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The Bureau decision of 2 July 2012 laying down the Rules on document management in the European Parliament provides that ‘documents [must be] accessible, particularly to researchers and historians’ (Article 8(c)).
Pursuant to this decision, researchers and members of the public are offered assistance in searching for documents, which may take the form of:
Each year about 1 000 document searches (simple or complex) are carried out and several dozen study visitors and specialised visitors are received.
Documents drawn up since December 2001 are accessible through the Public Register of Documents, pursuant to Regulation 1049/2001: (click here - link to the Register)
If you are looking for information about the organisation, powers and activities of the European Parliament, please contact the European Parliament's Citizen’s Enquiry Service (click here - link to the webpage).
Historical documents (up to the penultimate parliamentary term before the current term), particularly legislative documents, are primarily accessed via the ARCDOC historical archives database.
For on-the-spot consultation, the archives service provides computers on which researchers can search the Historical Archives database.
A collection of books and periodicals relating specifically to archiving is available to researchers. It will gradually be expanded by the addition of historical books intended to supplement the documentary information relating to the history of European integration.
Reproduction of documents
The archives service offers researchers the following tools:
Assistance with searching
On CARDOC premises, in Luxembourg, archivists and assistants are available to assist researchers with their searches.
Not all archive documents are online yet and the different formats in which they are held (hard copy, microform) may be stored in different places. It is therefore advisable, in the case of extensive or complex searches, for researchers to contact our search assistance team in advance of their visit to inform them of the subject being researched or the documents to be located.
All researchers wishing to make a study visit to the Historical Archives to consult documents on the spot must apply for authorisation to the service responsible, which is part of the Directorate-General for Personnel, at least a week before the start of their proposed visit. Applications should include a copy of their passport, a CV and an explanatory letter stating the subject of study, the normal place of employment and the dates proposed.
To apply for a study visit to the Archives Service, please contact:
Anyone wishing to consult documents on the spot in the Archives Service must apply to the Traineeships Office for authorisation to undertake a study visit at least one week before the start of the proposed visit.
Upon arrival, visitors will be issued with a ‘study visitor’ badge at the entrance to the building permitting them to enter CARDOC premises.
Opening hours of the reading room: