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Historical research and research in the field of international law are not restricted to the archives of a single Member State. They often extend beyond the physical borders of a State and a researcher might have difficulty finding the appropriate sources promptly.
This guide is the outcome of a joint effort by the Group of Archivists of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Member States and the Institutions of the European Union which has been meeting regularly since 1987 (under each EU Presidency) to pool knowledge and best practices for the conservation and consultation of national and/or European diplomatic documents. Ten new Member States joined the European Union on May 1st 2004. In addition, a good deal of the information given in the second edition of the Guide in 1995 regarding the “old” Member States needed to be updated. To be more complete, entries about some of the consultative and other bodies were added also.
This guide gives in summary form details of the location and availability of archived files and documents, and the structure of the archives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Member States and the European Institutions. It makes it possible to plan periods of research and to make best use of the sources available.
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