About the Trilateral Commission - European Region

Chairman: Mario Monti Deputy Chairman: Vladimir Dlouhy Deputy Chairman: Michael Fuchs European Director: Paul Révay Secretariat 5, rue de Téhéran, 75008 Paris, France telephone: 33-1: 45 61 42 80 telefax: 33-1/ 45 61 42 87

The framework of the Trilateral European group is the European Union (formerly the European Community). Thus the country coverage of the Trilateral European group has grown as the European Community has grown. The Trilateral Commission was launched in mid-1973, shortly after the enlargement which brought Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Ireland into the European Community. Spanish and Portuguese groups were formed in the late 1970s, looking toward the entry of Spain and Portugal into the European Community. In more recent years, Austrian, Swedish and Finnish groups have been formed in advance of the entry of these countries into European Union. A Greek group was added. Several additional national groups were formed as the European Union enlarged to Central and Eastern Europe. The one non-EU country represented in the Trilateral European group is Norway. The consultations that went into the formation of the Trilateral Commission took place before the 1972 referendum which unexpectedly went against Norway joining the European Community.

The 170-member ceiling for the European group is divided into national quotas. Germany has a quota of 20; France, Italy, and the United Kingdom each have a quota of 18; and Spain has a quota of 12. The remaining national quotas range from 6 to 1. A list of current members is available from the European office at the above address.

The European Group enlarged to Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Estonia and Cyprus in 1998, and to Bulgaria and Romania in 2004 meets once a year in the Autumn Prague in 2002, Porto in 2003, Berlin in 2004, Madrid in 2005, Turin in 2006, Vienna in 2007, Paris in 2008 during France’s EU Presidency, Oslo in 2009 and Bucharest in 2010. European members beyond their “Trilateral” engagement are also committed to the pursuit of the European unification process. NATIONAL GROUP meetings in Europe are likewise held intermittently.  

The idea of a unifying Europe playing a larger role on the global stage has been a driving idea in the Trilateral Commission from the beginning. Several of the leaders of the Trilateral European group worked closely with Jean Monnet and have had prominent roles in the building of Europe, including Max Kohnstamm (European Chairman, 1973-76), Georges Berthoin (European Chairman, 1976-92), and François Duchene (European Deputy Chairman, 1974-76). Other former European Deputy Chairmen include Egidio Ortona and Garret FitzGerald.

The emphasis given to a unifying Europe playing a larger role on the global stage makes it therefore important for the European group to meet on its own as well as with North American and Japanese colleagues.

Mario Monti, elected European Chairman for the current 2010-2012 Triennium, will be assisted in his tasks at the helm of the European Group by an Advisory Group chaired by Lord Kerr.  

Several national groups within the European Group have some activities of their own. The German Group, for example, organizes discussion meetings with the German members of the Trilateral Commission and important policy-makers and occasionally publishes Trilateral reports in German translation.

Click here to download the European Region Membership List.