Evolution of the Council System after Enlargement and the Commission

• Reference:GB 254 MS 420/22
• Dates of Creation:1990-2007
• Name of Creator:
  Sir William Nicoll
• Physical Description:
  1 folder

• Scope and Content

  Evolution of the Council System after Enlargement and the Commission. Includes: Printed article on agencies of EU Article in French, 1996 Notes on Council of the European Union Report on the Organization and Operation of Coordination' by General Secretariat of the Council, Brussels, March 1998 Report typed in French, March 1995 - Secretary General, Tonctionnement Paper Written by Emil J. Kirchner, 'The EC Council Presidency at Work', May 1991 Appendix by George Ross, 'Policy Development and the Cabinet System in the Delors' Commisions' European Parliment Session Documents, June 1990 Article in French by Jean-Claude Piris, c.1993 Council of the Europe Union item note, 'Working Methods for an Enlarged Council - Code of Conduct Printout of council guide published by Council of the European Union, February 2001 Draft Report, 'An Effective Council for an Enlarged Union', 1999 Report by the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union, 'Operation of the Council with an Enlarged Union in Prospect', 1999 Email sent by David Galloway, Director of the Private Office of the Deputy Sectretary-General, to Nicoll, October 2007

• Administrative / Biographical History

  Born in Dundee, Sir William Nicoll was an only child. Growing up in a tenement, his father was a joiner. He attended Morgan Academy, then won a scholarship to University College, Dundee, which was then part of the University of St Andrews.
  Nicoll passed the civil service exams and moved to London in 1949 to join the Board of Trade. Married Helen Morison in 1954, at the same time he became Editor of The Reel, a post he held in 1954 and 1955. The next year he was posted to Calcutta as trade commissioner, cutting short his editorship. Within ten years he had risen to become private secretary to Douglas Jay, the Labour heavyweight whom Harold Wilson had appointed president of the Board of Trade.
  From there Nicoll was seconded to the Foreign Office and served 20 years as one of the UK's senior men in Brussels. He became familiar with the French language and had a narrow escape from an IRA letter bomb while there.
  Nicoll rose to become Director General of the Council of the European Communities, and was knighted in 1992. In retirement, he lectured, edited the European Business Journal, wrote books on the European Union and advised candidate countries hoping to join it.
  Sir William was a lifelong teetotaller, and keen Scottish country dancer.

• Access Information

  Open for consultation subject to preservation requirements. Access must also conform to the restrictions of the Data Protection Act (2018), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, 2018) and any other relevant legislation or restrictions. Clinical information is closed for 100 years.

• Note

  Born in Dundee, Sir William Nicoll was an only child. Growing up in a tenement, his father was a joiner. He attended Morgan Academy, then won a scholarship to University College, Dundee, which was then part of the University of St Andrews.
  Nicoll passed the civil service exams and moved to London in 1949 to join the Board of Trade. Married Helen Morison in 1954, at the same time he became Editor of The Reel, a post he held in 1954 and 1955. The next year he was posted to Calcutta as trade commissioner, cutting short his editorship. Within ten years he had risen to become private secretary to Douglas Jay, the Labour heavyweight whom Harold Wilson had appointed president of the Board of Trade.
  From there Nicoll was seconded to the Foreign Office and served 20 years as one of the UK's senior men in Brussels. He became familiar with the French language and had a narrow escape from an IRA letter bomb while there.
  Nicoll rose to become Director General of the Council of the European Communities, and was knighted in 1992. In retirement, he lectured, edited the European Business Journal, wrote books on the European Union and advised candidate countries hoping to join it.
  Sir William was a lifelong teetotaller, and keen Scottish country dancer.

• Archivist's Note

  Description compiled by Joy Naomi Ramsay, Archives Volunteer, 16/04/2018

• Conditions Governing Use

  Reproduction is available subject to preservation requirements. Charges may be made for this service, and copyright and other restrictions may apply; please check with the Duty Archivist.

• Accruals

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• Additional Information

  Published