 [en]; CM(59)102 [fr].

The following documents concern the transfer of both social and cultural activities: C(59)131; CM(59)105 [fr]; CM(59)105 [en]; C(59)153.

The documents concerning the transfer of activities are primarily composed of correspondence between Dunstan Curtis (Deputy Secretary of the Council of Europe) and the Head of the Western European Union in London, and documents detailing the transfer of activities and personnel.

Information concerning the structure of the new activities following their transfer to the Council of Europe can be found in documents; Service des Relations extérieures 20/07/59 [fr]; Service des Relations extérieures 15/06/59 [fr]; C(59)137.

Physical transfer of documents

The necessity for transferring of these archives and the expenses entailed are mentioned in a Committee of Ministers document. "It will also be necessary to transfer from London to Strasbourg the archives of the departments in question (10-12 cubic metres). The cost of packing, transport and storage may be estimate at 3000 FF", CM(60)14 [en], see p. 23, CM(60)14 [fr], voir p. 23.

The registers of files of the WEU cultural archives sent to the Council are kept in file D 19 of the DECS (Directory of Education, Culture and Sport) fond, those of the WEU social archives in file ES (1947) of the DAES (Directory of Economical and Social Affaires) fond.

Collections of Brussels Treaty Organisation / Western European Union documents at the Council of Europe

In total the fond consists of 175 files divided into two locations - cultural - (D...) and social - (ES...)

Cultural Activities Files: D236 – D267

Brussels Treaty (1948-1955)

D 236 - D 261

Western European Union

D 262 - 266 B
D 300 - 306
D 329 - 344
D 358 - 403
DECS/WEO
D 11 - 16
D 18 - D19
D 51 - D 52

A list of documents available can be found in Inventaire des documents détenus par le Service des archives (Direction de l'enseignement, de la culture et du sport) (28)

Inventaire part 1 [fr]
Inventaire part 2 [fr]
Inventaire part 3 [fr]
Inventaire part 4 [fr]
Inventaire part 5 [fr]

Social Activities ES 1-30

Brussels Treaty

S 1 - ES 8
ES 393, ES 394, ES 404, ES 408, ES 425, ES 427

Western European Union

ES 391 - ES 402; ES 404 - ES 409, ES 411, ES 412, ES 414 - 418, ES 425, ES 427, ES (1947)

DAES/Western European Union

ES1, ES 9 -30

Details of the contents of the Social Activities deposit can be found in the Inventaire des documents détenus par le Service des Archives (DAES)

part 1 [fr]
part 2 [fr]

Brussels Treaty /WEU Joint Committee on Rehabilitation and Resettlement of the Disabled can also be found in files:

ES 1728 and ES 1729: Inventaire des documents détenus par le Service des Archives (Accord partiel dans le domaine sociale et de la santé publique)