The European Union was granted Observer Status in 1985. Currently, the European Commission (EC) represents the European Union at the open sessions of the CERN Council.

The relations between CERN and the EC are based on an Administrative Arrangement for Scientific and Technological Co-operation, signed in 1994. A new Memorandum of Understanding between CERN and the European Commission was signed in July 2009.

Since the late 1990s CERN has been involved in the EU Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development. The Organization has had an active participation in FP6 (2002-2006) and FP7 (2007-2013) in three main domains - accelerator and detector research and development, projects (FP6: CARE, EUROTeV, DIRAC, EURISOL, EURONS, EFNUDAT; FP7: ILC-UPGRADE, EUROnu, SLHC-PP, EuCARD) for the development and deployment of Grid infrastructures(ETICS, EGEE), and different Marie-Curie host actions for training of young scientists and engineers.

More information about the participation of CERN in EU Programmes is available at http://cerneu.web.cern.ch/.