Oral history
The interviews focus on the highlights of their professional experiences and on the functioning and practices of the Council and the General Secretariat. With this project, the Council’s archives service is following in the footsteps of other EU institutions’ archives services in setting up oral history programmes.
Annalisa Giannella
Annalisa Giannella joined the Council in 1972 and devoted all her professional life to the EU institutions. She was among the first officials to join the common foreign and security policy service at its creation, in 1994. She became Director for Security and Defence Policy in 1999. In 2003 she was nominated personal representative of the High Representative Javier Solana on non-proliferation and disarmament issues. She was Deputy Secretary-General of the European Convention.
In the interview, Annalisa Giannella guides us through the development of the Council of the EU and its General Secretariat. Through her experiences of the EU's first enlargement, the Maastricht Treaty, the development of the common foreign and security policy, and the European Convention, she reveals some of the inner workings of the Council, and the key people involved in shaping it.
Pierre de Boissieu
Pierre de Boissieu, an iconic figure in French and European diplomacy, devoted his career to serving in key roles within the European Union.
This interview offers a unique insight into his years of service, his time as Secretary-General of the Council, during which he oversaw work on matters of crucial importance, and his experiences as a member of Coreper. As he tells us his story, Pierre de Boissieu takes us behind the scenes of the high-level meetings, negotiations and diplomacy. He also describes his personal vision of the European Union and shares his thoughts on its past and future development.
In addition to his years at the Council, Pierre de Boissieu reflects on his pivotal role in the negotiations on the Treaty of Maastricht, a historic moment for the European Union that saw him become the architect of the pillar structure, thereby shaping the institutional framework of the European Union.
This discussion gives us a better understanding of the issues and challenges he had to deal with and his discreet but decisive influence on European integration.
Liliane Simon
Liliane Simon’s career reflects the formative decades of European integration. From her beginnings at the ECSC and Euratom to her many years of service at the Council, she often found herself at the crossroads of institutional transformation.
She was secretary to three Secretaries-General, then press officer, witnessing first-hand the crises, enlargements and negotiations that have shaped Europe.
Her story offers a rare insight into the day-to-day work and human dimension of European decision-making.
Jim Cloos
Jim Cloos joined the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU in 2001 as Director for Transatlantic Relations. In 2006, he became Director for General Policy Questions, then in 2010 he was appointed Director-General for General and Institutional Policy.
As a key player behind the scenes, Jim Cloos coordinated and supported European Council meetings for 15 years and is one of the few civil servants to have been in the room during the proceedings.
Charles Elsen
Charles Elsen became the first Director-General of the Directorate-General for Justice and Home Affairs of the Council of the European Union on 7 February 1994.
He headed the DG until 2004 and continued to carry out some duties in the first half of 2005, during Luxembourg’s presidency of the EU.
Last review: 28 May 2026